REGIONS OF THE CONTINENTAL UNITED STATES SUSCEPTIBLE TO EOLIAN ACTION

摘要

Within the 48 conterminous United States, approximately one third of the surface area (32%) is sufficientlyarid to allow development of eolian landforms (Figure 2, Table 1). Throughout these broad arid regions, the strongest wind regimes leave their record in eolian landforms. Some eolian landforms occur in small isolated patches;others cover vast stretches of the wind-swept surface. Wherever they occur, eolian landforms can be interpreted as a long-term climatic record. In arid areas where eolian landforms are absent, only two explanations are possible:1) either the surface is too resistant to permit wind erosion or 2) the winds are not sufficiently strong to influence the surface morphology.