Natural zone of deserts: characteristics, description and climate

Only the word "desert" evokes corresponding associations. This space, which is almost completely devoid of flora, has a very specific fauna, and is also in a zone of very strong winds and monsoons. The desert zone is about 20% of the world's land area. And among them there are not only sandy, but also snow, tropical and many others. Well, we will get to know this natural landscape more closely.

What is the desert?

This term corresponds to a flat terrain, a type that is homogeneous. Flora is almost completely absent, and the fauna has a very specific characteristic. The relief zone of the desert is a vast territory, most of which is in the tropical and subtropical belts of the Northern Hemisphere. The desert landscape also occupies a small part of South America and most of Australia. Among its features, besides the plains and plateaus, are also the arteries of parched rivers, or enclosed reservoirs, where previously there could be lakes. Also, the desert zone is a place where very little rain falls. On average, this is up to 200 mm per year, and in particularly arid and hot areas - up to 50 mm. There are also such regions of deserts, where precipitation does not fall for a decade.

Animals and plants

The natural zone of the desert is characterized by a completely sparse vegetation. Sometimes the distances between the bushes reach kilometers in length. The main representatives of the flora in this natural zone are thorny plants, only a few of which have the green foliage habitual for us. Animals that live on such lands are simple mammals or reptiles and reptiles that come here accidentally. If we are talking about the icy wilderness, then only animals live there that tolerate low temperatures well.

Climatic indicators

First, we note that the geological structure of the desert zone is no different, say, from the flat terrain in Europe or in Russia. And such severe weather conditions, which can be traced here, were formed because of the trade winds, which are characteristic of the tropical latitudes. They literally disperse the clouds over the terrain, preventing them from irrigating the land with sediments. So, in the climatic sense, the desert zone is a region with very sharp temperature changes. In the afternoon, because of the scorching sun, it can be as much as 50 degrees Celsius, and at night the thermometer will drop to a mark of +5. In the deserts that lie in the more northern belts (temperate and arctic), the daily temperature fluctuations have the same index - 30-40 degrees. However, in the daytime the air heats up to zero, and at night it cools down to -50.

Zone of semi-deserts and deserts: differences and similarities

In temperate and subtropical latitudes, any desert is always surrounded by a semi-desert. This is a natural area in which there are no forests, tall trees and conifers. All that is there is a flat terrain or plateau, which are covered with grasses and shrubs, unpretentious to weather conditions. A characteristic feature of the semi-desert is not aridity, but, in contrast to the desert, increased volatility. The amount of rainfall that falls on such a belt is sufficient for the full existence of any animals here. In the eastern hemisphere, semi-deserts are often called steppes. These are vast plains where you can often find very beautiful plants and see stunning landscapes. On the western continents, this territory is called savannah. Its climatic features are slightly different from the steppe, there are always strong winds, and even plants are much smaller.

The most famous hot deserts of the Earth

The zone of tropical deserts literally divides our planet into two parts - the Northern and Southern. Most of them are in the Eastern Hemisphere, and very few in the West. Now we will consider the most famous and beautiful similar zones of the Earth. The Sahara is the greatest desert of the planet, which occupies the whole of North Africa and many lands of the Middle East. Local residents it is divided into a number of "subsurface", among which Belaya enjoys popularity. It is located in Egypt and is famous for its white sands and extensive deposits of limestone. Along with it in this country there is also the Black one. Here the sands are mixed with a characteristic color stone. Red wide sandy expanses - the destiny of Australia. Among them, respect deserves a landscape called Simpson, where one can meet the highest dunes on the continent.

Arctic Desert

The natural zone, which is located on the northernmost latitudes of our planet, is called the Arctic desert. It includes all the islands that are in the Arctic Ocean, the extreme coasts of Greenland, Russia and Alaska. Throughout the year, a large part of this natural zone is covered with glaciers, because there are practically no plants here. Only in the territory that emerges to the surface in summer, grow lichens, mosses. On the islands you can find seaweed. Among the animals there are the following individuals: Arctic wolf, deer, Arctic foxes, polar bears - kings of this region. Near the waters of the ocean we see pinnipeds of mammals - seals, walruses, fur seals. The most common here are birds, which, perhaps, are the only source of noise in the arctic desert.

Climate of the Arctic

The ice zone of deserts is the place where the polar night and the polar day pass , which are comparable with the concepts of winter and summer. The cold season lasts about 100 days, and sometimes more. The air temperature does not rise above 20 degrees, and in especially harsh times there are -60. In summer the sky is always cloudy, it rains with snow and constant evaporation takes place, due to which the humidity of the air rises. The temperature in the summer days is about 0. As in the sand deserts, the winds are constantly blowing in the Arctic, which form storms and terrible blizzards.

Conclusion

On our planet there is a whole series of deserts that differ from sand and snow. It is salt space, Acatama in Chile, where a lot of flowers grow in an arid climate. Deserts can be found in Nevada, USA, where they resonate with the red canyons, creating unrealistically beautiful landscapes.