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With reference to the landforms, the rock pedestals, zeugen, yardangs, and deflation hollows are associated with:
  • a)
    arid or desert landforms
  • b)
    glacial landforms
  • c)
    coastal landforms
  • d)
    groundwater landforms
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
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With reference to the landforms, the rock pedestals, zeugen, yardangs,...
  • About a fifth of the world's land is made up of deserts, some rocky, others stony and the rest sandy. Deserts that are absolutely barren and where nothing grows at all are rare and they are better known as true deserts.
  • Landforms of Wind Erosion in Deserts: In the combined processes of abrasion, deflation and attrition, a wealth of characteristic desert landforms emerge.
    • Rock pedestals or mushroom rocks:
      • The sand- blasting effect of winds against any projecting rock masses wears back the softer layers so that an irregular edge is formed on the alternate bands of hard and soft rocks. Grooves and hollows are cut in the rock surfaces, carving them into fantastic and grotesque looking pillars called rock pedestals Such rock pillars will be further eroded near their bases where the friction is greatest. This process of under-cutting produces rocks of mushroom shape called mushroom rocks or gour in the Sahara.
    • Zeugen:
      • These are tabular masses which have a layer of soft rocks lying beneath a surface layer of more resistant rocks. Mechanical weathering initiates their formation by opening up joints of the surface rocks. Wind abrasion further eats' into the under- lying softer layer so that deep furrows are developed.
    • Yardangs:
      • Quite similar to the ridge and furrow' landscape of zeugen are the steep-sided yardangs. Wind abrasion excavates the bands of softer rocks into long, narrow corridors, separating the steep-sided over-hanging ridges of hard rocks, called yardangs. They are commonly found in the Atacama Desert, Chile, but the more spectacular ones with yardangs rising to 25-50 feet are best developed in the interior deserts of Central Asia where the name originated.
    • Ventifacts or dreikanter:
      • These are pebbles faceted by sand-blasting. They are shaped and thoroughly polished by wind abrasion to shapes resembling Brazil nuts. Rock fragments, mechanically weathered from mountains and upstanding rocks, are moved by wind and smoothed on the windward side.
    • Deflation hollows:
      • Winds lower the ground by blowing away the unconsolidated materials, and small depressions may form. Similarly, minor faulting can also initiate depressions and the eddying action of on-coming winds will wear off the weaker rocks until the water table is reached. Water then seeps out forming oases or swamps, in the deflation hollows or depressions.
  • Hence option (a) is the correct answer.
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With reference to the landforms, the rock pedestals, zeugen, yardangs,...



Landforms Associated with Arid or Desert Environments:

Rock Pedestals:
- Rock pedestals are tall, thin columns of rock that are formed through the process of erosion in arid environments.
- They are typically found in deserts where wind and water erosion gradually wear away the surrounding rock, leaving behind these unique formations.

Zeugen:
- Zeugen are elongated ridges or hills that are created through the process of wind erosion in arid regions.
- They are commonly seen in desert landscapes where the prevailing winds gradually erode softer rock layers, leaving behind the more resistant layers as ridges.

Yardangs:
- Yardangs are streamlined, wind-eroded ridges that are found in arid regions.
- They are formed when the wind consistently blows sand and silt against a rock surface, gradually carving out these elongated landforms.

Deflation Hollows:
- Deflation hollows are shallow depressions in the ground that are formed through the removal of loose sediment by wind erosion.
- They are commonly found in arid environments where the wind can easily pick up and transport loose particles, leaving behind these hollows.

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With reference to the landforms, the rock pedestals, zeugen, yardangs, and deflation hollows are associated with:a)arid or desert landformsb)glacial landformsc)coastal landformsd)groundwater landformsCorrect answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
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