Wind Erosion Worksheet

Press Print worksheet to match twelve wind erosion terms, from deflation and abrasion to dune, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Wind erosion vocabularywind erosiondeflationabrasionsedimentdepositiondunewindbreaksaltationsuspensionsurface creepdust stormloessa strong wind that fills the airwith loose soil and sanda deposit of silt that was carriedand dropped by the windthe carrying of fine dust high inthe air by the windthe wind's lifting of loose dustand sand off the grounda heap of loose sand built upgrain by grain by the windthe slow rolling of grains tooheavy for the wind to liftthe laying down of sand and dustas the wind loses speedthe wind's work of wearing downrock and removing soilthe grinding of rock bywind-blown grains of sanda line of trees grown beside afield to slow the windsand grains skipping downwind ina string of small jumpsgrains of sand, silt or clay thatcan be moved and dropped
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Wind erosion vocabularyAnswer keywind erosiondeflationabrasionsedimentdepositiondunewindbreaksaltationsuspensionsurface creepdust stormloessa strong wind that fills the airwith loose soil and sanda deposit of silt that was carriedand dropped by the windthe carrying of fine dust high inthe air by the windthe wind's lifting of loose dustand sand off the grounda heap of loose sand built upgrain by grain by the windthe slow rolling of grains tooheavy for the wind to liftthe laying down of sand and dustas the wind loses speedthe wind's work of wearing downrock and removing soilthe grinding of rock bywind-blown grains of sanda line of trees grown beside afield to slow the windsand grains skipping downwind ina string of small jumpsgrains of sand, silt or clay thatcan be moved and dropped
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All 36 terms

Wind erosion 12

  • abrasion The grinding of rock by wind-blown grains of sand. Wind-driven sand grinds grooves and small pits into rock.
  • deflation The wind's lifting of loose dust and sand off the ground. Deflation leaves the heavier stones behind.
  • deposition The laying down of sand and dust as the wind loses speed. Dunes are built by deposition.
  • dune A heap of loose sand built up grain by grain by the wind. Dunes are found along beaches and in dry regions.
  • dust storm A strong wind that fills the air with loose soil and sand. Most of the dust in a dust storm is silt.
  • loess A deposit of silt that was carried and dropped by the wind. The thickest loess known lies in China, on the Loess Plateau.
  • saltation Sand grains skipping downwind in a string of small jumps. The word comes from the Latin for leap.
  • sediment Grains of sand, silt or clay that can be moved and dropped. Wind, water and ice all carry sediment.
  • surface creep The slow rolling of grains too heavy for the wind to lift. The big grains are pushed along by hopping grains that hit them.
  • suspension The carrying of fine dust high in the air by the wind. Dust carried this way can cross from one continent to another.
  • wind erosion The wind's work of wearing down rock and removing soil. It is strongest where the ground is dry and has few plants.
  • windbreak A line of trees grown beside a field to slow the wind. Shrubs are used too. Another name for a windbreak is a shelterbelt.
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Landforms the wind makes 12

  • barchan A crescent-shaped dune. It forms where the wind blows from one direction.
  • blowout A hollow scooped out of sand by the wind. Another name for a blowout is a deflation hollow.
  • desert pavement A stony surface left when wind removes the fine grains. The layer of stones shields the ground under it from the wind.
  • linear dune A straight sand ridge much longer than it is wide. Linear dunes often lie side by side in parallel rows.
  • parabolic dune A U-shaped dune whose arms trail behind it. Plants hold its arms in place while the middle of the dune moves on.
  • ripples Small wind-made waves on a surface of sand. Their crests lie across the path of the wind.
  • sand sea A huge stretch of desert filled with dunes; an erg. The word erg comes from Arabic.
  • sand sheet A flat or gently rolling plain of wind-laid sand. Its grains may be too large for the wind to bounce along.
  • slip face The steep downwind side of a dune, where sand slides. Sand that builds up at the top slides down it in small avalanches.
  • star dune A pyramid-shaped dune with three or more arms. It forms where winds blow from several directions.
  • ventifact A stone that blowing sand has carved and smoothed. The word comes from the Latin for wind.
  • yardang A long, streamlined ridge carved by the wind. Seen from above, a yardang can look like the hull of a boat.

Soil and saving it 12

  • cover crop A crop sown to shield bare ground, not to be gathered. Cover crops are one way to manage soil erosion.
  • desertification The turning of fertile land into desert. The loss of plant cover is its immediate cause.
  • drought A long run of dry weather that parches the land. Drought was one cause of the Dust Bowl.
  • dust Fine, dry particles light enough to float in the air. Soil lifted by the wind is one source of the dust in the air.
  • Dust Bowl The 1930s years of great dust storms on American prairies. Dry years and poor farming methods left the soil open to the wind.
  • no-till farming Growing crops without plowing the soil first. Another name for it is zero tillage.
  • prevailing wind The usual wind of a place, blowing from one main direction. Yardangs line up with the prevailing wind.
  • sand fence A barrier that makes blowing sand pile up in one place. Sand fences help dunes to build back up after storms.
  • silt Particles larger than clay and smaller than sand. Dry silt feels like flour.
  • soil conservation Protecting soil from being worn away or worn out. It guards against erosion and against soil that loses its fertility.
  • strip cropping Planting different crops in long, narrow bands side by side. The method is used to slow soil erosion.
  • topsoil The uppermost soil, which holds the most organic matter. Erosion wears away this layer of the soil first.

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-11. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the English Wikipedia article on the term (https://en.wikipedia.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: Aeolian processes, Erosion, Soil erosion, Abrasion (geology), Sediment, Deposition (geology), Dune, Windbreak, Saltation (geology), Dust storm, Loess, Desert pavement, Ventifact, Yardang, Blowout (geomorphology), Barchan, Erg (landform), Ripple marks, Topsoil, Silt, Dust, Drought, Desertification, Cover crop, No-till farming, Strip farming, Sand fence, Soil conservation, Prevailing winds and Dust Bowl. The terms of wind erosion and of the landforms were checked a second time against two pages of the U.S. Geological Survey publication Deserts: Geology and Resources, Eolian Processes (https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/eolian/) and Types of Dunes (https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/dunes/), and against Aeolian (Dunes) Landforms of the U.S. National Park Service (https://www.nps.gov/subjects/geology/aeolian-landforms.htm). Desertification and the Dust Bowl were checked against the page Desertification of the same U.S. Geological Survey publication (https://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/deserts/desertification/). The farming terms, topsoil, silt, dust and drought were checked a second time against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/). The fact after each meaning is from the same pages. Licence: own work

How it works

This wind erosion worksheet prints twelve terms down the left, among them deflation, abrasion, sediment, dune and windbreak, and their meanings in another order down the right, with an answer key. No diagram or map is on the sheet.

Read the full guide

Landforms the wind makes

Set opens on Wind erosion. Landforms the wind makes prints desert pavement, ventifact, yardang, blowout, barchan, star dune, parabolic dune, linear dune, slip face, ripples, sand sea and sand sheet.

Soil and saving it

The third set is the farm side of the unit: topsoil, silt, dust, drought, desertification, cover crop, no-till farming, strip cropping, sand fence, soil conservation, prevailing wind and Dust Bowl.

  • Water, ice and gravity are left to the weathering and erosion word search.

Questions and answers

What is wind erosion?

Wind erosion is the wind picking up loose soil, sand and dust, carrying them off, and wearing down rock with the grains it carries. It is strongest in dry places with few plants to hold the ground.

What are the two types of wind erosion?

Deflation and abrasion. Deflation is the wind lifting and removing loose, fine particles. Abrasion is the wearing down of rock surfaces by the grains the wind carries, much as sandblasting does.

How does wind move sand and dust?

In three ways. Fine dust is held up in the air, which is suspension. Sand grains hop along the ground, which is saltation. Grains too heavy to hop are pushed along by the hopping grains, which is creep.

How can wind erosion be prevented?

By keeping the soil covered and slowing the wind near the ground. Farmers plant windbreaks of trees, grow cover crops, leave the soil unplowed with no-till farming, and put up sand fences where sand drifts.

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