Q. Consider the following statements regarding the physical typologies of global deserts:
1.Salt deserts, geomorphically classified as salt pans, consist of high-salinity flat surfaces formed by intense evaporation of enclosed drainage basins.
2.The Great Rann of Kutch, located in western India, is recognized as the largest salt desert surface area in the world.
3.The Ar Rub’ al Khali, which covers a massive portion of the Arabian Peninsula, is the largest continuous sand desert on Earth.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: B
Notes:
Detailed Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: Salt deserts or salt flats form in arid endorheic basins (internal drainage systems) where water accumulates but cannot drain out. High evaporation rates leave behind heavy crusts of minerals and salts.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: While the Great Rann of Kutch is a massive salt desert and India’s prime example, the Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia is the largest salt desert/pan in the world (~10,000 square kilometers).
- Statement 3 is correct: The Ar Rub’ al Khali (The Empty Quarter) is hyper-arid and constitutes the largest continuous body of sand dunes (erg topography) globally.
