Exam 14: The Work of Wind and Deserts

Dunes that form long ridges perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction in areas with abundant sand and little vegetation are ____________________ dunes.

The size of material that is frequently carried as suspended load by wind is ____________________ and ____________________.

How does air flow with regard to air pressure? How would air flow on Earth if the planet didn't rotate? How does air flow since it does rotate?

What is desertification? Which regions are most susceptible to desertification? What causes desertification, and what are its effects?

Wind erodes by:

Briefly explain why most deserts develop in the mid-latitude dry climate zone.

What are the four major dune types generally recognized?

All dunes originate in desert conditions.

Why do dunes form? How are they self-generating?

Desertification is a cause of concern as arable regions are lost as the deserts are expanding.

Long, parallel ridges of sand aligned perpendicular to the wind direction are:

Describe sediment transport as bed load, including saltation.

Explain how wind can be a significant intercontinental agent of erosion and deposition.

Deserts mostly occur at ____ latitudes.

A saline, temporary lake in a desert is known as a(n) ____________________ lake.

Wind travels at a _____ speed than water but has a _____ density which allows it to carry mainly clay- and silt-size particles.

What are some of the ways in which desert plants have adapted to the conditions in which they live?

Why are flash floods and sheet flows common in deserts? What do these events have to do with erosion in the desert?

High pressure troughs exist where cooler, denser air begins to descend at about ____________________ to ____________________ degrees latitude, N and S.

What are alluvial fans, and why are they common in desert mountain ranges?