Editing Aeolian processes (section)

===Abrasion===
[[File:Yardangs in the Tsaidam Desert.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Yardangs in the [[Qaidam]] Desert, [[Qinghai Province]], China]]
{{See also|Abrasion (geology)}}

Abrasion (also sometimes called ''corrasion'') is the process of wind-driven grains knocking or wearing material off of [[landform]]s. It was once considered a major contributor to desert erosion, but by the mid-20th Century, it had come to be considered much less important. Wind can normally lift sand only a short distance, with most windborne sand remaining within {{convert|50|cm|sigfig=1|sp=us}} of the surface and practically none normally being carried above {{convert|6|ft|sigfig=1|order=flip|sp=us}}. Many desert features once attributed to wind abrasion, including wind caves, [[mushroom rock]]s, and the honeycomb weathering called [[tafoni]], are now attributed to differential weathering, rainwash, deflation rather than abrasion, or other processes.{{sfn|Thornbury|1969|pp=288–294}}

''[[Yardang]]s'' are one kind of desert feature that is widely attributed to wind abrasion. These are rock ridges, up to tens of meters high and kilometers long, that have been streamlined by desert winds. Yardangs characteristically show elongated furrows or grooves aligned with the prevailing wind. They form mostly in softer material such as silts.{{sfn|Thornbury|1969|pp=288–294}}

Abrasion produces polishing and pitting, grooving, shaping, and faceting of exposed surfaces. These are widespread in arid environments but geologically insignificant. Polished or faceted surfaces called ''[[ventifacts]]'' are rare, requiring abundant sand, powerful winds, and a lack of vegetation for their formation.{{sfn|Thornbury|1969|pp=288–294}}

In parts of Antarctica wind-blown snowflakes that are technically sediments have also caused abrasion of exposed rocks.<ref>National Geographic Almanac of Geography, 2005, page 166, {{ISBN|0-7922-3877-X}}.</ref>