GPHY 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Semi-Arid Climate, Geomorphology, Sediment Transport

• School: Queen's University
• Department: Geography
• Course: GPHY 102
• Professor: Ryan K Danby

Document Summary

Aeolian process with nature of moving material through erosion, transport and deposition (which is the same as with water = fluvial processes: aeolian: geomorphic processes associated with wind. Two important determinant factors: wind speed (energy of the wind to move material, materials type (fine -grained) Relative to water, wind is a far less important agent at global scales, but it can be locally and regionally significant. Airborne sands and dust particles driven by wind in a natural form of sandblasting. Not all deserts are warm aeolian processes occur in arid polar setting as well. None of these environments have vegetation to protect material from wind and activity occurs the most in the winter. Aeolian transport of materials similar to fluvial transport - just much less efficient! Finest particles (clay and slits) carried in suspension as dust: strong turbulent winds can lift and carry thousands of tonnes of suspended dust.