D4 Review Questions
  1. What is meant by the term “aeolian processes”?
  2. Aeolian processes describe how the action of wind can shape the landscape.

  3. What two conditions lead to increased vulnerability to wind erosion?
  4. Limited precipitation and little vegetation are conditions that lead to an increased vulnerability to wind erosion.

  5. How does the aeolian process of deflation work?
  6. Deflation is the process whereby wind blows across loose sediment and picks up and transports lighter particles.

  7. Why is windblown sand an effective agent of wind erosion?
  8. Windblown sand is quite effective at erosion because it consists primarily of quartz particles. Quartz is a very hard mineral, and is very effective in eroding softer rock.

  9. How does a dune form?
  10. A dune forms when windblown sediment begins to deposit as the wind slows down when it hits an obstacle like a rock. Over time, the sediment will accumulate forming a longer slope on the surface facing the wind, and a steeper slope on the side away from the wind.

  11. How are loess deposits produced?
  12. Loess deposits are produced when windblown materials settle into thick layers of sediment.