Wind erosion of Mancos Shale badland ridges by sudden drops in pressure

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
One process of erosion of Mancos Shale badlands near Hanksville, Utah, appears to be caused by nearly instantaneous drops in air pressure accompanying gusts of wind. A series of sharp-crested bedrock ridges trend nearly perpendicular to the strong, gusty southwesterly winds that precede cold fronts passing through the area. Soil susceptible to this type of erosion consist of polygonally cracked surface crust averaging 1.2 cm thick overlying a porous subsoil of silt-sized shale chips. The arid environment permits complete soil drying between weather fronts, greatly reducing the cohesion that would occur if the soil were moist.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Earth surface processes and landforms, issn : 0197-9337, 1997, vol. 22, n°. 4, p. 345-352, Collation : Illustration, Références bibliographiques : 2 ref.

Date :
1997

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Chichester, Wiley