The very name "tropical deserts" tells us aboutthat this natural zone lies in the same climatic zone. On our planet, almost all desert areas are located in the tropics, but, unlike paradise on the coast of the sea, the weather conditions here are much more severe and completely unsuitable for life. Well, let's see what characterizes such tropical deserts, where they can be found and which ones are the most famous.
What characterizes the desert zones of the tropics?
The relief and origin of each of the known to usdeserts are very different. Somewhere such natural zones are based on plateaus, in other places they are surrounded by rocks and elevated plateaus, sometimes deserts meet on the shores of the oceans, that is, in the lowlands. But it is the climate that unites all tropical deserts. The first characteristic is sharp daily fluctuations in air temperature. During the day, in most of such natural areas, the thermometer can exceed 50, and at night the air cools down to 10. The second characteristic is the difference between winter and summer. In such zones it is insignificant, but the more distant the desert lies from the equator, the more the range of annual temperature variations widens. Well, the third common sign is the wind. Some regions of our planet have become completely devastated not because there are infertile lands here. Just the atmospheric streams settled so that over the deserts there is no cloud - they are always dispersed by the wind. Due to this, the percentage of solar radiation increases and, accordingly, all living things die out.
Sands of the Middle East
Самой большой пустыней в мире считается Сахара.It occupies the entire northern part of Africa and, through a small isthmus, smoothly passes into the Arabian desert. Both natural zones are very similar to each other in terms of landscape, origin and climate. They also form a pronounced climatic belt on the surface of the Earth. Numerous tropical deserts, whose names are given only by local residents, are part of this natural zone. Here the yellow sands predominate, which are collected either in solitary dunes or in huge ridges of barkhans stretching for kilometers. It is in this Afro-Asian geographic region that very high temperature jumps are observed. In the daytime, the thermometer does not fall below 45, and the maximum reaches 58. Therefore, in the sands of the Sahara and Arabia, only insects and reptiles live, which creep out onto the surface only at night.
The smallest continent
Пустыни тропического пояса также сосредоточены на australian lands. Local residents also divide them into numerous “sovereign” territories, but their landscapes are very similar to each other. Climatic conditions here are not as severe as in Asia. The temperature during the day is within 30 degrees, and at night it does not fall below 15. The amount of precipitation that falls annually is up to 300 mm (which is very much for the desert). Australian sandy plains are characterized by their red soils. The local sands have a crimson hue, the glow of which is intensified at sunset.
Mysterious valleys of Chile
In the west of South America, perhaps, there arethe most extraordinary tropical deserts. Photos of these masterpieces of nature are presented in the article, and they are in no way similar to pictures of the Sahara or any other natural area. Here the main role is not sand, and the valleys, which are surrounded by rocks. In the Atacama Desert (as it is called), precipitation has not fallen for 400 years. All the moisture, which is satisfied with the local land - this fog, which occur only in the summer.
Other sand areas
In southern Africa, you can also find desertterritory. This is Kalahara and Namibia. The landscape and the origin of this natural area can be compared with the Sahara. In North America, as well as in Mexico, there are narrow deserts that stretch from North to South. Their landscapes can be compared with the Attack. There are few sands, but there are a lot of different other rocks that create incredible beauty.
