What is defined as wind erosion?

Wind erosion is accurately defined as the process by which the wind picks up loose particles such as dirt and dust from the surface and transports them to different locations. This natural phenomenon occurs primarily in arid and semi-arid regions, where vegetation is sparse and soils are dry and loose. Wind erosion can lead to significant landscape changes, the formation of features like sand dunes, and the loss of fertile topsoil, which impacts agriculture and the environment.

In contrast, the other options reference different geological processes: drastic weather changes relate to atmospheric conditions rather than erosion; glacier movement involves ice rather than wind and describes a different form of erosion known as glacial erosion; and the wearing away of land by rivers pertains to fluvial erosion, caused by water flow. These processes, while related to erosion, do not involve the direct action of wind.