Geo Final Chapter 21

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Arid Land

10 inches of less of rain a year

Semiarid Lands

10-20 inches of rain a year

Extremely Arid Lands

12 consecutive months without rainfall

How do weathering processes in deserts differ from those in temperate or humid climates?

Chemical weathering happens slowly. Soils and rocks tend to accumulate soluble minerals

Explain several settings that can cause desert to form

Formed by rain shadows. Mountains block the patch of participation. Composed of rocky or sandy landscape

Desertification

Land abuse may transform semiarid land into deserts. The Sahara will grow and the Caribbean could get closer to arid landscapes

Have today's deserts always been deserts?

No, abuse of the land and land transformations have created and enlarged some deserts

What factors determine whether a region can be classifies as a desert?

Receive less than 25 cm of rain a year. Vegetation covers no more than 15% of their surface.

Describe the process of cliff (scrap) retreat and the landforms that result from it

When cliffs retreat due to erosion and weathering they become mesas, buttes, and isnelbergs

Explain the ways in which desert winds transport sediment...and deposition

Wind can also pick up silt and dust causing it to undergo saltation, can cause or shift deposition

Desert Varnish Formation

A dark, rust-brown coating of iron oxide and magnesium oxide that accumulates on the surface of the rock

Ventifacts Formation

A desert rock whose surface has been formed by the wind

Alluvial Fan Formation

A gently sloping apron of sediment dropped by an ephemeral stream of at the base of an arid region

Desert Pavement Formation

A mosaic-like stone surface forming the ground in a desert

Yardangs Formation

A mushroom-like column with a resistant rock perched on an eroding column of softer rock; created by wind abrasion in deserts where a resistant rick overlies softer layer of rock

Bajadas Formation

An elongate wedge of sediment formed by the overlap of several alluvial fans emerging from adjacent valleys

What are the various types of sand dunes?

Barchan, star, transverse, parabolic, and longitudinal

Playas Formation

The flat, typically salty lake bed that remains when all the water evaporates in drier times

What factors determine which type of dune develops at a particular location?

The location of other land formations, wind flow, etc.

Describe how water modifies the landscape of a desert...explain erosion

Water causes significant erosion in deserts, mostly in heavy downpours. Flash floods can occur


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