Introduction
Most people envision a desert as a sand-covered, hot, and dry region. However, there are also additional desert types. Any sizable area that receives relatively little rain annually is considered a desert. Desert regions support very few plant or animal species. There are several different definitions to describe a desert, but they are typically areas that receive extremely low amounts of rain. In a year, deserts generally receive less than 16in of rain. Deserts can be hot or freezing cold. In scorching deserts, summertime midday temperatures are frequently exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). Artic and Antarctic have cold deserts.
Desert
Features of Deserts
Deserts cover twenty percent of the territory on Earth. They are found on every continent. The land features of deserts vary widely. They could consist of mountains, bare rock, rocky plains, and moving dunes. Contrary to popular belief, dunes are not as common in deserts. For instance, they only account for 10% of the Sahara in northern Africa. Some deserts don't even have sand.
Different Types of Deserts
It can be hot or freezing in deserts. In scorching deserts, summertime midday temperatures are frequently exceeding 100 °F (38 °C). At night, the temperature lowers significantly. The Sahara is the biggest hot desert on earth. Other scorching deserts include those in the southwest of the United States and the Kalahari in southern Africa. The tropics are home to the majority of hot deserts. On either side of the equator is this strip of Earth.
Farther from the equator than hot deserts are cold deserts. Despite being extremely dry, the fact that it is so cold there is the main cause of the lack of plants there. Much of Antarctica is covered by a chilly dessert. An additional chilly desert is the Gobi in central Asia.
Gobi Desert
Interesting Facts about Desert
A total of one-third of the Earth's surface is deserted. Another meaning of the desert is abandoned land. Here are some amazing facts about deserts.
The Arctic and Antarctic are referred to as polar deserts.
20% of the total deserts have sand on their surfaces.
Cold deserts have a very low temperature in comparison to hot deserts and are covered with snow or ice.
The largest cold desert on Earth is Antarctica.
The largest hot desert on Earth is the Sahara.
Less than 40cm (16in) of rain falls on deserts on average each year.
One-third of the Earth's surface is barren land or desert land.
The word "desert" means an abandoned place.
Polar deserts are a term used to describe many of the ice-free areas of the Arctic and Antarctic.
Sand is only present in about 20% of the world's deserts.
When compared to "hot deserts" in hotter regions, locations covered with ice or snow are sometimes referred to as "cold deserts."
Antarctica is the world's biggest cold desert.
The Sahara is the world's biggest hot desert.
The Sahara Desert is in northern Africa and extends over 12 nations.
Although it is considerably smaller than the Sahara, the Arabian Desert in the Middle East is the second-largest hot desert on Earth.
Sahara Desert
Summary
Deserts are often found in regions with very little rainfall. Less than 40cm (16in) of rain falls on deserts on average each year. Deserts can experience extreme temperatures. A desert can be characterised in a variety of ways, but generally speaking, it refers to regions with very little rainfall.
Sand is only present in about 20% of the world's deserts. In contrast to "hot deserts" in warmer regions, regions covered in ice or snow are also referred to as "cold deserts."
FAQs on Desert Facts
1. Describe the life of the organisms living in a Desert.
Animals and plants in the desert have characteristics that enable them to endure in the harsh climate. Some plants have unique roots that enable them to absorb the meagre water supply. Desert plants like yuccas and cacti are widespread. Camels, gazelles, snakes, lizards, and tiny rodents are among the desert's fauna. Deserts are rarely inhabited.
The Tuareg of the Sahara, the San of the Kalahari, the Bedouins of the Middle East and North Africa, and the Aboriginal Australians are among the populations who do. In oases, a lot of desert residents reside. A desert oasis is a location with access to fresh water.
2. Write the names of some major deserts in the world.
Sahara, the Arabian Desert in the Mideast, is the second-largest hot desert on Earth. Other major deserts include the Syrian Desert in the Middle East, the Great Basin Desert in North America, the Kalahari Desert in Africa, the Gobi Desert in Asia, the Patagonian Desert in South America, and the Great Victoria Desert in Australia, and the Patagonian Desert in South America.
In the north of China and the south of Mongolia is where you may find the Gobi Desert. Desertification, a process that converts fertile fields into desert regions, is expanding quickly. Humans' logging of forests, droughts, climate change, and other environmental problems are the main causes.