What is a simple definition of a desert?
The simple definition of a desert is a particular arid or dry geographical location that produces little plant or animal life. These regions receiv...
Where are deserts located geographically?
Deserts are geographically located largely between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn where sunlight at some point in the year is at...
Is Antarctica a desert?
Antarctica is a desert. Antarctica is considered a polar desert. It is also the largest desert in the world covering over 14,000,000 square kilomet...
Why do deserts exist?
Interior Deserts. Interior desert s, which are found in the heart of continents, exist because no moisture-laden winds reach them. By the time air masses from coastal areas reach the interior, they have lost all their moisture. Interior deserts are sometimes called inland deserts.
How much of the world is covered by deserts?
Although the word “desert” may bring to mind a sea of shifting sand, dune s cover only about 10 percent of the world’s deserts. Some deserts are mountainous.
What is the largest desert in the world?
The world’s largest hot desert, the Sahara, is a subtropical desert in northern Africa. The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the entire continental United States. Other subtropical deserts include the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa and the Tanami Desert in northern Australia. Coastal Deserts.
How much precipitation does a desert receive?
Most experts agree that a desert is an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year. The amount of evaporation in a desert often greatly exceed s the annual rainfall. In all deserts, there is little water available for plants and other organisms.
What causes subtropical deserts?
Subtropical Deserts. Subtropical desert s are caused by the circulation patterns of air mass es. They are found along the Tropic of Cancer, between 15 and 30 degrees north of the Equator, or along the Tropic of Capricorn, between 15 and 30 degrees south of the Equator.
What are the adjectives for deserts?
People often use the adjectives “hot,” “dry,” and “empty” to describe deserts, but these words do not tell the whole story. Although some deserts are very hot, with daytime temperature s as high as 54°C (130°F), other deserts have cold winters or are cold year-round. And most deserts, far from being empty and lifeless, ...
Where does water come from in the desert?
Rain is usually the main source of water in a desert, but it falls very rarely. Many desert dwellers rely on groundwater, stored in aquifer s below the surface. Groundwater comes from rain or other precipitation, like snow or hail. It seeps into the ground, where it can remain for thousands of years.
What latitudes are deserts located in?
The latitudes between 30 degrees north and 30 degrees south are geographical regions that receive direct sunlight at some point during the year. These regions may be more likely to produce the arid conditions associated with a desert due to evaporation; therefore, most deserts exist in these regions. However, the most significant desert landscape by square kilometers exists in Antarctica and the Arctic North.
What is the desert?
A desert is a geographical location that receives little precipitation (22 cm per year) and provides harsh, specialized conditions for organisms living there. The lack of precipitation results in a particularly arid climate with little vegetation to help protect the ground and surface from weathering and erosion. The lack of vegetation means limited food sources for animals that live in the desert. Overall, deserts tend to have the smallest populations of organisms and the least amount of biodiversity. Additionally, the plant and animal life that thrive in desert regions has specific adaptations to that climate. Now, what regions on Earth produce these circumstances? What are some desert locations?
Why are polar deserts so cold?
This is because the air gets too cold at the highest latitudes to carry moisture. This, therefore, means there is virtually no precipitation (rain or snow).
Why do deserts have low precipitation?
The latitudes that result in low precipitation circumstances due to direct sunlight or extreme lack of direct sunlight aren't the only circumstances that can create a desert. Hot deserts result from lots of direct sunlight, limiting the number of water bodies far inland and away from oceans. In addition, hot deserts have high temperatures in the summer, which contributes to greater evaporation. The hot temperature also results in strong winds, which contribute to further variation in precipitation. Though these regions have little to no precipitation, they can still experience flash floods due to extremely rare or seasonal storms.
Why are deserts hot?
This is because solar radiation, bodies of water, the atmosphere, and the geological landscape all play a part in the formation of a desert.
How does desert formation occur?
Desert formation can occur through varying contributing factors as long as they result in an arid or dry climate. This all depends on the interactions between the hydrosphere (i.e., water systems on Earth), geosphere (i.e., the landscape and geography), the atmosphere (e.g., global patterns in air circulation), and even the biosphere (e.g., how lack of vegetation contributes to further aridity).
Where are hot deserts located?
These regions exist mainly in the tropics around the Equator, the Tropics of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. Tropic of Cancer is the northernmost latitude line at 23.5 degrees from the Equator that can receive direct sunlight at some point in the year (when the Sun is directly overhead at noon). The Tropic of Capricorn is a latitude line 23.5 degrees south of the Equator. The Sun never rises directly overhead in any region outside the tropics. Therefore, the regions between these latitudes are the only regions to receive direct sunlight, which contributes to faster evaporation rates, making these regions abundant with hot deserts. Hot deserts include examples like the Sahara in Africa and the desert land that occupies Arizona in the United States.
How much rainfall does a desert get?
Desert and Xeric Shrublands. Deserts and xeric, or dry, shrublands rarely receive more than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rainfall annually. These bone-dry ecosystems have an abundance of life and are characterized by flatlands, rolling sand dunes, and cactus forests. ShareTweetEmail.
Where did meteorites come from?
Meteorites from Mars traced back to a volcanic behemoth
Which continent has the most deserts?
Asia is the largest continent by total land area. The continent experiences varied climate ranging from wet in the southeast to dry in most of the interior. Asia is known for some of the largest deserts in the world, including: the Gobi desert, which extends from China to Mongolia; the Karakum Desert, which covers most of Turkmenistan; the Kyzylkum Desert, which crosses over Kazakhstan into Uzbekistan; the Takla Makan Desert; and the Thar Desert, which covers much of India and Pakistan. China has the highest number of deserts (13), followed by Pakistan (11) and Kazakhstan (10). Other countries in Asia that have deserts include Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kyrgyzstan, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Syria, and Oman.
What are the different types of deserts?
Given their diversity, deserts are divided into several groups including sub-tropical deserts, cold winter deserts, polar deserts, and cool coastal deserts. The Arctic and Antarctic deserts are the largest in the world. Here are some of the countries that are ...
What is the desert in Mongolia?
The Gobi Desert in Mongolia. A desert is an area that receives less than 10 inches of precipitation annually and experiences high temperatures, with conditions ranging from extremely arid to semi-arid. Deserts cover approximately 30% of the Earth’s surface.
How many deserts are there in Australia?
Australia. Australia has several deserts due to its unique geographical characteristics and climate. Over 60% of the continent is arid. Australia has 10 major deserts: the Great Victoria Desert, the Tirari Desert, the Tanami Desert, the Great Sandy Desert, the Pedirka Desert, the Simpson Desert, the Little Sandy Desert, the Strzelecki Desert, ...
What are the major deserts in South America?
The Atacama Desert occupies about 105,000 square miles across Peru and Chile. Other major deserts in South America include the Sechura Desert, the Monte Desert, and the La Guajira Desert, which covers part of Colombia and Venezuela.
What are the three deserts in Africa?
Africa has three major deserts as well as various smaller deserts distributed across several countries. The major deserts of Africa include the Sahara, which is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest by surface area. It covers an area of approximately 3.6 million square miles, which is about 31% of Africa. It is shared by nine countries including Chad, Mali, Algeria, Niger, Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, and Sudan. The Namib Desert has the highest dunes in the world. It covers three countries, namely Namibia, South Africa, and Angola. The Kalahari Desert covers approximately 350,000 square miles and crosses Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. Other African countries with deserts include Eritrea, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Kenya.
Why are deserts important?
Significance of Deserts. Although deserts are characterized by harsh climates, they are also important. Deserts are important sources of sand for construction, and significant amounts of oil can also be found underneath many deserts, especially in Asia. Deserts are also habitats for several species of plants and animals.
What Are Coastal Deserts?
As the name implies, coastal deserts are deserts stretching along the sea coast. They are one of the four major types of deserts. Their nearness to the sea gives them unique properties not found in deserts elsewhere. Such deserts are usually found on the western edges of continents with cold ocean currents running parallel to the coast. As the cold currents cool the air above, the air is unable to hold moisture and most of it falls as rain on the sea before it reaches land. Thus, the land alongside the coast with cold ocean currents receives little or no precipitation and turns into a desert.
What is the driest desert in the world?
Image credit: JTav/Shutterstock.com. Another example of a coastal desert, the Atacama Desert extends for around 1,600 km along the Pacific Ocean coast in South America to the west of the Andes Mountains. After the polar deserts, it is the driest desert in the world.
What is the name of the desert that runs parallel to the coast?
A highway running through the coastal Namib Desert. Image credit: Lukas Bischoff Photograph/Shutterstock.com. Coastal deserts are one of the four major types of deserts. Such deserts are usually found on the western edges of continents with cold ocean currents running parallel to the coast. The Namib Desert of Africa and Atacama Desert ...
How much rainfall does the desert get?
The summer temperatures range from 13°C to 24°C, with 35°C being the highest ever experienced in the coastal deserts. An average of 13cm of rainfall is known to occur annually. Despite being near water sources, these deserts remain notably dry because most precipitation occurs in the ocean with negligible amounts of moisture reaching land.
What are the characteristics of coastal deserts?
These deserts have more porous soils characterized by a moderate texture and salt content. Another unique feature of coastal deserts is the formation of heavy fogs in winter. Upwelling cold currents lead to the formation of such fogs often blanketing the desert and blocking solar rays from reaching the sands.
What is the temperature of the desert in Namibia?
Skeleton coast, Namibia. Image credit: Kertu/Shutterstock.com. Coastal deserts have moderately brief winter seasons whose temperatures are 5°C and below, with the lowest recorded temperature being -4°C. The summer temperatures range from 13°C to 24°C, ...
What animals live in the coastal desert?
Coastal deserts support mammals like coyotes, gemsbok, Grant's golden mole, etc. Many species of reptiles and lizards are found including venomous snakes like Peringuey's adder. It also hosts birds like golden eagles, Karoo bustard, great horned owls, and others. Amphibians and invertebrate species also live in these deserts.
