Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

AQA A-Level Geography 2022-2024 > Desert Definitions (E) > Flashcards

Desert Definitions (E) Flashcards

1
Q

Desert

A

Dry, hot landscape fewer than 250mm of rain per year

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Desert Margin

A

An area oh the edge of a desert

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Arid

A

Dry

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Aridity index

A

Number for the indicator of the degree of dryness

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Insolation

A

Energy from the sun (sunlight)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

ITCZ

A

InterTropical Convergence Zone

Band of low pressure at equator

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Diurnal temperature range

A

The temperature range from day to night

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Aeolian

A

Caused by wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Weathering

A

Breaking down of material by weather

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Erosion

A

Breaking down of material by wind or water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Saltation

A

Form of transport, matter to heavy to be carried is dropped repeatedly ‘bounces’

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Flash flood

A

Quick/ sudden flood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Sheet flood

A

A layer of water covering an area moving together

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Cyclonic

A

Large air mass that rotates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Anticyclonic

A

An area of high atmospheric pressure

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Potential evapotranspiration

A

The amount of maximum evaporation of water possible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Surface runoff

A

Water which cannot infiltrate the soil

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Prevailing wind

A

The main direction of wind

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Sediment budget

A

Balance between sediment added and removed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Depositional landforms (2 examples)

A

Sand dunes , alluvial fans

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Erosional landforms

A

Desert pavements

Messa buttes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Water balance

A

Balance of water entering + leaving (precipitation and evapotranspiration)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Continentality

A

The placement of deserts, due to how inland they are

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Rain shadow effect

A

Where mountain ranges block it from raining on one side

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Orographic effect

A

When air is forced to rise due to high topography

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Biomass

A

Amount of alive matter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Xerophyte

A

Cacti, needs little water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Xerophyte

A

Cacti,needs little water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Halophyte

A

Salt tolerant plant

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Pyrophyte

A

Plants adapted to survive fire

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Phreatophyte

A

Long wide root system (large area covered )

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Soil

A

Loose surface matters that covers most land

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Thermal fracture

A

Expansion +contraction breaks rock, cause temperature

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Salt weathering

A

Water evaporates leaving salt crystals behind which as they form cause rock to crack

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Groundwater

A

Water stored underground, aquifers

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Frost shattering

A

pressure of freezing water breaks water

37
Q

Freeze-thaw

A

Water in crack freezes , crack expands ect

38
Q

Hydration

A

Chemical weathering minerals in rock cause the rock to swell and break

39
Q

Oxidation

A

Chemical weathering , iron oxidises causing rust and rock breaking

40
Q

Carbonation

A

Chemical weathering, co2 reacts with minerals in rocks

41
Q

Exfoliation

A

Thin layers removed of rocks as cracks form parallel to rocks surface

42
Q

Granular disintegration

A

Grain by grain breakdown of rock. Very Small pieces fall off

43
Q

Block disintegration

A

The splitting of rocks along the joints into blocks

44
Q

Deflation

A

Removal of solid particles by wind

45
Q

Abrasion

A

Polishing of rocks by wind carrying sand

46
Q

Suspension

A

Light matter carried by wind + water

47
Q

Saltation

A

Bouncing of carried material, to heavy to be carried but not light enough to be suspended

48
Q

Surface creep

A

Slow movement of heavy matter

49
Q

Exogenous river

A

River originates outside desert

50
Q

Endoreic river

A

Water enters desert and stops there creating a lake

51
Q

Ephemeral river

A

Temporary rivers created by sudden heavy rainfall

52
Q

Delta

A

Flat, low lying plain, forms at mouth of river formed from sediment carried

53
Q

Permeable

A

Water can enter

54
Q

Impermeable

A

Water cannot enter

55
Q

Mass movement

A

The movement of material down a slope due to gravity

56
Q

Rock fall

A

Rock falling from cliff face due to weathering

57
Q

Debris flow

A

Fast moving landslides

58
Q

Pediments

A

Sheet flood on a wide gently sloping rock face

59
Q

Playas

A

Deflation becomes a temporary lake, salt plain

60
Q

Mesa

A

Wider than it is taller

61
Q

Butte

A

Taller than it is wide

62
Q

Inselbergs

A

A hill of hard volcanic rock that has resisted weathering and remained as land around it eroded away

63
Q

Wadis

A

Abrasion by ephemeral streams

64
Q

Alluvial fans

A

When water slows + drops sediment after leaving a narrow area

65
Q

Bahadas

A

Multiple alluvial fans

66
Q

Deflation hollow

A

Air removes sediment leaving large shallow area

67
Q

Desert pavement

A

Wind picks up all small sediment leaving large shallow area

68
Q

Yardang

A

Differential erosion

alongside one another

69
Q

Zeugen

A

Abrasion

Above one another , form rocks looking like mushrooms

70
Q

Ventifacts

A

Rock shaped, smoothed by wind carying sediment

71
Q

Eddy/ eddies

A

Circular current of water

72
Q

Barchan dune

A

Drop in energy, formed in wind direction

73
Q

Seif dune

A

Drop in energy initially a barchan dune then secondary wind shapes it like an S

74
Q

Green Sahara

A

When Sahara had trees + lakes = 11,000-5,000 years ago

75
Q

Land degradation

A

Land loses water, soil fertility

76
Q

Overgrazing

A

Over eating of plants by cattle ect

77
Q

Over cultivation

A

Overuse of farm land for crops

78
Q

Deforestation

A

Removal of trees

79
Q

Irrigation

A

Pipes carrying water for crops

80
Q

Desertification

A

Land becomes a desert

81
Q

Strategy : resilience

A

The ability to cope with a hazard

82
Q

Strategy mitigation

A

Reducing risk of loss from an undesirable event

83
Q

Strategy adaptation

A

Adjustments in systems to respond to a hazard

84
Q

Erg

A

Broad area of land covered by sand with little or no vegetation

85
Q

Reg

A

Stony plains (large desert pavements)

86
Q

Hamada

A

Hard rocky plateaus, most sand removed

87
Q

Plateaux

88
Q

Fog harvesting

A

Nets catch water, deserts then can have water supply - need to be by the sea

89
Q

Leaching

A

Chemicals entering the water system

AQA A-Level Geography 2022-2024 (19 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions