Which of the following is a process of wind erosion?

Analyze the question The question asks which option is a process of wind erosion, meaning how wind actually wears away or removes material from the land surface.

Explain the concept Wind does its work in two ways, so it helps to separate them.

Erosional processes (wearing away and removing material):

• Deflation: wind blows away loose, fine particles such as sand and dust, lowering the land surface. This can form deflation hollows or depressions, like the Qattara Depression.
• Abrasion: wind-blown particles sand-blast rock surfaces and wear them down.
• Attrition: the particles collide with each other and break into smaller pieces.

Transportational processes (how the material is carried):

• Suspension: very fine dust is carried in the air.
• Saltation: sand grains bounce along the ground in short hops.
• Surface creep/traction: heavier grains roll or slide along the ground.

Go through the options

• A. Deflation: a true wind erosion process, since it removes loose material.
• B. Saltation: this is a wind transportation process. It is related to erosion, but it describes how material moves, not how it is eroded.
• C. Solution: a chemical weathering and erosion process of water, such as limestone dissolving in water. It is not caused by wind.
• D. Traction: a transportation process, mainly of rivers and also wind, where heavy particles roll along.

Answer Strictly speaking, deflation is the only option that is an erosion process of wind. Saltation and traction are transportation processes, and solution is a water process.

Tip Remember D.A.A for wind erosion: Deflation, Abrasion, Attrition. Then remember S.S.S. for transport: Suspension, Saltation, Surface creep (traction). If a question asks for erosion, pick from the first group. If it asks for transport, pick from the second.