[3] The word "aeolian" derives from Æolus, the Greek god of the winds, and the son of Hellen and the nymph Orseis, and a brother of Dorus, Xuthus and Amphictyon.
Sediment particles move when they are lifted by upwards Bernoulli forces that exceed their downwards weight or when they are dragged from their initial position.
[4] These impacts are separated in space by the saltation hop length of the traveling particles, which creates distinct areas of erosion and/or deposition.
Deflation, which is named for the Latin word "deflare" meaning "to blow away", refers to the scattering and removal of rock particles by wind.
In these arid zones, sand and rock fragments are blown by jets and streams of air which remove fine grained materials from the surface and leave behind a rocky desert.
[11] Large basins are complex and there is often one or more non-aeolian process at work, including tectonics, glacial and alluvial forces.