The lowest part of most bolsons is occupied by a landform called playa. Which category of landform formation does it represent?

The correct answer is Arid landforms.

Key Points

• Playa is a flat, dry lakebed found in the lowest part of most bolsons (desert basins) in arid regions.
• It forms due to the evaporation of water from seasonal lakes that rarely fill and quickly dry up in dry climates.
• Playa is a typical feature of arid landforms, which are shaped by processes in desert environments, including wind erosion, evaporation, and occasional flooding.
• Playa surfaces are typically covered by a crust of salt or minerals deposited by evaporating water, making them distinct from other landforms like fluvial or glacial types.

Additional Information

• Arid landforms are created in dry climates, where water scarcity and high evaporation rates dominate the landscape. Key examples include dunes, mesas, and playas.
• Bolsons are desert basins that accumulate water during rare rainstorms but evaporate quickly, leaving behind dry lakebeds or playas.
• Fluvial landforms are formed by the action of rivers and streams, such as valleys, riverbeds, and floodplains.
• Glacial landforms are shaped by the movement of glaciers and ice sheets, creating features like moraines, eskers, and fjords.
• Periglacial landforms are found in areas bordering glaciers, where freeze-thaw processes dominate, forming features such as frost polygons and ice wedges.
• Playas, by contrast, are more common in regions such as the Mojave Desert in the United States, and parts of the Atacama Desert in South America.