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Landforms of Aeolian Erosion

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Geomorphology of Desert Environments

Abstract

Aeolian erosion develops through two principal processes: deflation (removal of loosened material and its transport as fine grains in atmospheric suspension) and abrasion (mechanical wear of coherent material). The relative significance of each of these processes appears to be a function of the properties of surface materials and the availability of abrasive particles. The landforms that result from aeolian erosion include ventifacts, ridge and swale systems, yardangs, desert depressions, and inverted relief.

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  1. Julie E. Laity
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14261, Buffalo, NY, USA

    Athol D. Abrahams

  2. Department of Geography, University of Keele, ST5 5BG, Keele, Staffordshire, UK

    Anthony J. Parsons

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© 1994 Athol D. Abrahams and Anthony J. Parsons

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Laity, J.E. (1994). Landforms of Aeolian Erosion. In: Abrahams, A.D., Parsons, A.J. (eds) Geomorphology of Desert Environments. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8254-4_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-015-8254-4_19

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