Q1. Which feature most directly defines a desert?
Deserts are defined by aridity, or limited water availability. They can be cold, rocky, and inhabited.
Geography
Quiz: Worlds of the Desert
Sample questions from this book. Open the app for the full chapter quizzes and final exam.
Q2. Why can Antarctica be classified as a desert?
Despite its ice cover, Antarctica receives very little precipitation, making it a polar desert.
Q3. How can a mountain range contribute to desert conditions?
Moist air may lose much of its moisture on one side of a range, leaving the other side comparatively dry.
Q4. Which process can create salt flats in an enclosed desert basin?
Water may collect in a closed basin and then evaporate, leaving salts and minerals behind.
Q5. Which statement about human life in deserts is most accurate?
Desert livelihoods and water systems vary widely, reflecting different environments, histories, and resources.
Q6. What is the key feature used to define a desert?
Deserts are classified by aridity, or limited available moisture. They can be cold, rocky, or partly vegetated.
Q7. Why do many hot deserts occur near the tropics?
In subtropical circulation, descending air warms and is less likely to form rain-producing clouds.
Q8. How can a mountain range create a rain shadow?
Rising air releases moisture on the windward slope; air descending on the other side is relatively dry.