Deserts and Wind: Formation, Features, and Phenomena - Prof. Kevin G. Marty, Assignments of Geology

Download Deserts and Wind: Formation, Features, and Phenomena - Prof. Kevin G. Marty and more Assignments Geology in PDF only on Docsity! Chapter 14: Deserts and Wind Please answer the questions below and submit your answers by the due date. Please number your answers and provide the question you are answering: 1. Explain how mountains like the Sierra Nevadas and Peninsular Ranges (these are the mountains between us and San Diego) can create deserts. 2. i. Why is the Colorado Plateau famous for mesas and buttes but not sediment filled valleys? ii. Name and explain the formation of two desert features found in the Death Valley/Great Basin area. 3. i. How is a sand dune formed? ii. How does a sand dune move? iii. What are the two factors that control the size and shape of sand dunes? 4. Explain why 30 degrees latitude has so many deserts. 5. Why are flash floods more common in desert environments than in humid climates? 6. How does desert pavement form? 7. What is loess and what are the economic implications of loess deposition? Multiple Choice/Fill in the Blanks: 1. Playa Lakes: (A) are a valuable source of perennial water; (B) are usually dry; (C) form in valleys without alluvial fans; (D) accumulate thick gravel deposits from wind transport. 2. Water in most deserts: (A) soaks into the ground or evaporates; (B) flows slowly to the ocean; (C) causes deflation; (D) all of these answers.