Author Question: What are the factors that determine the locations of deserts? What will be an ideal ... (Read 33 times)

ereecah · **on:** Jul 16, 2018

What are the factors that determine the locations of deserts?

What will be an ideal response?

Question 2

What conditions are necessary for the formation of sand dunes?

What will be an ideal response?

matt · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 16, 2018

Answer to Question 1

a) Regions of persistent high pressure that inhibit rainfall form in the subtropical belts near 30 north and south latitude.
b) Mountains intercept moisture that falls as rain and snow and form rain-shadow deserts downwind of the mountains.
c) Where prevailing wind blows offshore along a shoreline, the ocean waters also tend to be cool. Very little air moves inland and that which does is relatively dry because the water and air temperatures are cool.
d) Deserts form in the polar regions (> 60 latitude) due to persistent high pressure and the inability of cold air to hold enough moisture to produce significant rain or snow.

Answer to Question 2

a) Strong, persistently blowing wind to transport sand and mold it into dunes.
b) An abundance of loose sand that wind can transport to form the dunes.
c) Absence or near absence of vegetation that slows down the wind and binds sediment to diminish the likelihood of sediment erosion and transport.