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DESERTS > Desert Landforms > Flashcards

Desert Landforms Flashcards

1
Q

Name 5 Landforms associated with wind action

A

Yardangs
Rock Pedestals
Zeugen
Sand Dunes
Barchan Dunes

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2
Q

What is a Yardang?

A

A streamlined hill carved with bedrock or consolidated or semiconsolidated material.

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3
Q

How is a Yardang formed?

A

By dual action of wind abrasion by dust and sand and deflation

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4
Q

What do Yardangs become?

A

Elongated features typically 3x or more time longer than wide

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5
Q

How do rock pedestals form?

A

When sand is lifted by the wind and it erodes at the bottom area of the rock

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6
Q

What is another word for rock pedestal?

A

Mushroom rock

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7
Q

What is a Zeugen?

A

An originally flat area of hard rock overlying soft rock.

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8
Q

How do Zeugens form?

A

Weathering of the exposed hard layer eventually exposes the lower rock to erosion

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9
Q

What happens to the soft rock layer of a Zeugen when exposed?

A

Easily eroded and may end up as isolated rock pedestals.

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10
Q

Name 2 differences between Yardangs and Zeugens?

A

Zeugen has flat top, Yardangs are sloping.
Yardangs can only be caused by wind, Zeugens can be caused by wind and water

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11
Q

How do sand dunes form?

A

With deposition on the leeward side of an obstacle such as a rock and as more sand is deposited, becomes shaped by the wind

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12
Q

What are barchan dunes?

A

Crescent shaped dunes which are often found where there is a dominant wind direction and a limited supply of rock.

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13
Q

How do barchan dunes form?

A

Sand is blown up the gentle downward side then slides down the slip face.

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14
Q

Name 5 desert landforms caused by water erosion

A

Wadi
Mesas
Butte
Inselberg
Salt Flat/Playa Lake

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15
Q

What is a wadi?

A

Dry river valley caused by flash floods

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16
Q

How can you identify a wadi?

A

Often signs of previous high river levels

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17
Q

What is an example of a Wadi?

A

Wadi Degla in Egypt

18
Q

What is a mesa?

A

When water washes smaller and softer types of rock from top of hill

19
Q

What is a feature of mesas?

A

Plateau like - flat-topped

20
Q

What is a butte?

A

Smaller pinnacles of rock, representing an advanced stage of landscape development.
Tall, thin rock

21
Q

What is a inselberg?

A

More rounded relic features formed from more resistant rocks.

22
Q

What can be some features of inselbergs?

A

Features of past climates where more weathering has taken place

23
Q

What is playa lake/salt flat?

A

Water evaporates away leaving salt
No vegetation

24
Q

Name 2 desert landforms caused by deposition

A

Alluvial Fans
Bajada

25
Q

What is an alluvial fan?

A

Material carried by a flash flood reaches the valley floor and deposited
Fan-shaped

26
Q

What is a bajada?

A

When several alluvial fans merge together

27
Q

What do bajadas form?

A

Forms a fringe of sediment at side of mountains

28
Q

What are 3 water processes in deserts?

A

Exogenous rivers
Endoreic/Endorheic rivers
Ephemeral Rivers

29
Q

What are exogenous rivers?

A

Source of river is in mountains/humid regions outside desert regions

30
Q

What are endoreic/endorheic rivers?

A

Flows into deserts and terminates in deserts (isolated from ocean)
Source is in desert

31
Q

What are ephemeral rivers?

A

Flash floods
Flow intermittently after storm events

32
Q

What are ephemeral rivers associated with?

A

Flashy hydrographs, Wadis

33
Q

When do ephemeral rivers happen?

A

Once or 2x a year

34
Q

What is deflation?

A

Wind strips sand from an area leaving pebbles (too large to be moved)
Surface is lowered and deflation hollows can form

35
Q

Name 3 wind processes in deserts?

A

Traction
Saltation
Suspension

36
Q

What is traction?

A

Larger particles are rolled or sliding

37
Q

What is saltation?

A

Bouncing of smaller particles. Wind turbulence causes particles to be lifted and carried.

38
Q

What is suspension?

A

Finer materials are picked up and carried in suspension

39
Q

What happens to rocks that have been through attrition?

A

Very rounded rocks

40
Q
A

DESERTS (7 decks)

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