Deserts and Groundwater

Flashcards covering key vocabulary related to deserts, their formation, processes, and groundwater concepts.

Deserts

Areas that cover about 25% of Earth's land surface, characterized by very dry conditions with less than 10 inches of rain per year.

Desert Characteristics

High evaporation rate, low vegetation (less than 15%), and unique geological processes.

Desert Processes

Include erosion by water and wind, physical weathering, soil formation, and deposition of materials.

Alluvial Fans

Sloping, gravelly deposits formed when water carries sediments from mountains to plains.

Dunes

Wind-blown accumulations of sand that form around obstacles and move downwind, characterized by cross-bedding.

Desertification

The process of non-desert areas becoming desert due to human activity and climate change.

Groundwater

Water that exists underground; a vital and easily contaminated resource.

Hydrologic Cycle

The movement of water through evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Aquifer

Rock or sediment layer that stores and transmits groundwater.

Groundwater Quality

Usually good due to natural filtering by rock and sediment.

Natural Contaminants

Include hardness from minerals, iron, manganese, hydrogen sulfide gas, and arsenic.

Groundwater Pollution

Pollutants move with groundwater flow, spreading contamination from the source.