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Multiple Choice Quiz
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1
Which of the choices below is a defining characteristic of a desert?
A)high temperature
B)precipitation exceeds evaporation.
C)shifting sand dunes.
D)rainfall less than 25 cm per year.
2
Which of the following is a common feature of desert regions?
A)flash floods
B)slow chemical weathering
C)internal drainage
D)all of these
3
The primary difference between a mesa and a butte is one of:
A)flatness.
B)geographic location.
C)size.
D)rock type.
4
The dry region downwind of a mountain range is known as:
A)a rain shadow zone.
B)the sierra.
C)an adiabatic lapse zone.
D)the eastern slope.
5
A very flat surface underlain by a dry lake bed of hard, mud-cracked clay is called a:
A)plateau
B)mesa
C)bajada
D)playa
6
Rocks with flat, wind-abraded surfaces are called:
A)ventifacts
B)pediments
C)blow-outs
D)barchans
7
The erosion of sand, silt, and clay from the land surface by wind is called:
A)depletion
B)deflation
C)deposition
D)transport.
8
Which of the following is not a type of sand dune?
A)transverse
B)barchan
C)parabolic
D)all of these are types of sand dunes.
9
A broad ramp of sediment formed of coalesced alluvial fans isa:
A)wadi
B)arroyo
C)playa
D)bajada.
10
A surface layer of closely packed pebbles found in desert areas is:
A)ventifact
B)bajada
C)desert varnish
D)desert pavement
11
Plants living in desert regions:
A)are salt tolerant.
B)are adapted to low moisture levels in the air.
C)often have small leaves with waxy coatings.
D)all of these
12
Deserts centered on 30 degrees north and south latitude owe their origins to:
A)Earth's orbit around the sun.
B)the distribution of the continental landmasses.
C)the occurrence of mountains at these latitudes worldwide.
D)the global air circulation pattern
13
Flash floods in desert regions are primarily caused by:
A)high run-off associated with short but intense rainfall.
B)lack of adequate moisture throughout the year.
C)discharge of groundwater to playas.
D)deposition of salts on the land surface.
14
Flash floods in desert areas:
A)are almost non-existent.
B)are less common than in humid areas.
C)are more common than in humid areas.
D)occur with the same frequency as flash floods in other areas.
15
Arroyos are:
A)great places to escape desert heat.
B)ephemeral lakes in desert areas.
C)large, wedge-shaped deposits of gravel and sand at the foot of mountains in desert areas.
D)narrow, steep-sided stream valleys in desert regions.
16
A sand dune that is convex in the downwind direction is:
A)a transverse dune.
B)a parabolic dune.
C)a barchan dune.
D)a longitudinal dune.
17
Sand dunes have been observed on:
A)Mars
B)Uranus
C)The Moon
D)Venus
18
Deposits of windblown silt and clay are called:
A)dunes.
B)loess.
C)clay.
D)silt
19
Most dunes move only:
A)10 to 15 meters per year.
B)30 to 100 meters per year.
C)1 to 2 kilometers per year.
D)none of these
20
In the United States, Death Valley is a desert because:
A)it is the location of a secret flying saucer base.
B)it is very hot.
C)it is below sea level.
D)it is in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.





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