Thought Questions

Question 19.11

You have just driven a truck through a sandstorm and discover that the paint has been stripped from the lower parts of the truck, but the upper parts have been barely scratched. What process is responsible, and why is it restricted to the lower parts of the truck?

Question 19.12

What evidence might you find in an ancient sandstone that would point to its eolian origin?

Question 19.13

Compare the heights to which sand and dust are carried in the atmosphere and explain the differences or similarities.

Question 19.14

Trucks continually have to haul away sand covering a coastal highway. What do you think might be the source of the sand? Could its encroachment be stopped?

Question 19.15

What features of a desert landscape would lead you to believe it was formed mainly by streams, with secondary contributions from eolian processes?

Question 19.16

Which of the following would be a more reliable indication of the direction of the wind that formed a barchan: cross-bedding or the orientation of the dune’s shape on a map? Why?

Question 19.17

What factors determine whether sand dunes will form on a stream floodplain?

Question 19.18

There are large areas of sand dunes on Mars. From this fact alone, what can you infer about conditions on the Martian surface?

Question 19.19

What aspects of an ancient sandstone would you study to show that it was originally a desert sand dune?

Question 19.20

What kinds of landscape features would you ascribe to the work of the wind, to the work of streams, or to both?

Question 19.21

How does desert weathering differ from or resemble weathering in more humid climates?

Question 19.22

What evidence would cause you to infer that dust storms and strong winds were common in glacial times?