Energy regimes for aeolian sand grain surface textures

► Grain surface textures can be used to indicate the energy of aeolian environments. ► Hertzian cracks and upturned plates have distinctive energy regimes. ► Experiments suggest that aeolian grains can be used to discriminate geological facies. ► Grain surface textures are predicted from tribological fracture mechanics analysis. ► Forensic science can use experimentally-determined grain provenances.