Exam 17: Dry Regions: the Geology of Deserts

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

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

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

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C

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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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

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B

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Water is the dominant erosional force in...

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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

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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.

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

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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

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