Dunes
Loose sand transported by saltation, suspension, and surface creep → obstruction → sand accumulates on leeward side
Wadis
Dry gullies/river beds eroded by flash floods
Heavy rainstroms(100-250mm) create torrents on steep slopes
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Deflation
Wind creates blowout
Creates oasis if it erodes below water table
Qattara Depression in Egypt → 122m below sea level
Alluvial Fans
Bottom of desert mountains, streams spread out, deposit transported material
Rock Pedastals
Sedimentary rock → more and less resistant
Wind can only lift sand 1.5m off the ground → mushroom blocks
Mesas and Buttes
Relic hills isolate by water erosion, horizontally bedded sedimentary rock, more resistant cap stone on top
M = wider than tall
B = taller than wide
Desert Erosion
Largely wind, some water
Weathering
Temperature change weathering, chemical weathering (oxidation), mechanical weathering
Deposition
Wind and water