Lesson 16: Deserts and Winds Flashcards
How are deserts defined?
Arid regions with average annual rainfall less than 250 mm
How are steppes defined?
Semi-arid regions that get 250-500 mm of rain annually
What are the different types of deserts?
- Subtropical Deserts
- Continental/Mid-latitude Deserts
- Rain Shadow Deserts
- Coastal Deserts
- Monsoon Deserts
- Polar Deserts
How are Subtropical Deserts Characterized?
Trade winds that blow east to west, just north and south of the equator.
Where are Subtropical Deserts found?
Hoarse latitudes are centered between 20 degrees and 30 degrees North and South latitude.
What is an example of a Subtropical Desert?
Sahara Desert
How are Continental/Mid-latitude Deserts characterized?
Wide rage of annual temperatures
Where are Continental/Mid-latitude Deserts found?
Between 30 and 50 degrees N and S of the Equator in interior drainage basins far from the source of moisture.
What is an example of Continental/Mid-latitude Deserts?
Sonoran Desert in North America
Gobi and Taklamakan Deserts in Central Asia
How are Rain Shadow Deserts Characterized?
A desert formed in the lee-side “shadow” of the mountain range
Where are Rain Shadow Deserts found?
In Mountainous areas
Give an example of rain shadow deserts.
Turpan Depression in the rain shadow desert of the Tian Shan of China
Death Valley National Park, California in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Characterize Coastal deserts.
Affected by cold ocean currents that are parallel to the coast with local wind systems that dominate the trade winds
Where are Coastal Deserts found?
In the western edges of continents near the Tropics of Cancer (23.5 degrees N) and Capricorn (23.5 degrees S)
Give an example of a Coastal desert.
Atacama Desert, South America
Namib Desert, Africa
Characterize Monsoon deserts.
Wind system with pronounced seasonal reversal
