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Desert Characteristics & Definition
- Definition
- An area with an annual rainfall of less than 25 cm.
- Global Distribution
- Most hot deserts are located on the western margins of continents.
- They are typically found within the latitudes of 15° to 30° North and South.
- Formation Reasons
- Location within sub-tropical high-pressure cells (primary reason for the African and Eurasian desert belt).
- Trade winds blow from east to west and lose their moisture over continents, leading to aridity on western margins.
- Types
- Temperate Desert: Example – The Patagonian Desert.
Major Deserts of the World
- Largest Deserts
- The Sahara Desert is the biggest desert in the world.
- Deserts by Continent
- Asia:
- Thar Desert: The largest desert in South Asia and the most populated desert in the world.
- Gobi Desert: Located in Mongolia (and China).
- Taklamakan Desert: Located in China.
- Karakum Desert: Located in Turkmenistan.
- Dasht-e-Lut: Located in Iran.
- Africa:
- Sahara Desert: Located in North Africa.
- Kalahari Desert: Located primarily in Botswana and Namibia (Southern Hemisphere).
- South America:
- Atacama Desert: Located primarily in Northern Chile; the driest place on Earth.
- Patagonian Desert: A temperate desert in Argentina.
- North America:
- Sonoran Desert: Located in the USA (and Mexico).
- Australia:
- Great Victorian Desert: Located in Australia.
- Gibson Desert: Located in Australia.
- Asia:
Desert Potential & Climate
- Solar Energy
- Deserts are effective for perennial energy production due to immense solar energy.
- Deserts receive more energy from the sun in 6 hours than the total energy consumed by mankind in one year.
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