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Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms pp 1–10Cite as

Aeolian Deposits

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Definition

Wind-blown deposits on planetary surfaces, may be unconsolidated (loose) or indurated (cemented, lithified).

Subtypes

  1. (1)

    Aeolian sand deposits

  2. (2)

    Aeolian dust deposits

Description

Wind-transported and deposited particulate material on planetary surfaces that may form structures with varied morphology, including sand sheets, ripples and dunes, (aeolian sand deposit). Aeolian deposits in ice-cemented structures may form Polar Layered Deposits on Mars.

Grain Size

In the geological sciences, dust is defined as particles with diameters smaller than 62.5 μm. Sand is defined as particles (regardless of composition) in the range of 62.5–2,000 μm.

In the atmospheric sciences, dust is usually defined as the material that can be readily suspended by wind, whereas sand is rarely suspended and is predominantly transported by saltation (Kok et al. 2012).

Mean grain size of sand on Earth is 160–330 μm. Grain size on Mars is estimated between 60 and 600 μm depending on author,...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Planetary Science Research Group, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

    Henrik Hargitai

  2. Konkoly Thege Miklos Astronomical Institute, Research Center for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Ákos Kereszturi

Authors
  1. Henrik Hargitai
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  2. Ákos Kereszturi
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Correspondence to Henrik Hargitai .

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Hargitai, H., Kereszturi, Á. (2014). Aeolian Deposits. In: Encyclopedia of Planetary Landforms. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_457-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-9213-9_457-1

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  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-9213-9

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