A region so arid that it contains no permanent streams, except for those that bring water in from elsewhere, and has very sparse vegetation cover.

The inland side of a mountain range, which is arid because the mountains block rain clouds from reaching the area.

A dark, rusty-brown coating of iron oxide and magnesium oxide that accumulates on the surface of the rock.

Drawings formed by chipping into the desert varnish of rocks to reveal the lighter rock beneath.

The channel of an ephemeral stream when empty of water.

The channel of an ephemeral stream; dry wash; wadi.

The name used in the Middle East and North Africa for a dry wash.

Tiny solid grains carried along by a stream without settling to the floor of the channel.

An event in which strong winds hit unvegetated land, strip off the topsoil, and send it skyward to form rolling dark clouds that block out the Sun.

Sediment that rolls and bounce along the ground (under the air) or along a stream bed (under water).

The coarse sediment left behind in a desert after wind erosion removes the finer sediment.

The process of lowering the land surface by wind abrasion.

A desert rock whose surface has been faceted by the wind.

The flat, typically salty lake bed that remains when all the water evaporates in drier times; forms in desert regions.

A sloping apron of fallen rock along the base of a cliff.

A gently sloping apron of sediment dropped by an ephemeral stream at the base of a mountain in arid or semiarid regions.

A pile of sand generally formed by deposition from the wind.

Layers of fine-grained sediments deposited from the wind; large deposits of loess formed from fine-grained glacial sediment blown off outwash plains.

The change in the position of a cliff face caused by erosion.

(1) A conduit in a magma chamber in the shape of a long vertical pipe through which magma rises and erupts at the surface; (2) an isolated column of strata in an arid region.

A large, flat-topped hill (with a surface area of several square km) in an arid region.

A medium-sized, flat-topped hill in an arid region.

A mosaic-like stone surface forming the ground in a desert.

The broad, nearly horizontal bedrock surface at the base of a retreating desert cliff.

A relatively large ridge of sand built up by a current of wind (or water); cross bedding typically occurs within the dune.

The leeward slope of a dune; sand that builds up at the crest of the dune slides down this face; slip faces are preserved as cross beds within sandstone layers.

The process of transforming nondesert areas into desert. A nearly horizontal fault at the base of a fault system.

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Geology Ch. 21

Deserts

Term	Definition
Desert	A region so arid that it contains no permanent streams, except for those that bring water in from elsewhere, and has very sparse vegetation cover.
Rain shadow	The inland side of a mountain range, which is arid because the mountains block rain clouds from reaching the area.
Desert varnish	A dark, rusty-brown coating of iron oxide and magnesium oxide that accumulates on the surface of the rock.
Petroglyph	Drawings formed by chipping into the desert varnish of rocks to reveal the lighter rock beneath.
Dry wash	The channel of an ephemeral stream when empty of water.
Arroyo	The channel of an ephemeral stream; dry wash; wadi.
Wadi	The name used in the Middle East and North Africa for a dry wash.
Suspended load	Tiny solid grains carried along by a stream without settling to the floor of the channel.
Dust storm	An event in which strong winds hit unvegetated land, strip off the topsoil, and send it skyward to form rolling dark clouds that block out the Sun.
Surface load	Sediment that rolls and bounce along the ground (under the air) or along a stream bed (under water).
Lag deposit	The coarse sediment left behind in a desert after wind erosion removes the finer sediment.
Deflation	The process of lowering the land surface by wind abrasion.
Ventifact	A desert rock whose surface has been faceted by the wind.
Playa	The flat, typically salty lake bed that remains when all the water evaporates in drier times; forms in desert regions.
Talus	A sloping apron of fallen rock along the base of a cliff.
Alluvial fan	A gently sloping apron of sediment dropped by an ephemeral stream at the base of a mountain in arid or semiarid regions.
Dune	A pile of sand generally formed by deposition from the wind.
Loess	Layers of fine-grained sediments deposited from the wind; large deposits of loess formed from fine-grained glacial sediment blown off outwash plains.
Cliff retreat	The change in the position of a cliff face caused by erosion.
Chimney	(1) A conduit in a magma chamber in the shape of a long vertical pipe through which magma rises and erupts at the surface; (2) an isolated column of strata in an arid region.
Mesa	A large, flat-topped hill (with a surface area of several square km) in an arid region.
Butte	A medium-sized, flat-topped hill in an arid region.
Desert pavement	A mosaic-like stone surface forming the ground in a desert.
Pediment	The broad, nearly horizontal bedrock surface at the base of a retreating desert cliff.
Sand dune	A relatively large ridge of sand built up by a current of wind (or water); cross bedding typically occurs within the dune.
Slip face	The leeward slope of a dune; sand that builds up at the crest of the dune slides down this face; slip faces are preserved as cross beds within sandstone layers.
Desertification	The process of transforming nondesert areas into desert. A nearly horizontal fault at the base of a fault system.

Created by: jabflat

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