Question 1

The Great Basin deserts found in the western United States are primarily the result of being located ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  in the subtropics 
B)  within the rain shadow of one or more mountain ranges 
C)  near the center of a large continent 
D)  next to a cold ocean current 
A)  in the subtropics 
B)  within the rain shadow of one or more mountain ranges 
C)  near the center of a large continent 
D)  next to a cold ocean current B

Question 2

A salt-rich flat lake bed in called a

Accepted Answer

A)  wadi. 
B)  pediment. 
C)  playa. 
D)  bajada. 
A)  wadi. 
B)  pediment. 
C)  playa. 
D)  bajada. C

Question 3

Why are flash floods so effective at transporting sediment?

Accepted Answer

The lack of vegetative cover in deserts means that precipitation will quickly move into surface runoff and streams instead of showing a lag or being spread out over time.Also,the lack of vegetation means that surface runoff can easily pick up sediment; it is not held in place by soil or roots.The muddy,fast,and turbulent water in a desert stream can carry large materials,even boulders.This is because the water is viscous and of higher density due to all of the suspended sediment it carries.

Question 4

Why are salt lakes salty?

Accepted Answer

A)  because desert streams carry very salty water 
B)  because mineral springs deliver salt water to such lakes 
C)  because evaporation from the lakes removes water but not salt 
D)  because rainfall in deserts is salty 
A)  because desert streams carry very salty water 
B)  because mineral springs deliver salt water to such lakes 
C)  because evaporation from the lakes removes water but not salt 
D)  because rainfall in deserts is salty

Question 5

Plowing soil and overgrazing by livestock in arid regions can contribute to

Accepted Answer

A)  loss of sand dunes. 
B)  growth of desert varnish. 
C)  accelerated soil erosion. 
D)  decreases in precipitation. 
A)  loss of sand dunes. 
B)  growth of desert varnish. 
C)  accelerated soil erosion. 
D)  decreases in precipitation.

Question 6

Continental interior deserts occur because

Accepted Answer

A)  there are no rivers in the interior of continents to provide water vapor. 
B)  air masses lose much of their moisture before reaching continent interiors. 
C)  continent interiors are located at low latitudes where air rises. 
D)  atmospheric circulation in the interior of continents is characterized by dry sinking air masses. 
A)  there are no rivers in the interior of continents to provide water vapor. 
B)  air masses lose much of their moisture before reaching continent interiors. 
C)  continent interiors are located at low latitudes where air rises. 
D)  atmospheric circulation in the interior of continents is characterized by dry sinking air masses.

Question 7

Most of the erosion in desert environments is caused by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  wind 
B)  surface water 
C)  groundwater 
D)  salt wedging 
A)  wind 
B)  surface water 
C)  groundwater 
D)  salt wedging

Question 8

The slope of a pile of talus is typically _______ than the slope of an alluvial fan.

Accepted Answer

A)  less irregular 
B)  less steep 
C)  steeper 
D)  more stable underfoot 
A)  less irregular 
B)  less steep 
C)  steeper 
D)  more stable underfoot

Question 9

Much of the land area north of the Arctic Circle is considered to be a desert because

Accepted Answer

A)  summer temperatures can get very hot. 
B)  the Arctic Ocean provides cold water currents. 
C)  it is extremely arid. 
D)  there is no rain; only snowfall. 
A)  summer temperatures can get very hot. 
B)  the Arctic Ocean provides cold water currents. 
C)  it is extremely arid. 
D)  there is no rain; only snowfall.

Question 10

What is talus?

Accepted Answer

A)  thick crusts of cemented soil 
B)  angular rocky debris at the base of a cliff 
C)  the formal term for sand dunes 
D)  rocks with faceted faces abraded by wind 
A)  thick crusts of cemented soil 
B)  angular rocky debris at the base of a cliff 
C)  the formal term for sand dunes 
D)  rocks with faceted faces abraded by wind

Question 11

The colors of the landscape in desert regions are controlled by ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  what type of desert it is 
B)  the air temperature 
C)  the season of the year 
D)  the composition of the bedrock 
A)  what type of desert it is 
B)  the air temperature 
C)  the season of the year 
D)  the composition of the bedrock

Question 12

Why is the dust derived from desert erosion a challenge to public health?

Accepted Answer

A)  It suffocates plants that are downwind. 
B)  It can carry salts and toxic metals. 
C)  It contains carbon monoxide. 
D)  It reduces the oxygen in air. 
A)  It suffocates plants that are downwind. 
B)  It can carry salts and toxic metals. 
C)  It contains carbon monoxide. 
D)  It reduces the oxygen in air.

Question 13

Wind-carved elaborate mounds and ridges are termed ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  mirages 
B)  caliches 
C)  sabkhas 
D)  yardangs 
A)  mirages 
B)  caliches 
C)  sabkhas 
D)  yardangs

Question 14

Talus aprons represent accumulations of ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  angular debris at the base of a hill 
B)  lag deposits 
C)  coarse sediment in a deflation basin 
D)  loess at the edge of a desert 
A)  angular debris at the base of a hill 
B)  lag deposits 
C)  coarse sediment in a deflation basin 
D)  loess at the edge of a desert

Question 15

Fine-grained sediments such as dust and silt can stay in the air and be transported by wind as ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  suspended load 
B)  saltation 
C)  deflation clasts 
D)  desert varnish 
A)  suspended load 
B)  saltation 
C)  deflation clasts 
D)  desert varnish

Question 16

Why is water a very effective agent of erosion in deserts?

Accepted Answer

A)  The action of running water is not lessened by vegetation cover in deserts. 
B)  The hotter water temperature in deserts carries more energy. 
C)  Deserts have many more small streams than other landscapes. 
D)  Slopes are steeper in deserts,making running water more powerful. 
A)  The action of running water is not lessened by vegetation cover in deserts. 
B)  The hotter water temperature in deserts carries more energy. 
C)  Deserts have many more small streams than other landscapes. 
D)  Slopes are steeper in deserts,making running water more powerful.

Question 17

What is the dominant erosional force in deserts: wind or water? Why?

Accepted Answer

Water is the dominant erosional force in

Question 18

The Gobi in Mongolia is a desert primarily because it is located ________.

Accepted Answer

A)  in the subtropics 
B)  in a polar region 
C)  near the center of a large continent 
D)  next to a cold ocean current 
A)  in the subtropics 
B)  in a polar region 
C)  near the center of a large continent 
D)  next to a cold ocean current

Question 19

Alluvial fans accumulate in deserts at the mouth of ________

Accepted Answer

A)  canyons 
B)  sand dunes 
C)  playas 
D)  talus slopes 
A)  canyons 
B)  sand dunes 
C)  playas 
D)  talus slopes

Question 20

Illustrate how a rain-shadow desert might form.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Illustrate how a rain-shadow desert might form....

Exam 17: Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

The Great Basin deserts found in the western United States are primarily the result of being located ________.

A salt-rich flat lake bed in called a

Why are flash floods so effective at transporting sediment?

Why are salt lakes salty?

Plowing soil and overgrazing by livestock in arid regions can contribute to

Continental interior deserts occur because

Most of the erosion in desert environments is caused by ________.

The slope of a pile of talus is typically _______ than the slope of an alluvial fan.

Much of the land area north of the Arctic Circle is considered to be a desert because

What is talus?

The colors of the landscape in desert regions are controlled by ________.

Why is the dust derived from desert erosion a challenge to public health?

Wind-carved elaborate mounds and ridges are termed ________.

Talus aprons represent accumulations of ________.

Fine-grained sediments such as dust and silt can stay in the air and be transported by wind as ________.

Why is water a very effective agent of erosion in deserts?

What is the dominant erosional force in deserts: wind or water? Why?

The Gobi in Mongolia is a desert primarily because it is located ________.

Alluvial fans accumulate in deserts at the mouth of ________

Illustrate how a rain-shadow desert might form.

The Earth in Context

The Way the Earth Works: Plate Tectonics

Patterns in Nature: Minerals

Up From the Inferno: Magma and Igneous Rocks

The Wrath of Vulcan: Volcanic Eruptions

Pages of the Earths Past: Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphism: a Process of Change

A Violent Pulse: Earthquakes

Crags,cracks,and Crumples: Crustal Deformation and Mountain Building

Deep Time: How Old Is Old

A Biography of the Earth

Riches in Rock: Energy and Mineral Resources

Unsafe Ground: Landslides and Other Mass Movements

Streams and Floods: the Geology of Running Water

Restless Realm: Oceans and Coasts

A Hidden Reserve: Groundwater

Amazing Ice: Glaciers and Ice Ages

Global Change in the Earth System

Introducing Rocks

A Surface Veneer: Sediments and Soils

The Rock Cycle

The Earth’s Interior Revisited: Insights from Geophysics

Memories of Past Life: Fossils and Evolution

Ever-Changing Landscapes and the Hydrologic Cycle

Prelude: And Just What is Geology?

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