Aeolian processes
Phenomena
Aeolian deposits (USA) - bottom older tilted rock layers are overlaid by aeolian (transported by the wind) dust and sand. On the bottom of aeolian layer, you can see the columnar joints, typical for loess.
Badland (USA) - type of landscape typically evolved on unconsolidated or poorly consolidated fine-grained (usually clay-rich) sediments. Badlands are a result of erosion of water and wind. Steep slopes, very sparse vegetation, lack of regolith and high drainage density are typical for this landscape.
Ripples (USA) - are microforms that are formed by water or wind in sandy sediments. On the picture you can see aeolian ripples formed on the surface of the gypsum sand dunes.
Dunes (USA) - formed by the aeolian transport of sand on flat surface. The up-wind facing slope is more gentle and the down-wind slope (on the picture) is more steep. The prevailing wind direction and the direction of the dune movement is from right to the left.
Sandstone arch (USA) - is a natural “bridge” formed by selective physical and chemical erosion of the less resistant layers of rock underneath the more resistant rocks that form the top of the arch.
Loess (Kalendář věků, Dolní Věstonice, Czech Republic) - Loess is an aeolian (wind-blown) silt sediment with calcium carbonate content. It deposited during cold and windy phases of ice age.
Desert pavement (Morocco, Erfoud) - Desert pavement with closely packed angular rock.
Reg (Morocco, Erfoud) - Reg desert with desert pavement .
Desert pavement (Morocco, Erfoud) - Desert pavement with loosely packed angular rock.
Dune (California, Dead Valley, USA) - Surface of sand dune with ripple marks and walking traces of beetles.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga) - Small aeolian ripples on surface of a dune. Note coarse sand grains in a trough and fine sand on a crest of ripple.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga) - Small aeolian ripples on surface of a dune.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Sinuous aeolian ripples around by wind-driven sand grooved and polished limestone rocks.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Sinuous aeolian ripples around limestone rocks.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Sinuous aeolian ripples with radiating crests around small bush.
Ventifact (Morocco, Merzouga area) - By windblown sand groowed and polished limestone stones. Note acute edges of dreikanter.
Wind ripples (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Small anatomosing wind ripples on a surface of a sand dune.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Transverse dune. Note steep lee slope on the left and by wind ripples marked windward slope. Sand avalanche occurs on the lee slope.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Parabolic dune with steep lee slopes on the left and windward slopes of the right. Note desert pavement with traces of car tyres.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Lee slope and the acute adge of the parabolic dune. Note ripples on lee slope.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Parabolic done. Note wind ripples on windward surface and sand avalanche traces on lee slope of the dune.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Small crescentic dune encircling the rock. Note strip without sand due the deflation and small wind ripples and human tracks.
Dune (Morocco, Merzouga area) - Star dune have a pyramidal shape with three or more radiating arms crescentic dune encircling the rock.
Desert pavement (Argentina, Parque Nacional Sierra de las Quijadas) - Small angular rock of hard quartzite on surface of the desert.
Desert pavement (Morocco, Merzouga) - Polished surface of rock forming desert pavement.
Desert pavement (Morocco, Merzouga) - Polished surface of limonite rock in desert pavement.
Dune (Namibia, Namib-Naukluft Park) - Large transverse dunes of red sand.
Dune (Namibia, Namib-Naukluft Park) - Clay pan surrounded by large dunes of red sand.
Dune (Namibia, Namib-Naukluft Park) - Large dunes of red sand.
Dune (Namibia, Namib-Naukluft Park) - Large dune of red sand.
Dune (Namibia, Namib-Naukluft Park) - Large transverse dunes of red sand with a clay pan in foreground.
Abrasion (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Small cavities on surface of the Triassic sandstone.
Abrasion (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Small cavities on surface of the Triassic sandstone.
Escarpment (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Cliff-forming layered red middle Triassic sandstone.
Escarpment (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Escarpments made by sandstone beds in lower Triassic aleuropelite.
Erosion (Argentina, Talampaya National Park) - Windblow and rainfall surface of lower Triassic aleuropelite and sandstone. Competent rock forms a shelf above soft aleuropelites.
Erosion (Argentina, Talampaya National Park) - Vertical walls of canyon. Veritical slope originate by undercutting of claystone.
Erosion (Argentina, Talampaya National Park) - Vertical wall of canyon with rock talus below.
Stone mushroom (Argentina, Talampaya National Park) - Stone mushroom carved by aeolian erosion.
Stone mushroom (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Stone mushroom carved by aeolian erosion. Note hard sandstone top undercut by the abbrasive action of windblown sand .
Stone mushroom (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Stone mushroom carved by aeolian erosion.
Stone mushroom (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Two stone mushrooms carved by aeolian erosion.
Abrasion (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Limonitic nodules exposed from Triassic sandstone by aeolian erosion.
Abrasion (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Limonitic nodules exposed from Triassic sandstone by aeolian erosion. Note exfoliation of nodules.
Deflation (Argentina, Ischigualasto National Park) - Loose hard limonitic nodules left on a surface of Triassic sandstone.