Climate:
Deserts are dull and dry regions, receiving less than 10 inches of rain per year. Hot and Dry Deserts are warm throughout the fall and spring seasons and very hot during the summer. They have a strong tendency to lose water by evaporation. The winters usually have very little, if any, rainfall. A desert normally has less than an average 25 cm of precipitation per year. Cold Deserts have quite a bit of snow during winter and have short, moist and moderately warm summers.
Deserts are dull and dry regions, receiving less than 10 inches of rain per year. Hot and Dry Deserts are warm throughout the fall and spring seasons and very hot during the summer. They have a strong tendency to lose water by evaporation. The winters usually have very little, if any, rainfall. A desert normally has less than an average 25 cm of precipitation per year. Cold Deserts have quite a bit of snow during winter and have short, moist and moderately warm summers.
Temperature Range:
Hot and Dry Deserts temperature ranges from 20 to 25° C. The extreme maximum temperature for Hot Desert ranges from 43.5 to 49° C. Cold Deserts temperature in winter ranges from -2 to 4° C and in the summer 21 to 26° C a year.
Hot and Dry Deserts temperature ranges from 20 to 25° C. The extreme maximum temperature for Hot Desert ranges from 43.5 to 49° C. Cold Deserts temperature in winter ranges from -2 to 4° C and in the summer 21 to 26° C a year.
Where on Earth are deserts found?
Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's land surface. Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part of the world.
Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's land surface. Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn. Cold Deserts are near the Arctic part of the world.
Animals:
The major factor that determines the types of organisms that can live in a desert is the availability of water. Because the climate is extremely humid and dry, animals, not only need to be able to adapt to the heat, they need to be able to withstand long periods without water. Hot and Dry Deserts animals include small nocturnal carnivores. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. Some examples of these animals are borrowers, mourning wheatears, and horned vipers. Cold Deserts have animals like antelope, ground squirrels, jack rabbits, and kangaroo rats.
The major factor that determines the types of organisms that can live in a desert is the availability of water. Because the climate is extremely humid and dry, animals, not only need to be able to adapt to the heat, they need to be able to withstand long periods without water. Hot and Dry Deserts animals include small nocturnal carnivores. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles and birds. Some examples of these animals are borrowers, mourning wheatears, and horned vipers. Cold Deserts have animals like antelope, ground squirrels, jack rabbits, and kangaroo rats.
Plants:
Vegetation is very rare in Hot and Dry Deserts due to the lack of water. For all of these plants to survive, they have to have special adaptations. Some of the adaptations include the ability to store water for long periods of time and the ability to stand the hot climate. Cold Deserts produce more vegetation than Hot and Dry Deserts. Some examples of plants in a desert are the Agave Americana, Desert Spoon, Golden Barrel, Prickly Pear, Turpentine Bush, Prickly Pears and Brittle Bush.
Vegetation is very rare in Hot and Dry Deserts due to the lack of water. For all of these plants to survive, they have to have special adaptations. Some of the adaptations include the ability to store water for long periods of time and the ability to stand the hot climate. Cold Deserts produce more vegetation than Hot and Dry Deserts. Some examples of plants in a desert are the Agave Americana, Desert Spoon, Golden Barrel, Prickly Pear, Turpentine Bush, Prickly Pears and Brittle Bush.
Interesting facts about Deserts:
- The original meaning of the word desert is “an abandoned place”.
- The video game Mario Kart 64 features a track called 'Kalimari Desert', a reference to the Kalahari Desert found in Southern Africa.
- Only around 20% of the deserts on Earth are covered in sand.
- Deserts make up 20% of the land on Earth.
- Antarctica is a desert.