Final answer:
Deflation is the process where wind removes small particles, leaving behind larger ones and rock fragments, causing the ground to lower. This leads to the movement of dunes as the wind continues to transport sand, shaping the desert landscape and affecting ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct answer is A) Deflation causes dune movement. Deflation is a geologic process where wind removes finer particles of sand and silt, leaving behind larger particles and rock fragments. This process lowers the surface of the ground, leading to the exposure of more particles that can be transported by the wind. Over time, this wind-blown sediment accumulates and forms dunes. As deflation continues, it lifts and carries away the finer particles from one side of the dune, causing the dune to slowly migrate in the direction of the prevailing winds.
Deflation does not only move dunes, but it also shapes the desert landscape. The process is vital for the creation and subsequent movement of dunes. Dune movement occurs as the wind continues to transport sand from the windward side to the leeward side of the dune. The migration of dunes can have significant environmental impacts, including altering ecosystems and affecting human infrastructure.