The Arid Regions/Deserts

21. The Atacama is located in - [Uttarakhand Lower Sub. (Pre) 2010]

(a) Asia
(b) South America
(c) Africa
(d) North America

Correct Answer: (b) South America

Solution:

The Atacama Desert, located in South America, is the driest place on the Earth. There are huge deposits of Sodium, Nitrate, copper and other minerals. This desert is stretched along northern Chile and Southern Peru and not in southern Chile.

22. The Driest place on earth is - [U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2009]

(a) Arabian desert
(b) Atacama desert
(c) Gobi desert
(d) Thar desert

Correct Answer: (b) Atacama desert

Solution:It is located in northern Chile, nestled between the Andes Mountains on the east and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It is the driest desert in the world. It forms a continuous strip for nearly 1,000 km along the narrow coast of the northern third of Chile. Argentina, Peru, and Bolivia border the Atacama Desert. It shows a unique combination of environmental extremes (extreme dryness, the highest UV radiation levels on Earth, and highly saline and oxidizing soils). Previously part of the Pacific Ocean seabed, the Atacama Desert landscape consists of caked salt deposits called playas, which stretch for miles and can be up to 1.6 feet thick in some places. It also hosts 12 volcanoes, mainly located in the western outliers of the Andes.

Source:- https://vajiramandravi.com/upsc-daily-current-affairs/prelims-pointers/atacama-desert/.

23. Which one of the following is a temperate desert ? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2011]

(a) Arabian Desert
(b) Atacama Desert
(c) Kalahari Desert
(d) Patagonian Desert

Correct Answer: (d) Patagonian Desert

Solution:Temperate desert is found between 30° to 60° latitudes. Deserts which come under the category of temperate deserts, are Gobi desert, Ladakh desert and Patagonia desert. It is known for its unique and diverse landscapes, including mountains, glaciers, grasslands, and deserts. One of the most fascinating aspects of Patagonia is the presence of a desert in the rain shadow of the Andes Mountains. The Patagonian Desert is characterized by its arid and barren landscape, with sparse vegetation and limited water sources. The average annual rainfall in this region is less than 250 millimeters, making it one of the driest areas in South America. The desert is also subject to strong winds, which further contribute to its harsh and inhospitable conditions.

24. Which of the following is not correctly matched? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016, U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]

Desert	Country
(a) Sonoran	United States of America
(b) Taklamakan	China
(c) Karakum	Turkmenistan
(d) Gibson	Brazil

Correct Answer: (d)

Solution:Gibson desert, an interim Australian bioregion, is a large desert that covers a large dry area in the State of Western Australia not in Brazil. Other options are correctly matched.

25. The largest desert of South Asia is: [U.P.P.C.S.(Pre) 1996]

(a) Atacama
(b) Colorado
(c) Kalahari
(d) Thar

Correct Answer: (d) Thar

Solution:Thar desert which is also known as 'Great Indian Desert'. It is the largest desert of South Asia. It stretches across North western India to South-East Pakistan. Location of the remaining deserts is as follows:

Desert	Country
Atacama Desert	Chile and Peru
Colorado Desert	U.S.A. and Mexico
Kalahari Desert	Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa