Geography Glossary

Geography homework
Areas I feel weak at
  * Desert Survival-What will I need to survive, what techniques do people use?
  * What causes hot weather, what sort of winds?
  * How do ocean currents affect certain areas of the globe?
Glossary of words
Desert Environment
Onshore winds- Winds that blow from the sea to the land and make waves break quickly.
Offshore winds- Winds that blow from the land to the sea causing the waves to be large.
Beach gradient- How sloped the beach is affecting how the waves break near the shore.
Swell- Size of the waves at sea
Xerophyte- Plants those are especially suited for desert survival.
Plateau- High, flat area of land.
Canyon- Deep, steep sided valley.
Mesa-Flat-topped mountain with steep sides.
Butte- Small, isolated, flat-topped mountain.
Alluvial fan- Fan shaped river deposits at the foot of a steep mountain.
Yardang- Narrow steep sided ridge
Wadi- Gully formed by flash floods.
Inselberg- Large, isolated outcrop of hard rock.
Salt pan- A dried-out salt lake.
Blowout- Large hollows in the ground scooped from the surface by the wind.
Sand dune- Ridge or mount of sand.
Desert pavement- Flat, rocky area with a smooth polished surface.
Oasis- Fertile area formed where a hollow reaches the underlying water table.
Deflation- The gradual removal of sand and dust on a rock leaving a flat surface.
Abrasion- Sand particles blasting onto a rock wearing it out into unusual shapes.
Cold desert- A desert is a landscape or region that receives little precipitation.
Desertification- Desertification is the extreme deterioration of land in arid and dry sub-humid areas due to loss of vegetation and soil moisture.
Dry valley- A dry valley is a valley found in either limestone or chalk terrain that no longer has a surface flow of water.
Gulley- A gully is a landform created by running water eroding sharply into soil, typically on a hillside.
Onion-skin weathering- Exfoliation joints are surface-parallel fracture...