Sediment sources, cells and budgets
Deserts gain and lose sediment in a measurable way. A sediment budget tracks where material comes from, how it moves, and where it ends up.
Real World
The Bodélé Depression in Chad, a dried-up lakebed, is Earth's single largest dust source, exporting an estimated 700,000 tonnes of sediment per year across the Atlantic to fertilise the Amazon rainforest.
Exam Focus
Use the terms 'source', 'transfer', and 'sink' explicitly when describing sediment movement — this mirrors mark-scheme language for systems questions.
Essay Framework
Use PEEL to structure every paragraph. Tap each step for guidance and an example.
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