Wind erosion of the wind‐deposited Navajo Sandstone, USA

Outcrops of the Early Jurassic Navajo Sandstone in southern Utah and northern Arizona, south‐western USA are being actively eroded by sand‐laden, south‐westerly winds. Small‐scale stepped topography with risers facing into the wind develops even on steep canyon walls when wind‐swept grains strike the rock at a low angle. Photosynthetic, endolithic microbes directly underlie most outcrop surfaces; the crusts formed by these organisms are essential to formation of the small‐scale steps. Wind erosion of highlands also forms troughs and pits that are tens of metres across. The pits have deeply scalloped, overhanging walls, and contain central domes surrounded by ‘moats’ filled with dune sand. Wind erosion of aeolian sandstone is favoured by a positive feedback mechanism in which grains that are liberated from outcrops by impacting particles become a fresh supply of pre‐sorted abrasive particles for further attack.