Wind erosion
Topic: Soils of India: Types, Degradation and Conservation · NCERT: Class 10, Ch 1 "Resources and Development"
Meaning
Wind erosion is the removal of loose soil from flat or sloping land by wind. It is strongest in dry areas, where the soil is sandy, plant cover is thin and overgrazing leaves the ground bare. The wind picks up the fine, fertile particles, so the soil left behind gets poorer. Two methods help check it. Shelter belts are rows of trees that act as windbreaks. Strip cropping places grass strips between crop strips to break the force of the wind. Fixing sand dunes with thorny bushes also helps.
Example
Wind erosion is common in western Rajasthan and Kachchh (Gujarat). Shelter belts have helped stabilise sand dunes and the desert in western India.
Don't confuse with
- Sheet erosion: both remove topsoil over a wide area. Sheet erosion is caused by water flowing down a slope. Wind erosion is caused by moving air and is worst in dry areas.