Why do desert slopes tend to be steeper than slopes of humid regions?

What will be an ideal response?


Answer: Dryness and lack of vegetation makes desert slopes development much differently. The lack of water prevents soil creep which is a slope smoothing process. The lack of creep is aided by the lack of vegetation which maximizes runoff so as to minimize the soil water needed to lubricate creep.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

You might also like to view...

Different periods of the geologic time scale are different in length. Why?

A) The geologists who developed the time scale did not care about absolute ages. B) Early geologists made mistakes, but it was easier to retain the terminology in the time scale. C) The time scale was developed ad hoc, as a relative time scale based on rocks and fossil succession with no reference to absolute time when it was developed. D) None of the above

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What compound do astrobiologists consider to be the most essential for the evolution of life?

A) methane, CH4 B) water, H2O C) carbon dioxide, CO2 D) oxygen, O2

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Which numbered layer represents the oldest layer?

A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D. 4

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

The Lewis and Clark expedition, Zebulon Pike, and Clifford Sifton encouraged settlement in the Rocky Mountain region by ________

Fill in the blank(s) with correct word

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences