149 Chapter 23 Deserts — Physical Geology – 2nd Edition
Chapter 23 Deserts
After carefully reading this chapter, completing the exercises within it, and answering the questions at the end, you should be able to:
- Discuss what characterizes deserts.
- Name and describe the five types of deserts, cite some geographical examples, and why they are located and form how they do.
- To describe and identify erosional and depositional desert features.
- Assess the quality of surface and groundwater in deserts, both in terms of water quality and groundwater depth.
- Describe how deserts form, both citing natural and potential anthropogenic factors.
When one thinks of a desert, most people might think of the following: hot, dry, sand dunes, and perhaps a relative scarcity of life. While those qualities may be true of some deserts, those are not universally true!
