Arid region geomorphologyWhat causes the erosion and deposition?

- Wind, Water, and Gravity

Arid region geomorphologyWhat causes the erosion and deposition?

- Wind, Water, and Gravity

Badlands topography with terraces

Types of streams in Arid and semi-Arid locales

Exotic streams- begin in areas that are not arid and flow into the desert.

Ex. Nile River, Colorado River, Okavango River

Local streams (Arroyos) - begin in the arid region, and often end there as well.

There are many streams of this type…

Types of streams in Arid and semi-Arid locales

Exotic streams- begin in areas that are not arid and flow into the desert.

Ex. Nile River, Colorado River, Okavango River

Local streams (Arroyos) - begin in the arid region, and often end there as well.

There are many streams of this type…

Nile River-

An exotic stream

Nile River-

An exotic stream

Colorado River-Dammed

Alluvial fans in Death Valley GrabenAlluvial fans in Death Valley Graben

Playa lake,

Owens Valley,

CA

Sand Dunes in Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Monument

Star Dune in Mexico

Linear Dunes

With an exotic stream

Transverse dunes in Namibia

Erosional landforms vs. Depositional landforms

Erosional forms include

Pediment - bedrock ramp that leads up to the mountain

front

Plateau- large flat undeformed area that is

topographically higher than the surrounding

region

Mesa- Smaller than the plateau, but basically the same

feature

Buttes- smaller than the Mesa, but basically the same

feature

Spires (a.k.a. Hoodoos)- smaller than the buttes

Piedmont in ColoradoPiedmont in Colorado

Colorado Plateau with Grand Canyon

A Mesa

Buttes and Spires in Monument valley, Utah

Yardang

Desert Pavement and Desert Varnish

Ventifact

ventifacts

Walking Boulders