About 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, and the remaining 29% is land.There are four different types of lands or biomes, and the desert biome is one of them. The word desert’ is derived from the Latin word ‘dessertus’ meaning ’left to waste’.The literal meaning of ‘desert’ is an abandoned place. Deserts are areas with little to no rainfall. They are arid or semi-arid regions. Deserts were formed when global climates experienced continuous cooling and aridification 65.5 million years ago during the Cenozoic era. There are many types of deserts. Arid deserts, semiarid deserts, subtropical deserts, and cold deserts are some of the few types. Deserts are not as plain as they look. Just like all other places, they also support life. Palm trees and elephant trees are some of the more popular desert plants. Camels and spiders are the most common desert animals. Deserts have minor water sources called oasis. Despite the harsh climatic conditions, deserts are also popular tourist spots. They are mostly visited between October-March.How deserts are formed?Deserts are formed by a combination of factors. They are formed because of the weather and lack of rain. Weathering is a process in which factors like the wind, air, plants, and animals contribute to the deterioration or erosion of rock and sand particles. The reason for the lack of rain varies depending on the type of dessert.There are five main types of deserts, namely arid (hot and temperate deserts), coastal deserts, rain shadow deserts, polar deserts (cold deserts), and interior deserts.Arid Desserts: The subtropical desert or arid desert is formed by the fluctuation in the movement of air masses. Since the sun’s rays hit the earth’s equator directly at a greater altitude, the air near the equator is hot. This hot and humid air flows into the upper parts of the atmosphere. Throughout the journey, this air condenses. It loses its water, which results in tropical rains. It drifts away from the equator as cold and dry air. Once this air enters the tropics, it reaches the lower levels of the atmosphere and is heated once again. This disrupts the formation of clouds. As a result, the areas do not receive rain, leaving them dry and scorching. The Mojave Desert in California and the Kalahari Desert in Africa are examples of arid deserts.Costal Deserts: As the name suggests, these deserts are found in coastal areas along the western edges of continents and are created by strong water currents. When the chilly water in the ocean comes into contact with the air that is moving in the direction of the sea, it cools the air. This results in fog formation. The fog creeps over the ground but does not cause rain due to the absence of atmospheric shifts. Atacama Desert in Chile and the Namib Desert in southwestern Africa are examples of coastal deserts.Rainshadow Deserts: These deserts are formed due to the hindrance in cloud formations created when humid air collides with mountain ranges. As the humid air moves to the top of the mountain range, it condenses. This air loses its moisture as it travels on the slopes, and, by the time it reaches the ground, it becomes warm and hinders cloud formation. For example, the Chihuahua desert in North America and the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.Polar Deserts: Unlike other deserts, polar deserts, also known as cold deserts, actually have lots of water. This water, however, is confined to glaciers and ice caps, making it inaccessible to desert plants and animals. Hence, the arid environment persists.Interior Deserts: These deserts only receive hot air. The water-laden air travels a long distance before reaching the core of continents, hence losing moisture. For example, the Gobi Desert, which lies between China and Mongolia, is several kilometers away from the ocean.Environmental Characteristics of DesertSparse vegetation and low rainfall are the two major characteristics of deserts. Deserts only get 10 in (250 ml) of rainfall each year with the maximum annual precipitation being 18 in (46 cm). This is why we rarely see a water source in deserts. Low rainfall and erosion inhibit and slow down plant growth in desert regions.When we say deserts, you are probably imagining a scorching area. This is true; however, it is not always like this. The temperature in deserts fluctuates greatly. The nights are extremely cold, whilst the days are extremely hot and dry. In deserts, the summer temperatures are 70–79 F (21-26 C F) and the winter temperatures can be between 31–39 F (minus 2-4 C). You are also constantly interrupted by the harsh winds of the desert. The velocity of desert winds is quite high and can be up to or over 70 mph (112.6 kph). Deserts have thin and rocky soil. It has low nitrogen and is dry. One common thing about all the different types of deserts is that they are all dry. The number of sunshine hours in deserts is quite high. Deserts have around 3600-4000 sunshine hours each year. Deserts lack biological soil.What do deserts look like?To most people, deserts are plain-looking gray areas. But to others, the unusual desert landscape and desert biome are fascinating.Deserts are barren lands with many sand dunes and rocks. Though they may look like they are devoid of living organisms, they still act as a habitat for a large number of desert animals and plants. The desert soils come in multiple textures depending on the type of dessert.Other Facts About DesertsHot deserts have the strongest sun rays. The Lut Desert, or the Dasht-e Lut, and the Sahara Desert are some of the largest hot deserts in the world.There are deserts in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These deserts are called ‘cold deserts’. The Antarctic desert is the largest cold desert in the world.The animals living in deserts have several adaptations to survive the aridity. The Namib desert rain frog can stay buried in desert sands for a long time.Many desert animals have fascinating ways of quenching their thirst. For instance, desert lizards have a special adaptation. They have a layer of keratinous scales. When they get wet in the rain, these scales trap and store water.Desert birds use a special technique to maintain low temperatures in these arid regions. They achieve this by evaporative cooling, which is a process in which the water in the respiratory tract of these birds evaporates through their skin, helping them cool down their bodies.Almost all major deserts have rainfall. Desert rainfall is seasonal and unpredictable. Of all the biomes, the desert biome receives the lowest amount of rainfall.Most deserts are located in China. Over 15% of China is covered by the desert biome.The Sahara Desert in North Africa is the largest desert in the world. In the cold winters, the desert also experiences snowfall. However, this is extremely rare. So far, only three snowfall incidents have been recorded in this hot desert. The smallest desert in the world is the Carcross Desert in Canada.When compared to all other deserts, the Sonoran Desert in Mexico receives the highest rainfall. The Atacama Desert in Chile is the driest of all deserts. Parts of the desert have never received rainfall.The desert biome spreads over one-fifth of the total area of the earth’s land surface. Deserts actually cool the earth’s surface. They reflect solar radiation instead of absorbing it. By doing this, they eliminate heat from the earth’s surface and atmosphere. Deserts are pretty useful. They not only cool the planet, but they also help to generate vital minerals like borates and gypsum. Of the 15 mineral deposits in the world, deserts have 13 of them.Around one-sixth of the world’s population, which is over 1 billion people, inhabits deserts. The Thar Desert in India is the most populated desert in the world.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for characteristics of the desert, then why not take a look at Arizona Cypress tree facts, or azurite facts?
About 71% of the earth’s surface is covered with water, and the remaining 29% is land.
