MG CH 16 – Flashcards
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Which of the following statements about deserts is true?
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Water is the most significant agent of erosion in deserts
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Which of the following statements characterizes ephemeral streams?
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Ephemeral streams flow only at certain times of the year.
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Most of the erosion that took place during the "Dust Bowl" years of the 1930s in the Great Plains of North America was the result of which of the following processes?
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wind
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In the desert environment, how are ventifacts created?
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Ventifacts are produced on the surface of a rock by the continued impact of very small particles carried by the wind.
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When desert pavement is produced in a desert, why do the larger particles accumulate on the surface?
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The wind can move particles of only a very specific size and it takes away these small particles, concentrating the larger ones.
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Fine-grained surface sediments are eroded by wind during___.
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Deflation
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Wind can cause sand grains that are too heavy to remain suspended in the air to bounce or roll along the ground 14a process called __
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Saltation
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All forms of __remove materials from the landscape surface.
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Erosion
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__ of sediment occurs when the wind carrying the sediments stops or slows such that it can no longer hold them.
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deposition
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Rocks are __when they are scratched by sediment particles moved by wind.
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abraded
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Also known as steppe, ___ climates are a type of dry climate that contain more water than arid climates.
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Semiarid
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Thick __is not found in deserts because there are fewer plants than in more ___ climates.
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Soil, Humid
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A high rate of ___ is often characteristic of a climate with high temperatures and low humidity.
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evaporation
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A desert has a drier climate than a ___.
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Steppe
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Subtropical Desert
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Location is due to global atmospheric patterns.
Form due to persistent high atmospheric pressure.
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Middle latitude desert
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Characterized primarily by minimal precipitation.
Located far from major moisture sources like oceans.
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Uncommon desert features
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Plants do not grow.
Precipitation never occurs.
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Which one of the following is an evaporite mineral?
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gypsum
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What is a playa commonly occupied by?
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an ephemeral lake
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What does saltating mean?
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Sand grains are lifted by the wind, leap a short distance, and then fall back to the ground.
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What is the natural angle of repose for sand?
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34 degrees
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What is the order, from most to least, of the amount of desertification among river basins in South America?
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La Plata, Amazon, Orinoco
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Which of the following countries is most affected by desertification?
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Iran
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In which climate is desertification NOT currently occurring?
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humid subtropical
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Which climate is most associated with salinization?
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desert
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Salinization appears to be most closely located geographically to which other environmental issue?
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desertification
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Which Australian city is most at risk of encroaching desertification?
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Perth
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The Aral Sea is now _____ of its original size.
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1/4
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What country was responsible for the reduction in the size of the Aral Sea?
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Soviet Union
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Where is the Aral Sea located?
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on the border of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
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Why has the size of the Aral Sea decreased?
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Rivers were diverted to provide water for cotton
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Why was it important for the Soviet Union to grow cotton?
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Cotton is an ingredient in gunpowder.
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How does the current state of the Aral Sea affect public health?
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Dust and sand from the dry sea shores cause illnesses.
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Why are farmers in the Aral Sea region primarily having trouble growing crops?
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Salt and dust from the Aral Sea ruin fertile soil.
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What would be the best way to replenish the water in the Aral Sea?
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Build dams to stop diverting water away from the Aral Sea
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Which category of workers has been affected most by the loss of the Aral Sea?
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fishermen
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What is the goal of more dams being built to fill the lake system surrounding the Aral Sea?
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to create fish nurseries
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Which of the following accurately describes the Basin and Range region of the western United States?
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a region with alternating mountains and basins that have been produced by normal faulting
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A(n) __________ is a cone-shaped deposit of sediment that is deposited when a stream exits the mouth of a canyon.
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alluvial fan
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What type of rocks would you expect to find in a playa lake depositional environment?
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evaporites and claystone
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An isolated, heavily eroded hill or mountain that rises abruptly from a plain is a(n) __________.
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inselberg
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Other than the landforms you learned about in the video, what is another landform present in the Basin and Range Province?
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sand dunes
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Which of the following describes favorable conditions for transverse dune formation?
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areas with steady prevailing winds and abundant sand
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Which of the following is a difference between barchan and parabolic dunes?
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A barchan exhibits a concave slip face, while a parabolic dune shows a convex slip face.
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Barchanoid dunes are an intermediate form of __________.
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barchan and transverse dunes
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Which dunes are formed under varying wind directions, but are dominantly parallel to the average direction?
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longitudinal
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Star dunes exhibit __________.
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many ridges radiating from a central point
