How is the weather in the desert

Have you ever wondered what the weather is like in the desert? These places experience the highest and lowest temperatures on the entire planet Earth. These temperatures are so extreme that very few living beings can survive there. Furthermore, rainfall in the desert is very scarce, so much so that years may pass before a drop falls. No human being could survive long in these places without proper protection. Let's learn more about these curious sites.

Types of desert

When we speak of »desert» we immediately think of the Sahara desert or Sonora, but in reality there are several types.

Hot desert

Within the group of types of hot desert we find:

• Middle latitudes: These are located between the parallels 30° N and 50° N, and between 30° S and 30° S. They are found in subtropical high-pressure zones, far from the oceans. Temperatures vary considerably throughout the year. Examples of this type would be Sonora in North America, or Tengger in China, where desert climate conditions are quite evident.
• Coastal: They are located near the edges of the continents between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. They are characterized by being very unstable, as they are highly influenced by ocean currents. An example is the Atacama Desert in Chile, which is the driest place on Earth, with a minimum rainfall of 1 mm every 5 years due to the Humboldt Current.
• Monsoon: Monsoons develop due to temperature variations between the seas and the land surface. The southern trade winds of the Indian Ocean bring rain to India, but as they cross from southeast to northwest, they lose moisture, and by the time they reach the easternmost side of the Aravalii mountain range, they have none left. Examples of this type of desert are Rajasthan and Cholistan in India.
• Due to barriers to humid air: large mountainous barriers prevent the arrival of rain clouds, so that when the air rises, the rain falls and the air loses moisture, forming a warm desert in windward areas (that is, places where the wind blows). As examples we have the Cuyo desert in Argentina, or the Judea desert in Israel.
• Tropical: Tropical deserts are those located near the equator. They have formed thanks to the warming of the air in these regions. Trade winds cause any rain clouds that might arrive quickly to retreat, causing the ground temperature to rise rapidly. A clear example is the Sahara Desert, whose temperature can reach up to 57°C. If you want to learn more about the climate of the Sahara, you can read this article. article on arid climate.

Cold deserts

If we know that a desert is a place where there are practically no living beings, then inevitably we also have to mention the coldest parts of the planet. Thus we have:

• Cold desert area: as are the desert of Tibet, the Puna, or the Gobi.
• Polar zone: The poles cover almost 90 million km² of the globe. There are no sand dunes here, but snow dunes, which form at points where precipitation is most abundant. Between 2 and 100 mm of precipitation can be recorded annually. Temperatures always remain below 200°C. You can also learn more about the climate in the polar deserts in this article. link about the world's climates.

Who lives in deserts?

In this places they're very few those who dare to establish permanent residence. However, we will find some if we ever dare to visit these landscapes.

Fauna and flora of cold deserts

In cold deserts inhabit polar bears, penguins, musk ox, Wolves, snowy owl, Whales, seals, walruses, dolphins, and even some White shark can go through.

As for the flora, it is practically non-existent. There are no trees, only very short plants like grass, lichens, seaweed, mossIf you want to learn more about how plants survive in the desert, I recommend this one. article on plants in arid climates.

Fauna and flora of hot deserts

In hot deserts there is a slightly greater variety of fauna, and especially flora. The animals that live here are: snakes, lizards, beetles, ants, mice, foxes, camels, dromedaries, vultures, birds...

Despite the high temperatures recorded, the truth is that there is an interesting variety of plants: all kinds of cactus (among which the The giant carnage, better known by the name of Saguaro) and some crass (Lithops, Fenestraria, Argyroderma), resistant trees such as acacia tortilis or Balanites aegyptiaca, palms and Phoenix dactylifera (date palm) or the Nannorhops ritchiana.

What is desertification?

Since we are talking about deserts, what better way than to also talk about desertification. This is a current problem very seriousBecause of global warming and poor land use, many areas will sooner or later appear deserted.

Desertification is a process by which a soil goes from being productive, fertile, to not being so. Thus, little by little, it is losing its plants, which once helped prevent erosion by the force of the wind with their roots. If you want to learn more about how global warming affects deserts, you can check out this article. article on threatened deserts.

While there are many factors involved in the expansion of the desert, human action is one of the main, due to the inadequate management of the resources available to it. The desert is a splendid place, as long as they're natural and not "man-made," don't you think?