Get premium membership and access revision papers with marking schemes, video lessons and live classes.

Processing. Please wait.

In this lesson we are going to discuss the action of wind in arid areas

Answer Text:
Action of Wind and Water in Arid Areas
An arid area is a land which is deficient of moisture leading to scanty or no vegetation.
Action of Wind in Arid Areas
Wind Erosion
Physical weathering is the initial process then it’s followed by wind erosion.
Wind is more effective in tropical deserts due to:
a) Presence of loose unconsolidated dry masses of mud, sand and gravel.
b) Occurrence of strong tropical storms.
c) Absence of vegetation leading to high wind velocity due to little frictional force.
Factors influencing wind erosion
a) Wind speed- wind with high velocity has more energy to erode than with low velocity.
b) Load- angular shaped load provide more effective abrasive tools than one which is round shaped.
c) Nature of surface- Wind erosion is faster where the surface consists of unconsolidated materials.
Processes/Ways in Which Wind Erodes Deserts
a) Abrasion
- Materials carried by wind such as sand grains scratching rock surfaces across the path of wind.
- Greater close to the ground because it’s where heavy and more effective abrasion tools are lifted and carried.
b) Deflation
- Removal of unconsolidated materials such as sand and dust rolling and lifting or scooping and blowing away.
c) Attrition
- Sand grains carried by wind knocking against each other making them to become smaller and rounded in shape.