ESCI 111 Quiz 19
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20 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ________ have rainfall amounts and soil moisture contents between those of true deserts and humid lands. | Steppes |
| Most dry lands lie between ________ degrees north and south of the equator. | 20 and 30 |
| A ________ is an intermittent stream channel in the dry land areas of the western United States. | wash |
| ________ refers to the "bouncing" mode of sand transport in a windstorm or stream. | Saltation |
| Which one of the following will effectively limit further deflation in a given area? | desert pavement |
| Which one of the following statements is correct? | Alluvial fans typically rim desert valleys; playas form in the lowest, interior parts of the valleys. |
| Which of the following characteristics would suggest geologically recent, fault uplift of a desert mountain range? | flat, upland surfaces, steep slopes and small alluvial fans |
| How is desert pavement formed? | Runoff and deflation carry off the silt and clay, leaving coarser particles behind. |
| Deposition of glacial rock flour from blowing winds is responsible for ________. | loess deposits |
| Which one of the following is the one best measure of the wetness or dryness of a region? | difference between annual precipitation and evaporation potential |
| How are sand grains transported by the wind? | by saltation in the first few meters above the land surface |
| Which of the following best describes the climatic factors that cause low latitude deserts like the Sahara in Africa? | Cool, dry air aloft is descending; surface winds are blowing toward the equator. |
| Loess deposits in the central United States ________. | originated as rock flour in Pleistocene glacial streams and rivers |
| Assume that the central slip face of a barchan dune slopes downhill toward the east. What is the direction of the prevailing wind? | west to east |
| Desert and steppe lands cover about what percentage of Earth's land area? | 30% |
| Inselbergs are ________. | bedrock hills in a highly eroded desert landscape |
| A ________ is formed by abrasion of rocks by windblown sand. | ventifact |
| A ________ is a crescent-shaped dune whose tips point downwind. | barchan |
| During a typical sandstorm, saltating sand grains reach a maximum height of ________ above the land surface. | 2 meters |
| Rainshadow deserts are common in ________. | the dry valleys of eastern California and Nevada |
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