ESSC 101 Deserts EC Quiz

Arroyos are: a. erosional remnants of mountains adjacent to deserts. b. desert stream channels that are usually dry. c. intense desert rainstorms. d. accumulations of sediments at the ends of desert streams.

b. desert stream channels that are usually dry.

Continental interior deserts are a result of: a. All of the above. b. the assembly of continental plates landlocks the region. c. the rain-shadow effect of high mountain ranges. d. great distance from moisture-laden winds.

a. All of the above.

Which of the following statements correctly describes sand grains after they become airborne? a. All of the above. b. Particles move forward in curved, parabolic paths. c. Grains overcome by gravity may nudge forward other grains they strike. d. Grains overcome by gravity strike other grains, setting them in motion.

a. All of the above.

What is the process involving the removal of loose Earth materials by wind? Select one: a. Deflation. b. Infiltration. c. Abrasion. d. Evaporation.

a. Deflation.

Dust sediment in the wind's suspended load: a. can travel in the upper atmosphere for a distance of thousands of kilometers. b. travels in a narrow layer of dead space along the surface of the ground. c. travels at about twice the height and distance of the bed load. d. travels at about the same height and distance as the bed load.

a. can travel in the upper atmosphere for a distance of thousands of kilometers.

Polar deserts are considered deserts because: a. they lack appreciable precipitation. b. they lack vegetation. c. the temperatures remain below freezing year-round. d. they receive little solar radiation.

a. they lack appreciable precipitation.

Which of the following statements about deserts is true? a. Deserts account for less than 10% of the Earth's land surface. b. Every continent on Earth contains at least one extensive dry region. c. Desert landscapes consist mostly of sand. d. Desert climates are always hot and dry.

b. Every continent on Earth contains at least one extensive dry region.

Mechanical weathering processes in deserts include which one of the following? a. Deflation. b. Salt crystal growth in rock fractures. c. All of the above. d. Saltation.

b. Salt crystal growth in rock fractures.

Deserts that result from their location on the leeward side of mountain ranges are: a. continental interior deserts. b. rain shadow deserts. c. subtropical deserts. d. deserts near cold ocean currents.

b. rain shadow deserts.

Warm deserts that result from atmospheric convection cells are: a. continental interior deserts. b. subtropical deserts. c. rain shadow deserts. d. deserts near cold ocean currents.

b. subtropical deserts.

Which of the following statements concerning alluvial fans is NOT true? a. The size of an alluvial fan is proportional to the size of its drainage basin. b. Water that seeps into the surface may reemerge as a spring at the base of a fan. c. Alluvial fans form because streams usually travel for long distances in deserts. d. Alluvial fans may contain enough water to irrigate the adjacent desert area for cultivation.

c. Alluvial fans form because streams usually travel for long distances in deserts.

What is the term for a dry lakebed located on the desert floor? a. Arroyo. b. Oasis. c. Playa. d. Pediment.

c. Playa.

Which of the following statements concerning wind transport is NOT true? a. Vegetation and coarse sediment create a layer of dead air on the ground. b. Wind does not lift a loose particle directly from the surface. c. Wind does not need as high a velocity as a stream to transport particles. d. The driving force of the wind and a particle's inertia are opposing forces in particle movement.

c. Wind does not need as high a velocity as a stream to transport particles.

Wind erodes solid rock by what process? a. Evaporation. b. Infiltration. c. Deflation. d. Abrasion.

d. Abrasion.

The characteristic of loess that makes it an exceptional soil is: a. its high moisture-holding capacity. b. its angular grains. c. its fresh, unweathered mineral content. d. All of the above.

d. All of the above.

The bed-load of wind-transported sediment is moved by: a. the process of traction. b. the process of surface creep. c. the process of suspension. d. the process of saltation.

d. the process of saltation.