Desert Process / Landforms

Isolation Weathering

1) Sun heats the rock up during the day and then cools in the night

2) The causes crack in rocks as they heat and cool

3) Rocks start to break off

4) Rocks are made of minerals. Different minerals heat and cool at different speed

Freeze Thaw Weathering

1) Rocks have cracks in them

2 ) Water fills the cracks

3) Over time the water freezes and becomes ice

4) This creates cracks in rocks as the rock expands

http://regentsprep.org/regents/earthsci/units/weathering/frostwedging.gif

A diagram might help visualise the process :)

Abrasion

1) Wind carries particles of rock and sand - this is known as suspension

2) The wind carrying the particles hit an obstacle and rub against it like sand paper - this is known as abrasion

1)  Wind carrying parts of rock and sand hit a rock, and erode it by rubbing against it like sand paper

2) Sand and rock is carried close to the ground, this erodes the soft rock at the bottom

3) Freeze - thaw further erodes the rock

Same steps as Rock Pedestral

1)  Wind carrying parts of rock and sand hit a rock, and erode it by rubbing against it like sand paper

2) Sand and rock is carried close to the ground, this erodes the soft rock at the bottom

3) Freeze - thaw further erodes the rock

Same steps as Rock Pedestral / Zeugen but also...

1)  Wind carrying parts of rock and sand hit a rock, and erode it by rubbing against it like sand paper

2) Sand and rock is carried close to the ground, this erodes the soft rock at the bottom

3) Freeze - thaw further erodes the rock

4) Insolation weathering further wears away the rock

Sand Dune

1) Sand is blown across the desert by the wind

2) The wind hits an obstacle and drops the sand

3) The sand builds up and becomes an obstacle itself. The sand sune become bigger

4) Wind changes direction and moves on

Wadi

1) There is a dip in the desert where water gathers, when it rains

2) During a flash flood, water gushes rapidly in the dip

3) This erodes the side of the dip making the dip wider

4) As a result a wide, deep valley is formed