SOLVED

1) Which one of the following statements is true? A) Desert landscapes are monotonous, relatively flat areas covered to various depths with sand. B) Deserts and dry lands are concentrated in areas of ascending air masses and relatively low atmospheric pressures. C) Despite infrequent rainfalls, erosional and depositional features of running water are important in desert landscapes. D) Rainshadow deserts occur where air masses descend after first having risen to cross a mountain range. 2) Most dry lands lie between ________ degrees north and south of the equator. A) 40 and 50 B) 20 and 30 C) 5 and 10 D) 0 and 5 3) ________ refers to the “bouncing” mode of sand transport in a windstorm or stream. A) Saltation B) Ventifaction C) Siltation D) Deflation 4) Which one of the following will effectively limit further deflation in a given area? A) sea level B) desert pavement C) a hanging valley D) the repose level 5) Which one of the following statements is correct? A) Alluvial fans typically rim desert valleys; playas form in the lowest, interior parts of the valleys. B) Inselbergs are low, circular depressions on gently sloping pediments and bajadas. C) Playas are typically covered with gravel-sized desert pavement and loess deposits. D) Saline sediments and evaporites are common in inselbergs and pediments of desert landscapes. 6) Which of the following characteristics would suggest recent, fault uplift of a desert mountain range? A) flat, upland surfaces, steep slopes and small alluvial fans B) extensive pediments and bajadas and small, deep playas C) inselbergs, extensive pediments and flat valley floors D) steep playas with extensive, bedrock alluvial fans and numerous sand dunes 7) How is desert pavement formed? A) Deflation removes the coarse fragments leaving behind a layer of loess. B) Alluvial fans are eroded to form inselbergs with rocky surfaces. C) Groundwater in an alluvial fan evaporates, leaving behind a surface layer of hard-baked mud. D) Runoff and deflation carry off the silt and clay, leaving coarser particles behind. 8) Which one of the following is determined by the angle of repose for dry sand? A) longitudinal dune gradient angle B) slope of an alluvial fan C) a vertical cut bank in loess D) inclination angle of a dune slip face 9) Which one of the following statements about sand dunes is correct? A) A dune migrates in the direction of inclination of the slip face. B) The more gently sloping surface is the leeward slope of the dune. C) Sand is blown up the slip face and rolls down the more gently sloping flank of the dune. D) In a sand dune, the more gently inclined strata lie parallel to the slip face. 10) Deposition of glacial rock flour from blowing winds is responsible for ________. A) deflation ventifacts B) blowout pavement C) star steppes D) loess deposits 1