Desert Formation : āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻāĻ āĻ¨
What is Desert Formation ? Desert formation is the process by which deserts are created, mainly due to lack of rainfall. Moist winds from the ocean carry water vapor and move towards land. When these winds hit mountains, they rise, cool, and cause rainfall on the windward side. After crossing the mountains, the air becomes dry and descends on the leeward side, where little or no rainfall occurs. This creates dry areas known as deserts. There are two main types of deserts: hot deserts and cold deserts. Hot deserts are very hot and dry, such as the Sahara Desert, while cold deserts are very cold and dry, such as the Gobi Desert.
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Deserts – Short Answer
1. What is a desert ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: A desert is a dry area that receives very little rainfall. : āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻšā§āĻā§ āĻāĻ¨ā§ āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻž āĻ¯’āĻ¤ āĻ
āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻāĻŽ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Explanation: Lack of water makes it hard for plants to grow. : āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ā§° āĻ
āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻāĻĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻĻ āĻāĻŽ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āĻ§āĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
2. Why do deserts form ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ āĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ ?
Ans: Deserts form due to lack of rainfall. : āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻĨāĻāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻ āĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Explanation: Without rain, the land becomes dry and barren. : āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ˛ā§ āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻšā§ āĻĒā§°ā§āĨ¤
3. What are moist winds ? āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: Winds that carry water vapor from oceans. : āĻ¸āĻžāĻā§°ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻˇā§āĻĒ āĻ˛ā§ āĻ
āĻšāĻž āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻšāĨ¤
Explanation: These winds bring rainfall to land. : āĻāĻ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻšā§ āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ˛ā§ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻāĻ¨ā§āĨ¤
4. What is the windward side ? Windward side āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: The side of a mountain that receives rainfall. : āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§° āĻ¸ā§āĻ āĻ
āĻāĻļ āĻ¯’āĻ¤ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Explanation: Moist winds hit this side first and give rain. : āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻšā§ āĻāĻ āĻ
āĻāĻļāĻ¤ āĻāĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
5. What is the leeward side ? Leeward side āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: The dry side of a mountain with little or no rainfall. : āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§° āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻ
āĻāĻļ āĻ¯’āĻ¤ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
Explanation: Air becomes dry after crossing mountains. : āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžā§° āĻšā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻšā§ āĻ¯āĻžāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
6. What is the rain shadow effect ? Rain shadow effect āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: It is the process where mountains block rainfall and create dry areas. : āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ ā§°ā§āĻ§ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻˇā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°āĻž āĻĒā§ā§°āĻā§ā§°āĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĨ¤
Explanation: Windward side gets rain, leeward side becomes dry. : āĻāĻāĻĒāĻžāĻļā§ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ, āĻāĻ¨āĻĒāĻžāĻļ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
7. Name the two types of deserts. āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āĻĒā§ā§°āĻāĻžā§° āĻāĻŋ āĻāĻŋ ?
Ans: Hot desert and Cold desert. : āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§ āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĨ¤
Explanation: Based on temperature conditions. : āĻ¤āĻžāĻĒāĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§ā§°āĻžā§° āĻāĻĒā§°āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋāĻ¤ā§āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻāĻžāĻ āĻā§°āĻž āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
8. Give an example of a hot desert. āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĨ¤
Ans: Sahara Desert
Explanation: It is the largest hot desert in the world. : āĻ āĻĒā§āĻĨāĻŋā§ąā§ā§° āĻāĻāĻžāĻāĻ¤āĻā§ āĻĄāĻžāĻā§° āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĨ¤
9. Give an example of a cold desert. āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻāĻāĻž āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĨ¤
Ans: Gobi Desert
Explanation: It is a cold desert with very low temperature. : āĻ āĻ
āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻā§°ā§ āĻāĻŽ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻĨāĻāĻž āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĨ¤
10. Why is vegetation sparse in deserts ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ-āĻāĻāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻŽ ?
Ans: Due to lack of water and rainfall. : āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻā§°ā§ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖā§° āĻ
āĻāĻžā§ąā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§āĨ¤
Explanation: Plants cannot grow without enough water. : āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻ¨āĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻāĻŋāĻ˛ā§ āĻāĻĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻĻ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āĻ§āĻŋ āĻĒāĻžāĻŦ āĻ¨ā§ā§ąāĻžā§°ā§āĨ¤
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Deserts – MCQs
Q1. What is a desert ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋ ?
A. Area with heavy rainfall B. Area with forests C. Dry area with very little rainfall D. Snowy area
Ans: C. Dry area with very little rainfall
Explanation: Deserts receive very little rainfall. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ
āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻāĻŽ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Q2. Why do deserts form ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻ āĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ ?
A. Due to heavy rain B. Due to lack of rainfall C. Due to snow D. Due to rivers
Ans: B. Due to lack of rainfall
Explanation: Lack of rainfall makes the land dry. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻĨāĻāĻžā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Q3. Moist winds come from: āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš āĻ’ā§° āĻĒā§°āĻž āĻāĻšā§ ?
A. Mountains B. Desert C. Ocean D. Forest
Ans: C. Ocean
Explanation: Oceans provide water vapor to winds. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻ¸āĻžāĻā§°ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻšāĻ¤ āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻˇā§āĻĒ āĻĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧā§āĨ¤
Q4. Which side of mountain gets rainfall ? āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§° āĻā§āĻ¨āĻā§ āĻĻāĻŋāĻļāĻ¤ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ ?
A. Leeward side B. Windward side C. Desert side D. Dry side
Ans: B. Windward side
Explanation: Moist winds hit the windward side first.: āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻšā§ āĻĒā§ā§°āĻĨāĻŽā§ āĻāĻ āĻĻāĻŋāĻļāĻ¤ āĻ˛āĻžāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
Q5. Which side becomes dry ? āĻā§āĻ¨āĻā§ āĻĻāĻŋāĻļ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ ?
A. Windward side B. Leeward side C. Ocean side D. River side
Ans: B. Leeward side
Explanation: Air becomes dry after crossing mountains. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§° āĻĒāĻžā§° āĻšā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Q6. What is rain shadow effect ? Rain shadow effect āĻāĻŋ ?
A. Rain in desert B. Blocking of sunlight C. Mountains blocking rain D. Snowfall
Ans: C. Mountains blocking rain
Explanation: Mountains stop moist winds, causing dry areas. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ ā§°ā§āĻ§ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻļā§āĻāĻžāĻ¨ āĻāĻ˛ā§āĻāĻž āĻ¸ā§āĻˇā§āĻāĻŋ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
Q7. Which type of desert is very hot ? āĻā§āĻ¨āĻā§ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋ āĻ
āĻ¤āĻŋ āĻā§°āĻŽ ?
A. Cold desert B. Ice desert C. Hot desert D. Mountain desert
Ans: C. Hot desert
Explanation: Hot deserts have high temperature. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻ¤āĻžāĻĒāĻŽāĻžāĻ¤ā§ā§°āĻž āĻŦā§āĻāĻŋ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧāĨ¤
Q8. Example of hot desert: āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻā§ ?
A. Gobi Desert B. Sahara Desert C. Antarctica D. Himalaya
Ans: B (Sahara Desert)
Explanation: Sahara is the largest hot desert. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: Sahara āĻāĻāĻžāĻāĻ¤āĻā§ āĻĄāĻžāĻā§° āĻā§°āĻŽ āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĨ¤
Q9. Example of cold desert: āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋā§° āĻāĻĻāĻžāĻšā§°āĻŖ āĻā§āĻ¨āĻā§ ?
A. Sahara B. Thar C. Gobi Desert D. Amazon
Ans: C (Gobi Desert)
Explanation: Gobi is a cold desert with low temperature. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: Gobi āĻāĻāĻž āĻ āĻžāĻŖā§āĻĄāĻž āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĨ¤
Q10. Why is vegetation sparse in deserts ? āĻŽā§°ā§āĻā§āĻŽāĻŋāĻ¤ āĻāĻ-āĻāĻāĻ¨āĻŋ āĻāĻŋāĻ¯āĻŧ āĻāĻŽ ?
A. Too much water B. Lack of rainfall C. Too many trees D. Snowfall
Ans: B. Lack of rainfall
Explanation: Plants need water to grow. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻāĻĻā§āĻāĻŋāĻĻā§° āĻŦāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻĒāĻžāĻ¨ā§ āĻĒā§āĻ°āĻ¯āĻŧā§āĻāĻ¨āĨ¤
Q11. What blocks moist winds ? āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤āĻ¸ā§āĻāĻ¤ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš āĻāĻŋāĻšā§ ā§°ā§āĻ§ āĻā§°ā§ ?
A. Rivers B. Forests C. Mountains D. Sun
Ans: C. Mountains
Explanation: Mountains stop winds and cause rainfall on one side. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻĒāĻžāĻšāĻžā§°ā§ āĻŦāĻ¤āĻžāĻš ā§°ā§āĻ§ āĻā§°āĻŋ āĻāĻāĻž āĻĻāĻŋāĻļāĻ¤ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻā§°ā§āĨ¤
Q12. What happens on leeward side ? Leeward side-āĻ¤ āĻāĻŋ āĻšāĻ¯āĻŧ ?
A. Heavy rain B. Snowfall C. Dry conditions D. Flood
Ans: C. Dry conditions
Explanation: It receives little or no rainfall. : āĻŦā§āĻ¯āĻžāĻā§āĻ¯āĻž: āĻāĻ¯āĻŧāĻžāĻ¤ āĻŦā§°āĻˇā§āĻŖ āĻ¨āĻžāĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤