Wind erosion is the movement and deposition of soil particles by wind.
When its velocity overcomes the gravitational and cohesive forces of the soil particles, wind will move soil and carry it away in suspension. 1 Wind erosion is most visible during the suspension stage, as dust storms, or subsequently as deposition along fencelines and across roads. The process sorts soil particles, removing the finer material containing the organic matter, clay and silt through suspension and leaving the coarser, less fertile material behind. In the short term this reduces the productive capacity of soil, as most of the nutrients plants need are attached to the smaller colloidal soil fraction. Over a longer period the physical nature of the soil changes as the subsoil is exposed.1 Wind erosion also causes damage to public utilities, for example soil deposition across roads, and reduces crops through sandblasting.