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A desert is a landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions create unique biomes and ecosystems. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation .
Most desert/arid climates receive between 25 and 200 mm (1 and 8 in) of rainfall annually, [2] [3] although some of the most consistently hot areas of Central Australia, the Sahel and Guajira Peninsula can be, due to extreme potential evapotranspiration, classed as arid with the annual rainfall as high as 430 millimetres or 17 inches.
Low levels of humidity in hot deserts contribute to high daytime temperatures, and extensive night time heat loss. The average annual temperature in hot deserts is approximately 20 to 25 °C, however, extreme weather conditions can lead to temperatures ranging from -18 to 49 °C. Rainfall generally occurs, followed by long periods of dryness.
On the leeward side of mountains, desert climates can exist due to the dry air caused by compressional heating. Most precipitation occurs within the tropics and is caused by convection. [3] Precipitation is a major component of the water cycle, and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the planet.
As much as 45% of the annual rainfall across New Mexico occurs during the summer monsoon. [33] Many desert plants are adapted to take advantage of this brief wet season. Because of the monsoons, the Sonoran and Mojave are considered relatively "wet" when ranked among other deserts such as the Sahara. Monsoons play a vital role in managing ...
Definition of Desert – That area of the earth where the sum of rain and snowfall is much less than other areas, where the annual average rainfall is less than 25CM. Definition by UNO (1995) – Land degradation in barren, humid and sub-humid areas due to climate change and human activities is called desertification.
The Nama Karoo in South Africa is a xeric shrubland that receives between 100 and 500 millimetres (4 and 20 in) of rain a year. [3]The conversion of productive drylands to desert conditions, known as desertification, can occur from a variety of causes.
Most of these areas receive over half their annual precipitation from the monsoon. [3] Many desert plants are adapted to take advantage of this brief wet season. Because of the monsoons, the Sonoran and Mojave are considered relatively "wet" when ranked among other deserts such as the Sahara, and helps fuel the Chihuahuan Desert's extreme ...