This rock on the high plains of Bolivia was eroded by the wind.
Did You Know?
Aeolus the Blowhard
Aeolus was a minor deity in Greek mythology. He was the ruler of the winds and lived on the island of Lipari, off the coast of Sicily. Aeolus kept the winds imprisoned in a cave on the island, and released them whenever requested to do so by the higher gods in the Greek pantheon.
A marble carving of Aeolus, the god of wind.
The wind possesses a great deal of energy. This energy can gently rustle the leaves in a tree, or it can be quite destructive as in the case of a tornado. Geologists use the term aeolian processes to generally describe all the geologic processes whereby wind can alter the landscape.
Wind Erosion
The energy of the wind can transport particles and sediment in a similar fashion to how water carries sediment. Unlike water, however, wind can’t transport larger, heavier sediment. Wind is therefore a minor agent of erosion, particularly when compared to the erosion capabilities of water or glaciers.
Wind erosion does not often occur in humid areas because precipitation binds soil particles together making them heavier. Precipitation also leads to increased vegetation cover which also helps bind the soil together. Areas that are particularly vulnerable to wind erosion, however, usually possess two characteristics. These areas have:
- limited precipitation
- little vegetation cover
Learning Activity – Wind Erosion Vulnerability
Areas in the world that are particularly vulnerable to wind erosion have both limited precipitation and little vegetation cover. In this learning activity, you will briefly examine some areas in the world that are quite vulnerable to wind erosion.
- Click here to see a World Erosion Vulnerability map.
Locate where you live on the map.
- How vulnerable to wind erosion is the area where you live? Answers will vary depending on the location.
- Why is most of the eastern U.S. not generally vulnerable to wind erosion? It is too humid.
- What is the wind erosion vulnerability in the central area of:
- the U.S.? The wind erosion vulnerability in the central U.S. is moderate.
- Canada? The wind erosion vulnerability in Canada is moderate to high.
- Why do you think that both these areas might be vulnerable to wind erosion? Both these areas are prairie areas. These areas have little precipitation and also reduced vegetation cover.
- Click here to see a close-up view of the map corresponding to eastern Brazil.
Carefully examine the wind erosion vulnerability in eastern Brazil.
- What is the wind erosion vulnerability in eastern Brazil? The wind erosion vulnerability in this area is high to very high.
- Eastern Brazil is very humid. Why do you think it is vulnerable to wind erosion? In this case, the vulnerability to wind erosion is probably due to human actions. Removing the natural vegetation cover by cutting down the tropical rainforest and poor soil-use policies make this area extremely susceptible to wind erosion.