Question
‘The action of the wind is most powerful in arid regions’ – Explain.
Answer
The action of the wind is most powerful in arid regions due to the absence or scarcity of vegetation, which is the main factor that helps to protect the land surface from wind erosion. Arid regions receive low precipitation and have sparse vegetation cover, resulting in loose and unconsolidated soil and rock particles that can be easily transported by the wind.
Furthermore, arid regions often experience large diurnal temperature fluctuations that cause thermal expansion and contraction of rocks and soil, leading to the formation of cracks and crevices. These cracks and crevices can be easily widened and deepened by the wind, resulting in the formation of various erosional features such as yardangs, mushroom rocks, and ventifacts.
