Deserts and Wind Prof. Arid regions have little or no soil moisture to hold rock and mineral fragments.
Wind has the ability to transport, erode, and deposit sediment.
In this lecture we will discuss each of these aspects of the wind. Sediment Transportation by Wind Wind transports sediment near the surface by saltation. Just as in the bed load of streams, saltation refers to short jumps of grains dislodged from the surface and jumping a short distance. As the grains fall back to the surface they may dislodge other grains that then get carried by wind until they collide with ground to dislodge other particles. Smaller particles can become suspended in the wind and may travel for longer distances.