Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 November 2025
Eolian, (or aeolian) simply stated, refers to the wind. Eolian processes and landforms involve the erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment by wind. Of the major geomorphic agents (wind, water, ice, and gravity), wind is perhaps the one that is most readily observed, and the one that is often in play across Earth’s surface. Wind is everywhere, and its effects are easy to find. That said, wind as a geomorphic agent is mainly felt on landscapes where vegetation cover is minimal and where sediment is exposed to the power of the wind. Even landscapes that are currently vegetated have beneath them a cover of sediments with ties to eolian systems – but from a different, usually drier and windier past. In this chapter, we will discuss the variety and importance of eolian processes, sediments, and landforms, in all manner of different places!
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