Arid
Arid
1. I n tr od u ction
2. P r ocess an d A gent in v olv es in a r id lan d for m
3. E r osi on al T op ogr ap h y b y w in d
4. D ep ositiona l T op ogr a p hy b y w i n d
5. F l u v ia l D eser t l an d for m
6. C oncl usion
1. INTRODUCTION
extent that it inhibits the growth and development of plant and animal life.
Landforms in the arid region are mostly created by winds and also developed by
water. In arid areas, winds play a major role in forming landforms. Water can also
create some types of landforms. Badlands, Mushroom rocks, dunes, yardang, etc.
are features of arid landforms. These characteristics are typical of an arid area.
2. PROCESS AND AGENT INVOLVES IN ARID LANDFORM
1) P r ocess of w eath er i n g
= A ri d areas are characteri zed by m echanical w eatheri ng w hi ch incl udes the process
of bl ock di si ntegration due to tem perature change.
2) A cti on of w ater .
= A cti on of w ater i s l i mi ted but som eti m es due to heav y rai nfal l speci al ty pes of
l andform i s form ed.
3) A cti on of w i n d .
= w i nd is the m ost activ e agent i n ari d topography . G enerall y three ty pes of w ork are
done by the acti on of w i nd.
i . E r osion
i i. T r an sp or tation
i ii . D ep ositi on
• T he three E rosi onal w ork s done by w i nd are- -
1) A ttriti on
- I t inv ol v es reducti on in the si ze of fragment by friction and i mpact duri ng
transportation. I t break s dow n the l oad into fi ner particl es.
2) A brasi on
- T he w eari ng aw ay of surfaces by m echanical process l i k e rubbi ng, scrachi ng,
pol ishing etc.
3) D efl ati on
- Process of rem ov ing, l i fti ng, and blow ing of any dry and losses m aterial is cal led
deflation.
• T he erosi onal w ork of w i nds depends on the fol low ing factors –
i ) v el ocity of w i nd
i i) shape and am ount of part
i ii ) structure of rock
i v ) cl i mate
3. E r osion al t op ogr ap h y b y w in d - - -
fi g- m ushroom rock.
- - - E rosional process A brasi on is activ e in the ev olu tion of m ushroom rocks. D u e to A brati on
w ork the low er part becomes narrow er and the upper part of rem ains u naffected.
3.3 Z u gen :- - T his ty pe of shape i s formed i n those desert areas, w here hard and soft rocks
alternativ ely located in a hori zontal w ay .
- - si nce the day temperature of desert areas are v ery h igh therefore crack s originate in the h ard
rock. I n th e nigh t, the dew present i n the cracks conv ert i nto ice and as a resu lt of this th e
w i dth of the cracks start i ncreasing soft rocks located bel ow th e h ard rock s cut dastly and
form zeugen.
- - - T he base of such features are broader than their top.
fi g- zeugen.
3.4 y ar d an gs –
w hen the thi n al ternation of hard and soft strata ly i ng v erti cal l y , the soft strata
eroded m ore rapi dl y than the hard one.
T hus the hard strata, stand out i n hi gh
reli ef w i th deep groov es betw een them . T he hi gh ridges call ed y ardangs .
- - - - T hese are al i gned i n the di recti on of prev ai li ng w i nd.
fi g- y ar d an gs.
3.5 I n selb er g : - -
A n i nsel berg i s a m onadnock and is an i sol ated hi ll of sm all m ountai ns and rises
abruptl y from a gentll y sl opi ng.
fi g- in selb er g.
3.6 ston e l atti ce: - -
T he rock s of v ary i ng com posi tion and resi stance . W hen abraded by pow erful w i nd
charged w i th erosion tool s (rock parti cl es) becom e of unev en surface as the
pow erful w i nd abrades w eak er sections of rock s and rem ov es the abraded materi als
w hi l e rel ati v el y resi stant secti ons are least affected by abrasion.
such pi tted and fl uted rock surface are
cal l ed stone l attice.
fi g– stone latti ce
3.7 w i n d w i n d ow an d w in d ow b r i d ge.
- H ol es are form ed due to conti nuous A brati on of stone l atti ce by pow erful w i nd
these hol es gradual l y w i dened and ulti matel y these reach opposite si de of rock s
such hol es cal led w i nd w i ndow .
T he hol es are further w i dened and enl arged throgh the
process of abrati on and defl ati on in such a w ay that an arch l ik e features hav ing
i ntact roof are formed these are cal led w i ndow bri dges.
fi g– w i n d b r id ge
4. D ep osi tion al l an d for m s b y w i n d - - -
fi g- sand dunes
# T h er e can b e a gr eat v ar i ety of san d d u n e for m –
i ) B ar ch an s :
- - C rescent shaped dunes cal led barchans w ith poi nts or w i ng directed aw ay from
the di recti on of the w i nd.
* w i ndw ard si de is conv ex i n shape.
* l eew ard si de is concav e i n shape.
F i g- barchan.
i i) P ar ab ol ic d u n es :
- I t is form w hen sandy surfaces are partial ly cov ered w ith v egetati on that m eans
parabol i c dunes are rev ersed barchans w ith w i nd di rection bei ng the sam e.
* w i ndw ard si de conv ex i n shape.
* l eew ard si de concav e i n shape.
i ii ) Sei f : -
- - sei f is si mi l ar to barchan w i th sm al l difference. Sei f has only one w i ng or poi nt.
i v ) L on gi tu d i n al d u n es: - -
= I t form w hen suppl y of sand i s poor and w i nd directi on i s constant. T hey appear as
l ong ridges of consi derabl e length but l ow i n height.
* l ongitudi nal dunes are form ed al ong the di recti on of w i nd.
v ) T r an sv er se d u n es: - -
= T ransv erse dunes are al igned perpendi cular to w i nd directi on. T hese dunes are form
w hen w i nd di rection i s constant and the source of sand i s elongated features of ri ght
angles to the w ind.
* I t is long and l ow i n hei ght.
4.2 l oess: - -
- - l oess i s the ex ampl e of most signi fi cant w i nd blow n deposits. L oess are fine l oam ,
l oose or unconsoli dated m aterial .
* T he m ost ex tensi v e loess deposits occur in north china w here they are spread ov er
774000 sq k m .
fi g – l oess.
5. F l u v ial d eser t l an d for m
- B adland, pedim ents, baj adas, and pl ay as are special ty pes of l andforms of ari d and
sem i- ari d regi ons caused by mechani cal di si ntegrati on of rock s and w ater acti on.
- 5.1 B ad l an d T op ogr ap h y :
- I n arid regi ons occuational rai nstrom s produce num erous ri ll s and channel s
w hi ch ex tensi v el y erode w eak sedi mentary form ati on.
- - rav ines and gul li es are dev eloped by l inear fluv i al erosi on l eadi ng to the formation
of badland topography .
- E x - C ham bal R av i nes.
5.3 B aj ad a: - -
- - G ently slopi ng deposi ti onal pl ain betw een pedi ments and play a is cal led B ajada.
5.4 B al son an d p l ay as: - -
- - T he i nterm ontane basi ns i n ari d and semi - arid areas are generall y cal l ed B al sons.
W hen smal l streams flow into balsons w here w ater i s
accum ulated , the tem porary l ak e call ed play as.
6. con clu si on