Dreikanter
Dreikanter
Type of rock
A dreikanter is a type of ventifact that typically forms in desert or periglacial environments due to the abrasive action of blowing sand.[1][2]
Dreikanters exhibit a characteristic pyramidal shape with three wind-abraded facets. The word Dreikanter is German for "three-edged."[3] Similarly, a zweikanter ("two-edged") has two wind facets, an einkanter ("one-edged"), has only one wind facet. [4][5]
Most places on the planet have several weathering processes acting at the same time, so finding good examples of dreikanters is often difficult. Antarctica is a good location for finding such ventifacts since wind is usually the only active weathering agent. Many specimens in the Northeastern United States were formed during the Pleistocene era when the absence of vegetation made for little cover from wind-blown sediment.[6]