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Geography > Hot Deserts > Flashcards

Hot Deserts Flashcards

1
Q

How much rainfall does a desert receive?

A

Less than 250mm a year

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2
Q

What are the day and night temperatures like in a desert?

A

Up to 50 in the day and down to 0 in the night

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3
Q

Where are hot deserts located?

A

Found mostly between 15-30° north and south of the Equator. Found in dry continental interiors away from coasts (a few are coastal)

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4
Q

Why is it cold at night in deserts?

A

It is cloudless which means there are high levels of insolation at day and rapid heat loss at night (sand doesn’t hold heat very well)

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5
Q

How deep are desert soils?

A

Very shallow

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6
Q

What is the texture of desert soils?

A

Coarse and gravely

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7
Q

How fertile is desert soil?

A

Hardly any leaf fall so infertile unless irrigated

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8
Q

Where is the Thar desert?

A

Stretches across north-west India and into Pakistan. Covers 200 000km2.

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9
Q

Why are deserts so hot?

A

Distance through atmosphere is lower meaning it is less dispersed on surface and the heat is concentrated. No clouds to protect from sun

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10
Q

Why are deserts so dry?

A

Air heated above equator and rises, holds lots of moisture. Cools over equator and rains. Moves to deserts and no rain or clouds.

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11
Q

What is biodiversity?

A

A variety of life in a given habitat

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12
Q

Where in hot deserts is the highest level of biodiversity?

A

Around ephemeral (temporary) ponds or rivers.

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13
Q

How have trees adapted to hot desert conditions?

A

Acacia- short fat trunks that act as reservoirs
Roots penetrate 50m into the ground and reach sideways to find as much water as possible

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14
Q

How have cacti adapted?

A

Store water in their tissues, spikes deter consumer species, small wavy leaves minimise transpiration

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15
Q

How have flowering plants adapted?

A

Seeds only germinate after heavy rain. Immediately produce bright flowers to attract insects

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16
Q

How has lichen adapted?

A

Do not need soil, break down rocks chemically to extract nutrients

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17
Q

How have animals adapted to the heat in deserts?

A

Nocturnal- stay cool in burrows during day
Often have long limbs or ears (large surface area to lose heat from)
Desert iguanas can tolerate 42°C

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18
Q

How have animals adapted to the dry conditions in hot deserts?

A

Some store fat that can be broken down into water when needed
Can get all water needed from what they eat
Beetles collect water from wind

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19
Q

How are camels adapted?

A

Can drink up to 46 litres
Have webbed feet to prevent sinking
Can withstand body temps of 42°C
Have leathery mouth to chew thorns

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20
Q

How are plants and animals reliant on each other?

A

Animals spread seeds, sparse vegetation can only support low density of animals, plants provide nutrients and water to animals

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21
Q

How are soil and climate rely on each other?

A

Soil erosion can lead to dusts of cloud which can change climate of desert.

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22
Q

What is an opportunity?

A

A set of circumstances that can lead to an improvement in Qol and Sol

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23
Q

What is a challenge?

A

A set of circumstances that can test you ability to cope

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24
Q

The Thar desert is the worlds ___ largest desert?

A

7th

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25
Q

How many people live in the Thar desert and what is its population density?

A

30 million, 83 people per km2

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26
Q

What is the definition of mining?

A

The removal of solid material resources from the earth

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27
Q

What minerals are extracted and what can they be used for?

A

Feldspar- make ceramics
Gypsum- plaster and concrete
Marble- construction
Limestone- concrete

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28
Q

What energy sources can be used in the Thar desert?

A

Coal, wind, oil, solar

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29
Q

What is Jaisalmer?

A

A wind park

30
Q

When was Jaisalmer built and how big is it?

A

2001, India’s largest wind farm

31
Q

What is Barmer?

A

A city where a large oil field was found

32
Q

How many people did they get the permission to build in Barmer?

A

50 000 landowners

33
Q

How many people were employed per day for Barmer?

A

At its peak, 12 000 p

34
Q

How long was the pipe in Barmer?

A

700km (went through 250 villages)

35
Q

Where is the solar farm?

A

Bhaleri and Bhadia

36
Q

How large is the solar farm?

A

10 000 acres

37
Q

How expensive is the energy produced at the solar farm compared to coal?

A

Rs2.62 per KWH
Rs3.2 per KWH for coal

38
Q

How is subsistence farming done in the Thar desert?

A

Depressions between sand dunes act as mini drainage basins, grass can grow, animals can graze and people live there in small settlements

39
Q

What is commercial farming?

A

Farming for profit, where food is produced by advanced technological means for sale in the market

40
Q

What is subsistence farming?

A

Enough food for the farmers and their families with little for sale

41
Q

What crops can be produced in desert areas?

A

Cotton and wheat

42
Q

How are soils prepared for farming?

A

Sprinkler systems to irrigate the land, artificial water collection ponds, artificial canals constructed

43
Q

What is the main area for tourism in the Thar desert?

A

Jaisalmer

44
Q

What is Jaisalmers population?

A

600 000

45
Q

Why do people go to Jaisalmer?

A

A desert city, sits on an ancient trading highway

46
Q

What are the 3 main challenges for development in the Thar?

A

Extreme temperature, water supply, accessibility

47
Q

What issues can high temperatures cause for people?

A

Manual labour- impacts types and lengths of hours of jobs

48
Q

What are some issues with accessibility in the Thar desert?

A

Limited road network as vast barren areas, tarmac can melt, sand blown over roads.
Public transport is bad
Medical emergencies and accessing services is poor as many places only accessible by camel

49
Q

What are the causes and of a shortages of water in the Thar?

A

Population growth- more people need water
Developments in farming- irrigation
Development in industry- manufacturing, cooling
Low annual rainfall, high temps and strong winds- high rates of evaporation

50
Q

What does desertification mean?

A

Fertile land becoming dried and degraded as a result of climate change and human activities

51
Q

How many tonnes of fertile soil disappears each year?

A

24 billion

52
Q

How many people are at risk of desertification?

A

1 billion

53
Q

What areas are at risk of desertification?

A

Australia
Beneath Sahara but not including equator
South of England
Some parts of Europe and north america

54
Q

Describe the location of the Sahel.

A

South of Sahara desert in Africa and spans across 11 countries. Stretches from east coast to west. At around 17°N of equator

55
Q

What are the 5 causes of desertification?

A

Soil erosion
Overgrazing
Population growth
Over- cultivating
Wood, removed for fuel

56
Q

What is the cycle of desertification?

A

Land farmed more intensively, amount of natural vegetation decreases, no plants or leaves to intercept rain and soil is left exposed to the hot sun. Sun bakes soil and it cracks, rain washes over surface rather than soaking in, soil is often washed away, soil is degraded and loses fertility and structure. Soil is worn an is harder to grow crops or natural vegetation

57
Q

How can over-population lead to desertification?

A

More wood needed for fuel to heat homes and for cooking. Loss of natural vegetation, leads to soil degradation and desertification. Causes structural support to be lost and land to be dry and nutrients to be leached.

58
Q

What are some impacts of desertification?

A

Famine, undernourishment, floods, soil erosion, poverty, urban to rural migration —> overpopulation, manual labour lost

59
Q

What are the 5 methods of reducing the risk of desertification?

A

Soil management
Water management
Trees
Appropriate
Technology

60
Q

How can soil be managed?

A

Rotate crops that use different nutrients
Add compost to increase organic and nutrients content
Leave areas to rest to let them recover their nutrients

61
Q

How can water be managed?

A

Use drip irrigation instead of surface irrigation (soil isn’t eroded by lots of water being added all in one go)
Grow crops that don’t need much water (millet, sorghum, olives)

62
Q

What can irrigation lead to?

A

Salinisation

63
Q

How does the Acacia Trees project work?

A

Communities are educated and trees are planted. They are given the tools needed. These help protect the soil and local people can extract the gum and sell it.

64
Q

How does the Acacia Trees project help the people there?

A

Women benefit as they can be made self reliant. Gum is profitable, hibiscus juice, peanuts and millets can be sold. Crops can be grown in shade.

65
Q

Where is the Great Green Wall?

A

Span across the 11 countries in the Sahel, 8000km long, 15km wide

66
Q

What benefits does the Great Green Wall bring?

A

Help reduce the effects of climate change
200 women work and are well paid
Can grow vegetables for profit

67
Q

How will the Great Green Wall reduce the risk of desertification?

A

Offers shade so less need for watering
Dry wells have been filled up

68
Q

What does appropriate technology mean?

A

Means it is suited to the needs, skill, knowledge and wealth of local people and their environment

69
Q

What benefits did the stone lines bring?

A

Capture water (semi-permeable structure) prevents leaching and allows water to make percolate

70
Q

How are stone lines appropriate technology?

A

Materials can be found easily
Simple to construct
Easily trained
Low cost

Geography (16 decks)

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