Deserts_AQA_A_Level_Geography_Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is aridity?
A climate condition where precipitation is significantly lower than potential evapotranspiration, leading to water scarcity.
What defines a hot desert climate?
High temperatures, low precipitation (usually <250 mm per year), high evaporation rates.
What is a dryland system?
An area where water availability is a major limiting factor due to climatic conditions such as low and irregular rainfall.
Name two aeolian landforms.
Yardangs and sand dunes.
Name two fluvial landforms in deserts.
Wadis and alluvial fans.
How do wind and water interact in desert geomorphology?
Wind erodes and transports sediment during dry conditions, while episodic water flow shapes fluvial features during rare rain events.
What is deflation?
The removal of fine, loose particles from the desert surface by wind.
What is abrasion in desert environments?
Erosion caused by wind-blown sand particles striking surfaces.
What is desertification?
The degradation of land in arid or semi-arid areas due to climatic and human factors.
List three human causes of desertification.
Overgrazing, deforestation, unsustainable agriculture.
List three natural causes of desertification.
Climate change, droughts, soil erosion.
What are the impacts of desertification?
Reduced agricultural productivity, food insecurity, migration, biodiversity loss.
Name a region affected by desertification.
The Sahel region in Africa.
What management strategies are used to combat desertification?
Afforestation, contour ploughing, stone lines, water harvesting, and sustainable farming practices.
What is the sediment cell model?
A conceptual model describing the movement of sediment within a closed coastal/desert system between sources, stores, and sinks.
Name one case study of a hot desert you have studied.
(e.g., Thar Desert, Sahara, Mojave Desert — customise as per your course).
What are the challenges of human activity in hot deserts?
Water scarcity, soil degradation, infrastructure development, ecological damage.
What opportunities do deserts provide for development?
Solar energy, tourism, mineral extraction, farming with irrigation.
What is inselberg formation?
An isolated hill or mountain rising abruptly from a plain, formed by long-term weathering and erosion.
How does vegetation adapt to desert conditions?
Deep roots, water storage tissues, small leaves or spines to reduce water loss.
