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A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi-arid climates, depending on variables such as temperature, and they give rise to different biomes.
Like arid deserts, temperatures can vary greatly in semi deserts. They share some characteristics of a true desert and are usually located at the edge of deserts and continental dry areas. They usually receive precipitation from 250 to 500 mm (9.8 to 19.7 in) but this can vary due to evapotranspiration and soil nutrition.
The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification BWh and BWk) is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert climates are dry and hold little moisture, quickly evaporating the already little rainfall they receive.
The term steppe climate denotes a semi-arid climate, which is encountered in regions too dry to support a forest, but not dry enough to be a desert. [2] [3] Steppes are usually characterized by a semi-arid or continental [citation needed] climate. Temperature extremes can be recorded in the summer of up to 45 °C (115 °F) and in winter of down ...
Located just south of the Sahara is a narrow semi-desert steppe (a semi-arid region) called the Sahel, while Africa's most southern areas contain both savanna plains, and its central portion, including the Congo Basin, contains very dense jungle regions. The western equatorial region is the wettest portion of the continent.
If the annual precipitation is less than 50% of this threshold, the classification is BW (arid: desert climate); if it is in the range of 50%–100% of the threshold, the classification is BS (semi-arid: steppe climate). [9] [11] A third letter can be included to indicate temperature.
According to literature, arid and semi-arid lands are defined based on the characteristics of the climate. For instance, Mongi et al. (2010) consider semi-arid lands as places where the annual rainfall ranges between 500 and 800mm. [14]
The desert oasis city of Jubbah in Saudi Arabia as photographed from space. In ecology, an oasis (/ oʊ ˈ eɪ s ɪ s /; pl.: oases / oʊ ˈ eɪ s iː z /) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment [1] that sustains plant life and provides habitat for animals. Surface water may be present, or water may only be accessible from ...