As an agent of erosion
Wind as an agent of erosion 2
Abstract
When air is in movement, it is termed as wind. It is one of the most powerful sources of non-renewable energy. Evidently, it is an agent of erosion also. The direction, magnitude and speed of the wind decide the amount of erosion, be it on soil or rocks. This essay is aimed at illumining the significance of wind as an agent of erosion. The Aeolian processes have been described briefly along with the examples of some famous geographical locations and structures in Bolivia, California and Utah.
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In simplest words, wind is the air in movement from higher to lower pressure (“Origin of Wind”, 2010). As stated in ‘Origin of wind’ of National Weather Service, the circulation of wind is determined chiefly by the following three factors: Pressure gradient force which tries to equalize pressure differences , the Coriolis force which determines the direction of wind and Friction between wind and surfaces of/on earth. Wind itself has been a major entity in accomplishing several natural phenomena as well as technologies pertaining to wind energy. Shaping landforms, especially through erosion is one of the most significant effects of wind. It is to be noted here that this phenomenon is often described as inaccurate because wind cannot erode a rock or reshape a landform on its own. It requires carrying dust, sand, small rocks or other agents with its power to cause erosion.
Wind is one of the main agents of soil erosion. It deflates the loose soil from the surface of earth. The rocks and landforms mainly get reshaped by the rock particles carried by wind (“Eolian Processes”, p 1 ). The particles carried by dust scrub the landforms and wear down the surfaces, gradually leading to change in shape. As it’s the direction and speed of the wind which determines its power to affect or reshape. The Aeolian processes are quite prominent in sparsely-vegetated areas with more of open space for wind to blow without any hindrance. That is why the landforms sculpted by winds are usually found in arid areas.
As evident, there are three main processes of wind erosion (Blanco & Rattan, 2010) namely- Detachment which occurs on loose and bare soil, Deposition of soil when gravitational force is enough to make the suspended particles in air settle down and Transport of soil due to wind velocity (“Wind erosion”, p 56-57). To further move the soil, there are three processes namely suspension, saltation and surface creep. Taking example of the mushroom rocks, it can be seen how wind possesses the power to carve a rock. When a rock
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is subjected to wind erosion, with heavy particles abrading the lower part of rocks and lighter particles scuffing the upper part, it gets reshaped like a mushroom over hundreds of years. Many such rocks can be found in Egypt, Israel and Utah. A peculiar instance of rock carved by strong winds is Árbol de Piedra in . Kelso Dunes in California is a fine example of how deposits made by winds can create a large field.
In conclusion, wind has been quite a strong force in not only affecting the climate but also change the physical structure of certain elements on the lithosphere. It accomplishes the task gradually over years by carrying particles in different amount and speed. Sometimes, the particles get deflated from one place and deposited to another. Other times, it simply changes the shape with very slow yet substantial friction over time. Aeolian processes might be inaccurate as wind is nothing but a bulk of moving gases. But it is one of the most prominent forces of Nature.
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References
Blanco, Humberto & Lal, Rattan. .Principles of Soil Conservation and Management. Springer. pp. 56–57. 2010. Retrieved on 24 Nov 2012from web http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Wj3690PbDY0C&pg=PA57&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
. USGS. 1997. Page 1.Retrieved on web. http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/eolian/
JetStream (2008). . Southern Region Headquarters. Page 1. Last modified in 2012. Retrieved on web. http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jetstream//synoptic/wind.htm
