ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCE LEARNING OBJECTIVES FOR WIND EROSION

Over the next two days, you will be learning how wind acts as an agent of erosion. Take notes on how you learned the following objectives from class work, the video, and text. During your learning, you should focus on information that helps you to understand that:

1. Wind removes loose products of weathering wherever small particles are exposed to wind, even locally. This is called DEFLATION.

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2. SOIL LOSS from wind erosion can be prevented by organic material on the soil and by windbreaks such as vegetation.

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3. Deflation by wind can remove all small particles of soil from arid areas creating barren, rocky DESERT PAVEMENT.

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4. Deflation and scouring by wind blown particles can erode the surface down to water and create an OASIS in arid areas.

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5. DUST size particles can be carried long distances by wind.

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6. Sand size particles bounce long distances in the wind and kick up other sand grains, but only get about 1 meter above the surface. This called SALTATION.

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7. SCOURING by wind blown sand can shape and wear away objects.

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8. Deposits of dust have formed fertile but easily eroded soil called LOESS.

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9. OBSTRUCTIONS to wind in sandy, windy areas cause sand to be deposited on the leeward side of the object.

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10. If the wind and the supply of sand are steady, sand dunes form in the LEE of an object, then grow as they themselves block the wind.

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11. SAND DUNES move by grains of sand bouncing up the windward side of the dune and rolling down the leeward side.

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12. Moving sand dunes can BURY and destroy vegetation and buildings

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13. Dunes can be STABILIZED by planting and maintaining vegetation such as sea grass on the dune's back to stop the sand from moving up the dune.

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14. Dunes provide valuable protection from STORM SURGES along coastal areas.

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15. Riding vehicles and even WALKING on dunes can destroy the vegetation keeps them in place.

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The video program "Wind, Dust and Deserts" from The Earth Revealed series, is available online from Annenberg/CPB Online.