Q. Consider the following statements regarding the geological chronology and human-induced creation of deserts:
1.The Namib Desert in Southwestern Africa is geologically recognized as the oldest existing desert ecosystem on Earth.
2.The Sahara Desert is older than the Namib Desert, having maintained its hyper-arid status continuously for over 50 million years.
3.The Aralkum Desert is classified as the world’s newest desert, having formed entirely within the modern era on the dried bed of the Aral Sea.
4.The formation of the Aralkum Desert is a natural geological event caused by tectonic uplift along the borders of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer: A
Notes:
Detailed Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: The Namib Desert has experienced hyper-arid conditions for at least 55 to 80 million years, making it the oldest continuous desert on Earth.
- Statement 2 is incorrect: The Sahara is actually much younger geologically, having transitioned to a permanent desert state roughly 2 to 3 million years ago.
- Statement 3 is correct: The Aralkum Desert is the youngest desert on Earth. It sits on what was once the floor of the Aral Sea, drying up rapidly from the mid-20th century onward.
- Statement 4 is incorrect: The Aralkum is an anthropogenic (human-caused) desert, not a natural tectonic event. It was created because Soviet-era agricultural irrigation projects diverted the feeding rivers (Amu Darya and Syr Darya), leading to an ecological disaster that dried up the sea basin.
