Climate, Soil and Vegetation Characteristics (AQA A-Level Geography): Flashcards
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Practise the cards
10 cards from this deck
Aridity index
Aridity index
Ratio of precipitation (P) to potential evapotranspiration (PET)
Hyper-arid classification threshold
Hyper-arid classification threshold
AI < 0.05
% of global land surface covered by arid lands
% of global land surface covered by arid lands
37%
Annual precipitation in hot deserts
Annual precipitation in hot deserts
Less than 250mm
Diurnal range
Diurnal range
Extreme difference between daytime and night-time temperatures
Cloudbursts
Cloudbursts
Sudden, intense rainfall events after extended dry periods
Aridisols
Aridisols
Infertile alkaline/saline soils with mineral salt accumulations
Capillary movement in desert soils
Capillary movement in desert soils
Moisture moves upward through soil, drawing salts to surface
Xerophytes
Xerophytes
Plants adapted to survive in environments with limited water
Phreatophytes
Phreatophytes
Plants with deep roots accessing groundwater/underground aquifers