Term | Definition |
spatial distribution | where things are |
humidity | water vapour in the air |
two types of deserts are | hot deserts and cold deserts. |
windward | on the side of a mountain range closest to the ocean |
leeward | on the side of a mountain range facing away from the ocean |
rainshadow | where one side of a mountain receives limited rain |
diurnal range | the difference between the highest and lowest temperatures in one day |
insulation | cloud cover, which acts like a blanket to trap heat in the atmosphere |
runoff | precipitation that flows over the ground |
infiltration | the movement of water
into the soil from the
surface |
barren | unproductive, dry land |
deposition | landforms resulting from weathered and eroded material coming to rest or being deposited |
stony plains (Gibber plains) | form when
small stones and rocks are left behind after
loose material has blown away |
Mushroom rock | Sand-blasting occurs when sand is picked up by the wind and thrown against rocks.After many years the rock surfaces begin
to wear away, forming unique shapes |
wadi | dry water course |
turbulent | fast moving in a disorderly way |
Alluvial fans | The streams carry heavy loads of sand and rock fragments and tend to 'spray' their loads out in a fan-like way |
Playa lakes | When the land surface is very flat and low,
rainwater often collects in holes to form these |
weathering | the breaking up of rock material into smaller pieces by exposure to the weather |
shield desert | a ______ desert is a mixture of sand and gravel |
xerophytic | in plants, able to adapt to long dry periods |
photosynthesis | the process by which green plants make carbohydrates from
carbon dioxide and water and give off oxygen |
ephemerals | plants that have short life cycles |
nocturnal | coming out of burrows to hunt at night, rather than risking the heat and sun of the day. |
salinity | an increase in the amount of salt in the soil and water supply |
ecological sustainability | the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs |
desertification | spreading of the desert conditions to areasoutside existing deserts |
nomad | a person continually moving in search of pasture and water |
malnutrition | the condition of being poorly nourished |
ecosystem | the plants and animals that exist in a particular environment, each of which is dependent on the other parts |
local relief | the difference in height between the highest and lowest points in a particular area |
hachures | markings on a map that show high areas |
tectonic plates | large moving areas of the Earth’s surface |
earthquake | a sudden movement of the Earth’s surface along a fault line |
fault line | a weak line or crack in the Earth’s surface that can move |
rift valley | a depression or low area caused by faults forcing
the Earth’s surface downwards |
block mountain | the layers of rock on one side of a fault line are forced
up forming this type of mountain |
volcanoes | form around a weak spot i n the earth's surface, magma erupts |
fold mountains | Earth’s crust is forced up and buckles and bends, forming _____ mountains |
dormant | not currently active volcanoe but could become so at any time |
extinct | in terms of volcanoes, unlikely to erupt again |
active | ____volcanoes across the globe, threatening to erupt
at any time. |
weathering | the breaking up of rock material into smaller
pieces by exposure to the weather |
erosion | the process by which the surface of the Earth
is worn away by agents such as wind and water |
glacier | these form U shaped valleys |
ecological sustainability | the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs |
rivers | these form V shaped valleys |