Geomorphologic evolution and landforms

Aeolian landforms are shaped by the wind. Aeolian processes create a number of distinct features, through both erosion and deposition of sediment, including e.g. sand dunes or desert pavement.

Aeolian relief can be found in the Czech Republic. It is connected with loess and sand deposits.

Loess is wind-blown silt deposits which was deposited during Pleistocene ice ages when the strong winds blew and scarce vegetation did not slow down the wind velocity. It was deposited in the flat areas mainly lowlands in the Czech Republic. During the warmer interglacial climate the soil started to develop on the loess. The thick Pleistocene loess-palaeosol sequences can be found on many places in the Czech Republic. Therefore they are of great value in reconstructing past regional climate conditions and their interaction with climate systems.

Wind driven sand deposits and features can be found in flat lowland areas of the Czech Republic. The rolling topography of sand dunes overgrown by the pine forest and  grassland is typical for the aeolian sand deposits. One of these areas is so called Moravská Sahara (Moravian Sahara) near the town of Bzenec. Nevertheless the Czech highest sand dunes (Vlkov sand dune) is located in South Bohemia near the town of Veselí nad Lužnicí.

Fig. 1. Kalendář věků (Calendar of the ages), the loess-paleosoil deposits in Dolní Věstonice in South Moravia.

Fig. 2. Moravská Sahara (Moravian Sahara), sand dune area overgrown by the pine forest in the south Moravia (J. Langer, https://ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/domaci/2567032-poust-v-cesku-nejvzacnejsi-je-rovnou-sahara-ta-moravska).