Arid climates are also known as desert climates. They are characterized by a scarcity of annual rainfall, typically around 300 mm. One of the main features of this climate is its high rate of evapotranspiration.
In this article we are going to tell you all the characteristics, origin, location, flora and fauna of the arid climate.
Key features
This is a type of climate where evapotranspiration is high. Evapotranspiration is simply the loss of moisture from a surface due to direct evaporation. In addition, there is the transpiration of water by plants in these areas. The sum of water evaporation and plant transpiration is known as evapotranspiration. This phenomenon causes the amount of precipitation to remain at very low levels throughout the year. This process can develop due to the topography of a region and the presence of cold ocean currents that limit evaporation and negatively impact humidity levels. All these factors create ecosystems known as coastal deserts. These areas are typically located near the tropics, roughly between 35 and 15 degrees latitude. Furthermore, these places are home to unique species of flora and fauna that have developed diverse adaptations to live in these extreme environments.
These deserts are usually referred to as they have a large amount of sand and very warm temperatures. However, an arid climate can also develop in cold places such as Antarctica and the northern arctic. And is that these places have very low levels of humidity. We remember that the humidity caused by evapotranspiration is the main characteristic that describes the arid climate.
In contrast, we see some desert regions with higher rainfall and humidity. These are more tropical areas that receive humid winds year-round. Rainfall in these places is sporadic and occurs in the form of thunderstorms. After this influx of precipitation, streams and soils often swell with water because they lack the capacity for drainage. This saturation only lasts for a few hours, as the water evaporates very easily and quickly.
Factors that determine arid climate
We are going to see which are the main factors that determine the existence of an arid climate in a region.
Lack of moisture
As we mentioned at the beginning, the lack of humidity is the most prominent characteristic of this type of climate. Indeed, these places are extremely dry. It's not just the soil that's dry due to the lack of rainfall, but the air is as well . Most regions have a high percentage of evaporation, exceeding that of precipitation. This leads to a continuous loss of moisture. Some of the world's hot deserts have a unique feature: their precipitation evaporates before reaching the ground. Although this happens most of the time, occasional downpours can lead to bursts of plant and animal life. This allows some areas to remain relatively inhospitable.
Hot and cold
Another characteristic of arid climates is the contrast between heat and cold. Some arid regions experience very cold winters but very hot summers. One example is the Sahara Desert, which experiences this type of climate year-round, while the Gobi Desert does have both seasons . Winter temperatures do not reach freezing. A traveler unprepared for these extreme conditions could die from heatstroke during the day or from hypothermia at night. For this reason, arid climates are considered dangerous for inexperienced travelers.
Evaporation greater than precipitation
In places where the arid climate predominates, evaporation is more frequent than precipitation. These result in the soils not being able to host the gestation of plant life. The amount of evaporation is usually up to 10 times greater than that of precipitation. This continuously makes the total humidity lower and lower.
Hot arid desert climate
The hot, desert climate is found in the subtropical ridge, and ecosystems develop in mid- to low-latitudes between 20 and 35 degrees . In these regions, air rises continuously and steadily. Furthermore, high pressure systems in these areas foster arid and hot conditions. The presence of this persistent high-pressure system creates a stable environment that prevents the arrival of storms.
The arid cold desert climate is located in those places with a notable altitude. For example, there is the Tabernas desert in AlmerÃa. Consequently, we have that the location of these climates does not depend so much on latitude but on altitude. On the other hand, we have deserts that are more likely to manifest themselves in those places that are further from the tropics. Usually these deserts are further from the equator.
Economic activities in arid climate
Keep in mind that the populations that develop around the arid climate need some different economic activities. The populations that inhabited these territories are particularly difficult to live with. The tail you have in these desert are scarce due to the extreme conditions that these natural environments imply.
Typically, a group of people tries to concentrate along the coasts and maintain proximity to oases and valleys formed by rivers. One of the main characteristics of these communities is that they are predominantly nomadic. This is because settling permanently in these harsh territories is difficult.