Question 1

What phenomenon could help keep solar panels of Martian rovers free of dust?

Accepted Answer

A) strong wind gusts 
B) martian rain 
C) solar wind 
D) dust devils 
A) strong wind gusts 
B) martian rain 
C) solar wind 
D) dust devils

Question 2

Which of the following best explains why the Great Basin and Mojave deserts of western North America exist?

Accepted Answer

A) The two deserts lie in the rain shadow of coastal mountains. 
B) The two deserts lie in the trade winds. 
C) The two deserts lie near the equator. 
D) The two deserts lie thousands of kilometers from the ocean. 
A) The two deserts lie in the rain shadow of coastal mountains. 
B) The two deserts lie in the trade winds. 
C) The two deserts lie near the equator. 
D) The two deserts lie thousands of kilometers from the ocean.

Question 3

How much of Earth's land area is covered by arid regions?

Accepted Answer

A) 5% 
B) 20% 
C) 50% 
D) 80% 
A) 5% 
B) 20% 
C) 50% 
D) 80%

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why the Sahara Desert of Africa exists?

Accepted Answer

A) The Sahara Desert lies in the rain shadow of coastal mountains. 
B) The Sahara Desert lies near 30$\degree$N latitude. 
C) The Sahara Desert lies thousands of kilometers from the ocean. 
D) The sandy soil of the Sahara Desert drains so quickly that vegetation is unable to grow. 
A) The Sahara Desert lies in the rain shadow of coastal mountains. 
B) The Sahara Desert lies near 30$\degree$N latitude. 
C) The Sahara Desert lies thousands of kilometers from the ocean. 
D) The sandy soil of the Sahara Desert drains so quickly that vegetation is unable to grow.

Question 5

In terms of their surface deserts are one-fifth _____________ and fourth-fifth _____________.

Accepted Answer

A) oasis; sand 
B) sand; rocky or desert pavement 
C) vegitation; barren 
D) playa lakes; sand dunes 
A) oasis; sand 
B) sand; rocky or desert pavement 
C) vegitation; barren 
D) playa lakes; sand dunes

Question 6

Scientists' ability to study the Martian surface is sometimes inhibited by

Accepted Answer

A) solar winds. 
B) dust storms. 
C) radio waves. 
D) atmospheric clouds. 
A) solar winds. 
B) dust storms. 
C) radio waves. 
D) atmospheric clouds.

Question 7

From what direction do the trade winds in the tropics blow?

Accepted Answer

A) east 
B) north 
C) south 
D) west 
A) east 
B) north 
C) south 
D) west

Question 8

Desert streams deposit most of their sediments in

Accepted Answer

A) deltas. 
B) river channels. 
C) floodplains. 
D) alluvial fans. 
A) deltas. 
B) river channels. 
C) floodplains. 
D) alluvial fans.

Question 9

"Sand seas" that cover up to 500 000 km3 are referred to as

Accepted Answer

A) playas. 
B) wadis. 
C) ergs. 
D) pediments. 
A) playas. 
B) wadis. 
C) ergs. 
D) pediments.

Question 10

Pediments are

Accepted Answer

A) small lakes that dry up in the desert. 
B) dry washes. 
C) mountain remnants buried in sand. 
D) a network of stream channels buried in the sand. 
A) small lakes that dry up in the desert. 
B) dry washes. 
C) mountain remnants buried in sand. 
D) a network of stream channels buried in the sand.

Question 11

For the same velocity,why is air flow more turbulent than water flow?

Accepted Answer

A) because air has a lower density than water 
B) because air has a lower viscosity than water 
C) because air is less confined by solid boundaries than water 
D) all of the above 
A) because air has a lower density than water 
B) because air has a lower viscosity than water 
C) because air is less confined by solid boundaries than water 
D) all of the above

Question 12

What type of environment yields quartz sand grains that are rounded and frosted?

Accepted Answer

A) an eolian environment 
B) an oceanic environment 
C) a glacial environment 
D) a stream environment 
A) an eolian environment 
B) an oceanic environment 
C) a glacial environment 
D) a stream environment

Question 13

Which of the following statements is false?

Accepted Answer

A) Deserts form under virtually stationary areas of low atmospheric pressure. 
B) Deserts form far inland where air has already lost its moisture through precipitation. 
C) Deserts form where air is so cold only small amounts of moisture can precipitate. 
D) Deserts form where moisture-bearing winds are blocked by mountain ranges. 
A) Deserts form under virtually stationary areas of low atmospheric pressure. 
B) Deserts form far inland where air has already lost its moisture through precipitation. 
C) Deserts form where air is so cold only small amounts of moisture can precipitate. 
D) Deserts form where moisture-bearing winds are blocked by mountain ranges.

Question 14

Which of the following processes does not increase the amount of dust in the atmosphere?

Accepted Answer

A) agriculture 
B) deforestation 
C) erosion 
D) precipitation 
A) agriculture 
B) deforestation 
C) erosion 
D) precipitation

Question 15

How does desert pavement form?

Accepted Answer

A) by intense chemical weathering 
B) by stream erosion 
C) by intense mechanical weathering 
D) by wind erosion 
A) by intense chemical weathering 
B) by stream erosion 
C) by intense mechanical weathering 
D) by wind erosion

Question 16

What causes the Coriolis effect?

Accepted Answer

A) the Sun 
B) Earth's rotation 
C) Earth's magnetic field 
D) the tilt of Earth's axis 
A) the Sun 
B) Earth's rotation 
C) Earth's magnetic field 
D) the tilt of Earth's axis

Question 17

What factor contributes to the formation of deserts?

Accepted Answer

A) high atmospheric pressure 
B) extremely low amounts of rainfall 
C) low humidity 
D) all of the above 
A) high atmospheric pressure 
B) extremely low amounts of rainfall 
C) low humidity 
D) all of the above

Question 18

Which of the following is a crescent-shaped dune?

Accepted Answer

A) barchan 
B) loess 
C) pediment 
D) transverse 
A) barchan 
B) loess 
C) pediment 
D) transverse

Question 19

Wind annually transports ______ tons of material from the Sahara Desert to the Atlantic Ocean.

Accepted Answer

A) 25 million 
B) 25 billion 
C) 260 million 
D) 200 million 
A) 25 million 
B) 25 billion 
C) 260 million 
D) 200 million

Question 20

How do ventifacts form?

Accepted Answer

A) by dissolution by dew 
B) by the breaking apart of rocks along cracks 
C) by sandblasting 
D) by slow chemical weathering 
A) by dissolution by dew 
B) by the breaking apart of rocks along cracks 
C) by sandblasting 
D) by slow chemical weathering

Exam 19: Winds and Deserts

What phenomenon could help keep solar panels of Martian rovers free of dust?

Which of the following best explains why the Great Basin and Mojave deserts of western North America exist?

How much of Earth's land area is covered by arid regions?

Which of the following best explains why the Sahara Desert of Africa exists?

In terms of their surface deserts are one-fifth _____________ and fourth-fifth _____________.

Scientists' ability to study the Martian surface is sometimes inhibited by

From what direction do the trade winds in the tropics blow?

Desert streams deposit most of their sediments in

"Sand seas" that cover up to 500 000 km3 are referred to as

Pediments are

For the same velocity,why is air flow more turbulent than water flow?

What type of environment yields quartz sand grains that are rounded and frosted?

Which of the following statements is false?

Which of the following processes does not increase the amount of dust in the atmosphere?

How does desert pavement form?

What causes the Coriolis effect?

What factor contributes to the formation of deserts?

Which of the following is a crescent-shaped dune?

Wind annually transports ______ tons of material from the Sahara Desert to the Atlantic Ocean.

How do ventifacts form?

The Earth System

Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Theory

Earth Materials: Minerals and Rocks

Igneous Rocks: Solids From Melts

Sedimentation: Rocks Formed by Surface Processes

Metamorphism: Alteration of Rocks by Temperature and Pressure

Deformation: Modification of Rocks by Folding and Fracturing

Clocks in Rocks: Timing the Geologic Period

Early History of the Terrestrial Planets

History of the Continents

Geobiology: Life Interacts With Earth

Volcanoes

Earthquakes

Exploring Earths Interior

The Climate System

Weathering,erosion,and Mass Wasting: Interactions Between the Climate and Plate Tectonic Systems

The Hydrologic Cycle and Groundwater

Stream Transport: From Mountains to Oceans

Coastlines and Ocean Basins

Glaciers: the Work of Ice

Landscapes: Tectonic and Climate Interaction

The Human Impact of Earths Environment

Filters

In terms of their surface deserts are one-fifth _ and fourth-fifth _.

"Sand seas" that cover up to 500 000 km³ are referred to as