Wind action creates a number of interesting erosional and depositional features in the deserts. In fact, many features of the deserts owe their formation to mass wasting and running water as sheet floods. Though, rain is scarce in deserts, it comes down torrentially in a short period of time.

The desert rocks, devoid of vegetation, exposed to mechanical and chemical weathering processes, due to drastic diurnal temperature changes, decay faster and the torrential rains help in removing the weathered materials easily. That means that the weathered debris in the deserts are moved, by not only wind, but also by rain/sheet wash.

The wind moves fine materials and general mass erosion is accomplished mainly through sheet floods or sheet wash. Stream channels in desert areas are broad, smooth and indefinite, and flow for a brief time after rains.

Erosional features include – Pediments and pediplains, playa lakes, deflation hollows and caves, mushroom rocks and pedestal rocks.

Depositional landforms – Sand dunes – barchans, siefs etc.