Types of Deserts

Question 1

In deserts what is the main source of erosion?

Answer 1

Air or wind

Question 2

In glaciers what is the main agent of erosion?

Answer 2

ice

Question 3

_____ and _____ can be sensitive indicators to climate change

Answer 3

deserts, drylands

Question 4

Deserts make up how much of Earth’s land area?

Answer 4

25%

Question 5

What are the two criteria that a “desert” has to meet for it to be a desert?

Answer 5

• Must receive less then 255mm of rainfall per year
• sparsely vegetated

Question 6

How do we split up, divide, or categorize deserts?

Answer 6

two categories:

• deserts formed by global air circulation
• deserts formed by local climate conditions

Question 7

Which two types of deserts are formed based on their location on the globe (global air circulation)?

Answer 7

• subtropical deserts
• polar deserts

Question 8

Global circulation units lead to up flows of warm and wet air at the ______

Answer 8

equator

Question 9

bands of ______ form some of the major deserts

Answer 9

latitudes

Question 10

Subtropical deserts are located at approximately _____ degrees North and _____ degrees South

Answer 10

30, 30

Question 11

Where are polar deserts located?

Answer 11

at approximately 90 degrees North and south

Question 12

Do polar deserts get a lot of snow?

Answer 12

no, whatever snow they get just never goes away

Question 13

What 3 kinds of deserts form due to local climate conditions?

Answer 13

• continental interior deserts
• rain shadow deserts
• coastal deserts

Question 14

_____ ______ deserts are located far inland

Answer 14

continental interior

e.g.

Gobi Desert, north China/ South Mongolia

Question 15

Are continental interior deserts located close to a source of water?

Answer 15

No

Question 16

Where do rain shadow deserts form?

Answer 16

along mountain ranges

E.g.

death valley, rain blocked by Sierra Nevada mtns

Question 17

Mountain ranges serve as a _____ to block precipitation

Answer 17

barrier

Question 18

What happens when clouds and weather systems come towards a mountain?

Answer 18

As clouds and weather systems come towards a mountain the steepness and height of a mountain forces that air system up and as it rises it drops a lot of it precipitation so by the time it reaches the other side of the mountain it is very dry air.

Question 19

where do coastal deserts form?

Answer 19

along the oceans

e.g.

Atacama desert, Chile. Driest place on Earth

Question 20

Do coastal deserts form along the western or eastern side of continents?

Answer 20

western

Question 21

Coastal deserts form along the _____ side of continents because there are very cold ocean currents flowing next to the land.

Answer 21

western

Question 22

What do cold ocean currents cause?

Answer 22

cold air

Question 23

Cold air holds _____ moisture so there is ____ precipitation

Answer 23

less, little.

Question 24

Where is the Atacama desert?

Answer 24

in South America, along the Andes mountains

Question 25

As clouds and weather systems come towards a mountain the ______ and _____ of a mountain forces that air system up.

Answer 25

steepness, height

Question 26

As clouds and weather systems rises they drop a lot of _______ so by the time the system reaches the other side of the mountain there is very _____ air.

Answer 26

precipitation, dry

Question 27

Are deserts and glaciers rare or common environments?

Answer 27

rare

Question 28

Why are deserts and glaciers rare environments?

Answer 28

because water is not the main erosional force, air and ice are

Question 29

Deserts and Glaciers are two types of _____ environments

Answer 29

rare

Question 30

Deserts and Glaciers are two rare types of environments where _____ is not the main erosional force, but _____ is.

Answer 30

water, air/wind

Question 31

On the Earth there are very general ____ ____ ___ of air in the atmosphere

Answer 31

global circulation units

Question 32

Global circulation units lead to upflows of ____ and ____ air at the equator

Answer 32

warm, wet

Question 33

______ of warm and wet air flow away from the equator

Answer 33

upflows

Question 34

What direction do upflows flow?

Answer 34

north to south in a cyclic motion (circulate)

Question 35

Where are subtropical deserts located?

Answer 35

At about 30 degrees north and south

Question 36

What are two examples of subtropical desert?

Answer 36

Namibia and Sahara desert

Question 37

The ______ desert is the largest subtropical desert

Answer 37

Sahara

Question 38

Where are polar deserts located?

Answer 38

• At 90 degrees north and south
• near the poles

Question 39

Continental Interior Deserts become deserts simply because there is no local source of ______ to bring precipitation.

Answer 39

water

Question 40

By the time winds and air circulation reach areas deemed as Continental Interior Deserts, all of the _______ has been dropped, so there is none left to water these areas.

Answer 40

precipitation

Question 41

Mountain ranges serve as a _____ to block precipitation from reaching areas

Answer 41

barrier.

Question 42

The area on the other side of a mountain that does not receive a lot of precipitation could become a _______ desert.

Answer 42

rainshadow

Question 43

______ deserts form where there is cold ocean currents next to the land

Answer 43

Coastal

Question 44

Where do Coastal deserts form?

Answer 44

• where there is cold ocean currents - along western edges of continents where there is very cold ocean currents flowing near the land

Question 45

Because cold air can’t hold very much ______ so there is not a lot of moisture forming along coastal desert areas.

Answer 45

moisture

Question 46

The cold ocean currents create ____ air above the ocean

Answer 46

cold