The continental effect also contributes to maintaining the great inland deserts of Australia. Indeed, this “desert continent” has contributions from all three major desert-creating processes. The southern high-pressure climate belt, centred on the 25° south latitude, runs across the landmass. The Gibson and Simpson deserts are mostly more than 1,000 kilometers (620 mi.) from any …
The greatest collection of continental deserts is found in Asia—unsurprisingly, given its vast land area of some 33,391,162 square kilometers (17,139,445 sq. mi.). The Kara-Kum(see pp. 60–63), Taklimakan (see pp. 68–69), and Gobi (see pp. 70–73) deserts have all formed mainly owing to the continental effect. The formidable Gobi, for example, is more than 2,000 …
The Patagonian Desert in South America lies in the rain-shadow of the mighty Andes Mountains that run parallel to the western edge of the continent. revailing winds in this temperate area, some 40 to 50° south, are from the northwest and gradually lose their moisture content over the high Andean peaks, many of which approach …
The most common factor in the formation and location of deserts is distance from sea. Air moving over seas and oceans collects water vapor evaporated from the surface by the sun’s heat. As the moisture-laden air crosses the coast and blows over the land, it rises and cools, causing the water vapor to condense and …
Barely 100 kilometers (62 mi.) from the highest peak in the contiguousUnited States, Mount Whttney in the Sierra Nevada, lies the lowest point inthe western hemisphere in Death Valley, in this northern arm of the MojaveDesert, the valley floor descends to 86 meters (282 ft.) below sea level. Thevalley may not look large on a …
In some instances, the rain-shadow effect is the primary cause of desert formation. Inothers, it intensifies or confirms the arid conditions already set in place by other factors,or it may help to delineate the extent of desert areas. the leeward section of the mountain is the complete opposite of the other, when the windward section …
Most of the dry, warm air that descends at 25 to 30° north or south loops back to move at surface level in the reverse direction of’ its outward journey. Gradually it is drawn back toward the tropics, is How deserts form 15 The Namib Desert, shown here in a satellite image, is maintained by …
The sun’s heat at the tropics not only warms air, it also evaporates ocean water into watervapor that disperses into the air. The rising moisture-laden warm air rapidly expands andcools as its pressure reduces (since atmospheric pressure is highest at the earth’s surfaceand decrcases with height), and its moisture condenses back into water, falling as …
The planetary wind system plays an important role in the creation of theoceans’ surface currents. In general, these currents follow the enormouscirculation loops around the oceans, delevering a huge supply of heat fromthe equator to high latitudes. Most of the currents’ heat is lost along thewestern boundaries of oceans, so that time they make their …
In part, global wind patterns are caused by the way in which the sun’s rays warm theearth. The part of the earth that receives most of the sun’s heat is the tropics—the regionabout the equator that lies between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. In the tropics thesun’s rays hit the earth almost at right …