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Story: Soils

Wind-blown soil

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Wind-blown soil

Loess is formed from wind-blown soil. It originates mostly from river flats and cultivated paddocks, where bare soil has been exposed to erosion by strong winds. This dust cloud is rising from the Rakaia River bed, during one of Canterbury's nor'westers.

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Landcare Research – Manaaki Whenua

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How to cite this page

Allan Hewitt, Soils – Soil features, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/12268/wind-blown-soil (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Allan Hewitt, published 1 March 2009.