Hot deserts
AQA GCSE Geography revision on Hot deserts. Aligned to the AQA GCSE Geography 8035 specification. This bank has 10 practice questions on this topic.
Sample questions (3 of 10)
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Question 1
Which latitudinal zone are most of the worlds hot deserts located in?
- A) Equatorial
- B) Horse latitudes
- C) Polar circles
- D) Temperate zones
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Answer: Horse latitudes
This area is known as the horse latitudes or the subtropical high-pressure belt. In this region, air sinks towards the ground, which prevents cloud formation and leads to consistently dry, hot conditions.
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Question 2
What is the name of the process where dry, bare soil is blown away by the wind in desert environments?
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Answer: Deflation
As the wind picks up fine material like sand and silt, it leaves behind larger, heavier rocks. This process can lead to the formation of desert pavements or stony surfaces known as regs.
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Question 3
Which of these is a structural adaptation of a cactus to survive in a hot desert?
- A) Broad leaves to catch sunlight
- B) Deep taproots reaching deep groundwater
- C) Spines instead of leaves to reduce transpiration
- D) Thin waxy skin to absorb more heat
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Answer: Spines instead of leaves to reduce transpiration
Broad leaves would lose too much moisture in the extreme heat. By using spines, the plant reduces its surface area, which helps it retain water during long periods of drought.
Want to test yourself on the remaining cards for this topic?
7 more questions on Hot deserts — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Geography spec.