Engineering Geology Practice Test: Geological Work of Natural Resources - Atmosphere and Wind — Flashcards

Wind is a significant geological process that causes erosion and deposition in deserts. Wind can also cause weathering by blowing sand against rocks. 

Here are some geological processes that wind can cause:
Erosion: Wind can move rock fragments by blowing them around. In deserts, wind erodes the bottom of rocks more than the top, creating mushroom-shaped rocks.
Weathering: Wind can cause weathering by blowing sand against rocks.
Deposition: Wind can lay down sediment, such as wind-blown silt deposits. 

Wind can also create aeolian landforms, which are shaped by wind. 
These landforms include:
Sand dunes: Mounds of loose sand created by wind.
Loess deposits: Wind-blown silt deposits common along the Mississippi River Valley.
Ventifacts: Rocks that are abraded, pitted, etched, grooved, or polished by wind-driven sand or ice crystals. 

Other geological processes include: Mass-wasting, Transportation. 

The atmosphere protects life on Earth by:
Retaining heat from the sun
Blocking harmful rays of sunlight
Playing a major role in Earth's water cycle
Helping keep the climate on Earth moderate