Lesson 1.1.3.1

1.1.3.1 How can dryland landscapes be viewed as systems? Quiz: OCR Geography, Unit 1

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 1.1.3.1, How can dryland landscapes be viewed as systems?: 20 multiple choice questions for the OCR Geography (H481), Unit 1: Landscape Systems, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What two variables are compared to calculate the UNEP Aridity Index?

    • Precipitation to PET
    • Temperature to PET
    • Precipitation to runoff
    • Infiltration to PET

  2. Under UNEP classification, what Aridity Index value defines a hyper-arid climate?

    • 0.05 to 0.20
    • Less than 0.05
    • Greater than 0.65
    • 0.20 to 0.50

  3. What UNEP Aridity Index range characterises a semi-arid environment?

    • 0.50 to 0.65
    • 0.20 to 0.50
    • Less than 0.05
    • 0.05 to 0.20

  4. In a dryland landscape system, solar radiation and wind are classified as what?

    • Geomorphic processes
    • Energy inputs
    • Sediment stores
    • Material outputs

  5. Which of the following represents an output from a dryland landscape system?

    • Windblown sediment loss
    • Solar radiation
    • Tectonic uplift
    • Precipitation input

  6. Which physical factor causes south-facing slopes in the Northern Hemisphere to be warmer and drier?

    • Bedrock structure
    • Relief aspect
    • Global latitude
    • Geological lithology

  7. Which primary weather variable supplies energy for aeolian erosion in drylands?

    • Soil moisture
    • Relative humidity
    • Geothermal heat
    • Wind velocity

  8. What primary climatic condition limits free liquid water in polar dryland systems?

    • Below-freezing temperatures
    • High wind speeds
    • Extreme solar energy
    • Thick vegetation cover

  9. What climatic effect creates drylands on the sheltered side of mountain ranges?

    • Continentality effect
    • Rain shadow effect
    • Hadley cell subsidence
    • Coriolis effect

  10. Which global atmospheric circulation cell causes dry sinking air around 30 degrees latitude?

    • Walker circulation
    • Hadley cell
    • Polar cell
    • Ferrel cell

  11. How does high bedrock permeability affect surface water availability in dryland systems?

    • Reduces surface runoff
    • Increases surface storage
    • Prevents infiltration
    • Increases flash flooding

  12. What term describes the balance between sediment inputs, throughputs, and outputs in a dryland?

    • Energy flux
    • Sediment budget
    • Mass balance
    • Aridity index

  13. If sediment inputs exceed sediment outputs in a dryland system, the sediment budget is what?

    • Dynamic equilibrium
    • Negative
    • Positive
    • Zero net flow

  14. Which category of dryland landscape includes cold, high-altitude desert plateaus like Tibet?

    • Tropical drylands
    • Semi-arid scrublands
    • Polar and alpine
    • Low-latitude deserts

  15. Daily temperature swings causing rock surface expansion and contraction represent which process type?

    • Aeolian transfer
    • Physical weathering process
    • Chemical output
    • Fluvial deposition

  16. A desert receives 100mm annual rain and has 1000mm PET. What is its Aridity Index?

    • 0.01
    • 10.0
    • 0.10
    • 1.0

  17. High evaporation rates causing salt crystal growth in rock pores rely on which microclimatic input?

    • Low wind speed
    • High solar radiation
    • High soil moisture
    • Low altitude

  18. Which dryland landscape zone typically receives 250mm to 500mm of annual rainfall?

    • Polar dryland
    • Hyper-arid
    • Semi-arid
    • Arid

  19. How does a high density of bedrock joints affect weathering rates in drylands?

    • Blocks moisture infiltration
    • Stops thermal expansion
    • Prevents chemical weathering
    • Increases surface area

  20. A dryland system maintaining a stable average state despite temporary fluctuations exhibits what state?

    • Static stability
    • Positive feedback
    • Negative system drift
    • Dynamic equilibrium

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