Hamada


A hamada is a type of desert landscape consisting of high, largely barren, hard rocky plateaus, where most of the sand has been removed by deflation.

Formation

Hamadas are produced by the wind removing the fine products of weathering: an aeolian process known as deflation. The finer-grained products are taken away in suspension, while the sand is removed through saltation and surface creep, leaving behind a landscape of gravel, boulders and bare rock.

Related landforms

Hamada is related to desert pavement, which occurs as stony plains or depressions covered with gravels or boulders, rather than as highland plateaus.
Hamadas exist in contrast to ergs, which are large areas of shifting sand dunes.