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Deserts
A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation
5,820 Questions
What is the size of the Outback Desert?
There is no single desert known as the "outback desert" in Australia. There are numerous deserts. The three largest deserts in Australia are:
Great Victoria Desert (Western Australia): 424,400 km2 (163,900 square miles)
Great Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 284,993 km2 (110,036 square miles)
Tanami Desert (Western Australia and Northern Territory): 184,500 km2 (71,235 square miles)
Each of these deserts is either in or primarily in Western Australia, in the western third of the continent.
The Nullarbor Plain is an arid, limestone region extending for some 270,000 square km above the Great Australian Bight. Nothing is cultivated there, and in many respects its aridness places it within the category of desert, but there is little (if any) sand there.
Other deserts include -
Simpson Desert (Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia): 176,500 km2 (68,145 square miles)
Gibson Desert (Western Australia): 156,000 km2 (60,230 square miles)
Little Sandy Desert (Western Australia): 111,500 km2 (43,050 square miles)
Strzelecki Desert (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia): 80,250 km2 (30,985 square miles)
Sturt Stony Desert (South Australia): 29,750 km2 (11,485 square miles)
Tirari Desert (South Australia): 15,250 km2 (5,890 square miles)
Pedirka Desert (South Australia): 1,250 km2 (480 square miles)
What is the average temperature of the Taklamakan Desert?
The maximum annual temperature range average of 70 °F (39 °C). rising to as much as 100 °F (38 °C) in summer and the lowest temperature reached in winter generally falls below −4 °F (−20 °C).
Do any people live in the Simpson desert?
Many People believe that Aboriganals live in the Simpson Desert, animals and park rangers live there and also Aboriganals.
How many animal species live in the desert?
Amphibians
Sonoran Desert Toad
Arthropods
Arizona Bark Scorpion
Black Widow Spider (Western)
Birds
Cactus Wren
Greater Roadrunner
Lappet-Faced Vulture
Ostrich
Mammals
Caracal
Black-Tailed Jackrabbit
Fennec Fox
Kangaroo Rat
Meerkat
Pronghorn
Spotted Hyena
Dama Gazelle
springbok
Dorcas gazelle
African hedgehogs
Jackals
Hyena
Reptiles
Sidewinder Rattlesnake
Texas Banded Gecko
Texas Horned Lizard
And don t forget about beetles and ants
What does rainshadow have to do with desert formation?
Mountains block moisture from crossing into the leeward side, forcing most rain to fall on the windward side of the mountain. The leeward side is considered as a desert.
Why are deserts found in Africa?
On the boundary of the tropics, air is sinking so carries little moisture, forming deserts. In the actual tropics, air rises and carries a great deal of humidity into the atmosphere that falls back to earth as rain.
How did people get water in the desert?
From my viewing of the movie Home, I understand that people in the Middle East and desert areas in general dig wells for water. Apparently there are vast reservoirs of water deep under the surface of the Earth. Unfortunately, according to the movie, these source of water are depleting rapidly and will pose a problem to the people there in the near future.
What will eat a cactus in the desert ecosystem?
Very few cacti are eaten as many have toxic qualities that make them unpalatable. One cactus that is popular, especially in times of drought, is the prickly pear. They will be consumed by javelinas, rabbits, deer, pronghorns, desert bighorns, some small rodents as well as tortoises.
Which deserts are located in Chile?
The large desert in northern Chile is the Atacama Desert. The Atacama is the driest non-polar desert in the world.
Are South American deserts located on the west coast?
Two South American deserts are located on the west coast of that continent - the Atacama and the Sechura Deserts. Other deserts are located in the interior or on the Caribbean coast.
How do humans impact the saguaro desert?
Humans have an inconsistent impact upon Saguaro National Park. On the one hand, they show respect for such plants as the saguaro cactus but on the other they use off-roading vehicles which end up killing camoflaged, slow-moving populations of Sonoran desert lizards and tortoises.
What are some adjective that describe desert?
Desert: harsh, dry, arid, sparse, severe, hot
Rock: sharp, rough, jagged, angular
Grasses: windblown, bent, dry, pale green, brown
Sand: coarse, fine, glittering, shifting, rippling, sifting, white, golden
Sky: pale, intense, cloudless, azure, purple, crimson
Cactus: tall, short, spiny, prickly, thorny
Date palm: tall, bent, leather (leaves), frayed (leaves)
No.
Illinois was mostly prairie. Now it is mostly farmland and urban areas. There is no deserts in Illinois.
When does the desert bloom in California?
The peak months for desert blooms in California are February through June. Blossoms are dependent on having received enough rain and not too much wind during the early winter.
Are badlands and deserts the same?
Badlands have many definitions. Some feel all deserts are badlands. However, there are some regions called badlands that are not in the desert. Badlands is a bad term as deserts are not bad. Deserts have many beautiful areas and provide a variety of natural resources for man. Deserts provide habitat for numerous species of plants and animals.
Is that true all deserts have little rain?
sand does not obsord mosture therefore when the heat stikes there is no precipitation coming out of the ground or *steam* which goes up in the atmosphere or *sky* and builds pressure until the rain drops. the answer why there is not much rain, is no vegetation nor grass/soil is there to build up moisture so its too dry to go through the *water cycle* which is whats required to have rain
Does the temperate climate have a desert?
A temperate desert is also known as a cold winter desert. While summers can be quite hot, winter temperatures can be bitterly cold. Examples are the Gobi Desert, the Patagonian Desert and the Great Basin Desert
What is the northernmost desert in the world?
The Gobi Desert of China and Mongolia is the northernmost desert.
What is the earth's coldest desert?
The Antarctic is the coldest desert on earth. Temperatures sometime plunge well below minus 100 degrees F.
Which desert has the most sand?
The Rub al Khali, or Empty Quarter, of the Arabia Desert is the largest expanse of desert sand in the world.
Animals in the coastal desert?
There are many animals to be found in the desert such as cougars, jackrabbits, coyotes, armadillos, scorpions, snakes and camels. Some animals may restrict their activity to the cooler mornings and evenings. Some may burrow underground to avoid heat.
