AQA GCSE Geography · 3.1.2

Hot deserts

50 revision questions with answers for 3.1.2 Hot deserts in AQA GCSE Geography (spec 8035). Practise with flashcards, a topic quiz, a random quiz across the course, 5 crosswords, or read every question and answer below. Not official AQA material.

All 50 questions and answers

Question 1 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Where are the world's hot deserts located?
Answer:
Mostly between about 15 and 35 degrees north and south of the equator, for example the Sahara, Arabian, Kalahari, Australian and Sonoran deserts.
Question 2 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Describe the climate of a hot desert.
Answer:
Very low rainfall (less than 250 mm a year, often unreliable), very hot days (above 40 degrees C in summer) and cold nights, with clear skies and a big daily temperature range.
Question 3 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why does a hot desert have a large daily temperature range?
Answer:
Clear, cloudless skies let the strong sun heat the ground by day, but heat escapes quickly at night, so temperatures can fall close to freezing.
Question 4 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why are hot deserts so dry?
Answer:
Dry air sinks under high pressure at about 30 degrees. Other causes are being far from the sea, rain shadows behind mountains and cold offshore ocean currents.
Question 5 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Describe hot desert soils.
Answer:
Thin, sandy or stony, with very little humus. They are low in nutrients and often salty because water evaporates and leaves minerals behind.
Question 6 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Describe the vegetation of hot deserts.
Answer:
Sparse and widely spaced, with plants such as cacti, thorny shrubs and acacia trees that are adapted to drought. Many plants flower only after rain.
Question 7 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What does the landscape of a hot desert look like?
Answer:
Only about a fifth of the Sahara is sand dunes. Most is bare rock, gravel plains and dry river beds (wadis) that flood only after storms.
Question 8 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Where does water come from in a hot desert?
Answer:
Rare storms, exotic rivers such as the Nile, oases where groundwater reaches the surface, and aquifers deep underground.
Question 9 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Explain the interdependence of climate, water, soils, plants, animals and people in a hot desert.
Answer:
Low rainfall means little plant cover and thin soil, which limits animals. People depend on scarce water, oases and hardy animals such as camels.
Question 10 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How do desert plants adapt to the conditions?
Answer:
Long roots reach deep water or spread wide to catch rain, thick waxy stems store water, spines and small leaves cut water loss, and seeds stay dormant until it rains.
Question 11 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How is a cactus adapted to desert conditions?
Answer:
It stores water in its fleshy stem, has a waxy coating, spines instead of leaves to reduce water loss and shade the plant, and shallow wide roots to catch rain.
Question 12 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How do acacia trees and date palms survive in the Sahara?
Answer:
Acacias have very long roots that reach groundwater and small leaves. Date palms grow where groundwater is close to the surface, as at oases.
Question 13 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How do desert animals adapt to the conditions?
Answer:
Many are nocturnal or burrow to avoid the heat, get water from food, have light fur or skin, and lose heat through large ears or long limbs.
Question 14 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How is a camel adapted to the desert?
Answer:
Fat stored in the hump, wide feet that stop sinking in sand, long eyelashes and closable nostrils against sand, and the ability to drink a lot at once and lose little water.
Question 15 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How is a fennec fox adapted to the desert?
Answer:
Large ears radiate body heat, pale fur reflects sunlight, it is nocturnal, digs burrows to escape the heat, and gets moisture from its food.
Question 16 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How have people adapted to living in the desert?
Answer:
Nomadic groups such as the Tuareg move with camels and goats, wear loose layers to shield from sun and sand, and settle near oases to grow dates and crops.
Question 17 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What are the issues related to biodiversity in hot deserts?
Answer:
Species diversity is low but specialised. Food webs are simple and recovery is slow, so overgrazing, hunting and climate change can quickly threaten species such as the addax.
Question 18 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why are desert ecosystems fragile?
Answer:
Plants grow slowly, soils are thin, and water is scarce, so damage from vehicles, grazing or farming can take decades or longer to recover.
Question 19 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why do desert plants and animals often appear after rain?
Answer:
Seeds and eggs lie dormant for years. Rain triggers rapid germination and breeding, so a short burst of life follows a storm.
Question 20 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What is the role of oases in desert ecosystems?
Answer:
Places where groundwater reaches the surface allow trees, crops and wildlife to survive, and they are settlements and trading stops for people.
Question 21 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Case study: where is the Sahara and how big is it?
Answer:
The world's largest hot desert, across North Africa (including Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Mali, Niger and Chad). It covers about 9 million square kilometres.
Question 22 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What mineral extraction opportunities exist in the Sahara?
Answer:
Oil and gas in Algeria and Libya, phosphates in Morocco and Western Sahara, and uranium in Niger. They earn export income and create jobs.
Question 23 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What energy opportunities exist in hot deserts?
Answer:
Strong sun and flat land are ideal for solar power, for example the Noor Ouarzazate solar complex in Morocco, which can supply electricity locally and perhaps abroad.
Question 24 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What problems affect solar energy in the Sahara?
Answer:
Building and cleaning panels needs water and money, sand and dust reduce efficiency, power must be transmitted long distances, and some areas are politically unstable.
Question 25 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What farming opportunities exist in the Sahara?
Answer:
Irrigation using water from deep aquifers (such as Libya's Great Man-Made River) can grow dates, wheat and vegetables, giving food and jobs.
Question 26 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What problems does irrigated farming cause in deserts?
Answer:
Aquifer water is a non-renewable resource that is being used faster than it refills. Evaporation can leave salt on the soil (salinisation) and make it infertile.
Question 27 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What tourism opportunities exist in the Sahara?
Answer:
Dunes, wide landscapes, camel treks, oases and culture attract visitors to places such as Merzouga in Morocco. Tourism creates jobs and brings money.
Question 28 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What are the problems with tourism in the Sahara?
Answer:
Extreme heat, limited water for hotels, damage from vehicles and litter, and security concerns in some countries. Income can be seasonal and can leak abroad.
Question 29 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How do extreme temperatures make development challenging?
Answer:
Workers risk heat stress, machinery and vehicles overheat, buildings need cooling, and fuel and electricity costs are high.
Question 30 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does water supply make development challenging?
Answer:
Rivers are scarce and rainfall unreliable. Wells and pipelines are expensive, aquifers can run dry, and big water-using projects compete with homes and farms.
Question 31 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does inaccessibility make development challenging?
Answer:
Few roads and railways cross long distances of sand and rock, so transport, building and supplying services such as electricity and health care are costly.
Question 32 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why is it expensive to build infrastructure in deserts?
Answer:
Materials, water and workers must be brought long distances, sand can bury roads and pipelines, and extreme heat shortens the life of equipment.
Question 33 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How can water supply be improved in desert areas?
Answer:
Deep boreholes, pipelines from aquifers or rivers, desalination, drip irrigation, and recycling or careful use of water.
Question 34 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Evaluate hot desert development.
Answer:
It can provide energy, minerals, food and jobs, but water shortage, extreme heat, high costs and damage to fragile ecosystems limit what is possible and must be managed.
Question 35 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What is desertification?
Answer:
The process by which semi-arid land on the edge of a desert becomes degraded, losing vegetation and soil fertility until it becomes desert-like.
Question 36 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Which areas are at greatest risk of desertification?
Answer:
Fringes of hot deserts with low, unreliable rainfall, such as the Sahel south of the Sahara, parts of north-east Brazil and the edges of the Gobi.
Question 37 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What is the Sahel?
Answer:
A semi-arid belt across Africa south of the Sahara, from Senegal to Sudan, with a short rainy season, frequent drought, a fast-growing population and fragile soils.
Question 38 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does climate change cause desertification?
Answer:
Rising temperatures and falling or more erratic rainfall cause drought, so vegetation dies and soil dries out and is blown away.
Question 39 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does population growth cause desertification?
Answer:
More people need food, water and fuel, so land is farmed, grazed and cleared more intensively than it can sustain.
Question 40 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does the removal of fuelwood cause desertification?
Answer:
People cut trees and shrubs for cooking fuel. Without roots and cover, the soil dries and blows or washes away.
Question 41 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does overgrazing cause desertification?
Answer:
Too many cattle, goats and sheep eat the vegetation and trample the ground, leaving soil bare and open to wind and rain erosion.
Question 42 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does over-cultivation cause desertification?
Answer:
Growing crops year after year without rest uses up soil nutrients. The soil becomes thin and powdery, and is easily eroded.
Question 43 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does soil erosion cause desertification?
Answer:
When vegetation is lost, wind and occasional heavy rain strip away fertile topsoil, leaving land that is too poor to support plants.
Question 44 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why are desert margins so vulnerable?
Answer:
Rainfall is marginal and variable, soils are thin, and growing populations depend on farming and grazing, so a drought quickly turns into land degradation.
Question 45 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How can water management reduce desertification?
Answer:
Rainwater harvesting, zai planting pits, stone lines and small dams capture rain and let it soak in, and drip irrigation uses less water.
Question 46 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How can soil management reduce desertification?
Answer:
Adding compost and manure, crop rotation, leaving fields fallow, contour ploughing and terracing protect and restore soil.
Question 47 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How does tree planting reduce desertification?
Answer:
Trees act as windbreaks, roots bind soil, leaves add nutrients and shade reduces evaporation. The Great Green Wall aims to restore land across the Sahel.
Question 48 · Spec 3.1.2.3
What is the Great Green Wall?
Answer:
An African-led project across the Sahel that aims to restore around 100 million hectares of degraded land with trees and vegetation by 2030.
Question 49 · Spec 3.1.2.3
How can appropriate technology reduce desertification?
Answer:
Simple, cheap, locally made tools such as fuel-efficient stoves, solar cookers, hand-dug wells and drip kits reduce wood use and make water go further.
Question 50 · Spec 3.1.2.3
Why do community-led solutions often work best against desertification?
Answer:
Local people understand the land, can maintain simple methods and gain direct benefits, so projects are more likely to last.

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