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Ventifacts have also been discovered on Mars, where such sharp immobile rocks have caused significant damage to the wheels of the Curiosity rover. [4] An example of a Martian ventifact was named Jake Matijevic. By analyzing its shape, it was possible to reconstruct the main wind direction which sculpted the rock. [5]
A dreikanter from the Wind River Basin, Wyoming, USA. Property of Western Washington University. Photo by AJ Wakefield, 2012. A dreikanter is a type of ventifact that typically forms in desert or periglacial environments due to the abrasive action of blowing sand.
Ventifacts: Rock samples that demonstrate the erosion caused by aeolian processes over time. Erosional processes by wind can result in smoothing and polishing as well as the creation of grooves. Hematite rich ventifact from Windy Gap, Wyoming with extensive polishing by wind. Mushroom rocks
Wind erosion of soil at the foot of Chimborazo, Ecuador Rock carved by drifting sand below Fortification Rock in Arizona (Photo by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, USGS, 1871). Aeolian processes, also spelled eolian, [1] pertain to wind activity in the study of geology and weather and specifically to the wind's ability to shape the surface of the Earth (or other planets).