The Solid Earth - Chapter 4: Distribution and Causes of Dry Lands Flashcards
What percentage of the earth’s land surface is covered by dry regions?
30
Name the two climactic types recognized in desert regions
Desert (arid)
Steppe (semiarid)
Semiarid represents a ______ zone that surrounds the desert and separates it from humidty
transition
The heart of the low latitude dry climates lie in the vicinities of the _________________
Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn
The existence of the dry subtropical realm is primarily the result of the prevailing global distribution of ____ and_____
air pressure
winds
When air ____, it is compressed and warm
sinks
True or false: air sinking is the condition needed to produce precipitation
False: opposite day
True or false: dry lands tend to be ironically positioned very close to oceans
False; opposite day; gotcha
The presence of high mountains across the paths of prevailing winds further act to separate these areas from water-bearing ______ air masses
maritime
As prevailing winds meet mountain barriers, the air is forced to ____
ascent
When air is forced to ascent (rises) it expands and cools, a process that can produce _____ and _____
clouds
precipitation
The _____ sides of mountains are often characterized by relatively high precipitation totals while the leeward sides of the mountains are much drier
Windward
The dry region that results on the leeward side of a mountain is called a _____ desert
rainshadow
True or false: without some larger mountain building episodes, wetter climates would prevail where many dry regions exist today
True
