Mountain Landforms and Geomorphic Processes - Mountain Geography: Physical and Human Dimensions - page 278

What the wind picks up, it must put down. In some areas, sand may accumulate, forming
dunes. The finer material, predominantly of silt size, may be carried much farther, res-
ulting in deep deposits and fertile loess soils. The mountain region itself is an area
of loss rather than gain, but some of the fine material may accumulate in moist and
sheltered sites, such as meadows, and produce some good soils within the mountains.
Analysis of soil surface horizons on alpine glacial moraines in Colorado indicates depos-
ition of loess and dust from eolian sources (Muhs and Benedict 2006).
Perhaps the single most important geomorphic aspect of wind in mountains is its role
in the distribution of snow (Thorn 1978). Ridges and exposed slopes are typically blown
free of snow, while lee slopes receive increased amounts. Snow depth is a function of
small-scale topography where wind speed is reduced (Dadic et al. 2010). In some cases,
blowing snow will even create and maintain small perennial snow patches or cirque gla-
ciers. Many of the glaciers of the Colorado Front Range are of this type (Fig. 5.23).
FIGURE 5.22 A dust devil moving along the lateral moraine of Collier Glacier in the Three Sisters Wil-
derness Area, Oregon Cascades. A large rock (lower left of dust) has been dislodged and is shown
in mid-air. (Photo by L. W. Price.)