Deserts II Crossword Puzzle

QUESTIONS LIST:

• transverse : this type of sand dune is a continuous desert sand ridge, which forms at right angles to the wind.
• barchan : this type of sand dune is a crescent-shaped dune with horns pointing downwind.
• parabolic : this type of sand dune is a crescent-shaped dune with point facing upwind.
• longitudinal : this type of sand dune is long & straight, & forms parallel to the wind.
• bajada : this broad depositional feature forms when two or more alluvial fans join together at the base of a desert mountain.
• wadi : this refers to a dry desert ditch that fills with water during a flash flood.
• playa : this is a shallow desert lake that contains water for a short while after a flash flood.
• canyon : streams & rivers erode through plateaus made of sedimentary rock to form these steep-sided valleys.
• plateau : this is a flat, high area of land that rises sharply above the land around it.
• mesa : this large tabletop desert feature forms when erosion separates it from a much larger plateau.
• buttes : these small tabletop desert features form when erosion separates a mesa.
• hamada : this is an exposed desert area where wind has removed all loose debris , leaving behind only the bedrock.
• stone or rock pavement : this is another term for a hamada.
• bolson : this is a low-lying desert valley that gets filled with wind-blown debris.
• erg : this is a great expanse of desert sand.
• loess : this is wind-blown dust that accumulates on the leeward side of great deserts. it makes very fertile farming soil.