Where the Sand Never Sleeps: The Many Faces of Deserts
Most people picture deserts as searing sand seas, yet rainfall—not heat—defines them. Any place that receives under 10 inches (250 mm) of water a year counts as a desert. That’s less than a single bathtub. Some deserts scorch, others freeze—Antarctica holds the title of largest desert.
What Makes a Desert?
Antarctica gets almost no precipitation; years can pass with clear skies. Together with the Arctic, polar deserts dominate global desert area. Snow piles up, yet fresh moisture seldom arrives, so the landscape stays parched despite the ice.
Hot, Cold, and Everything In Between
The classic hot desert—think the Sahara or the Arabian Desert—bakes above 120 °F (49 °C). Beyond rolling dunes, you’ll find gravel plains, rocky outcrops, saguaro cacti, and rattlesnakes.
Hot, Cold, and Everything In Between
Cold deserts sound odd until you feel them. The Gobi drops below freezing, its ground cracking in winter and chilling even summer nights. In the polar deserts, abandoned food simply mummifies.
Hot, Cold, and Everything In Between
Coastal deserts form where chilly ocean currents stop clouds from growing. Chile’s Atacama is the driest place on Earth; some gauges have never recorded rain. Residents stretch nets to catch life-giving fog.
Hot, Cold, and Everything In Between
Mountains can steal moisture, creating rain-shadow deserts. The Great Basin and Patagonian deserts sit in the dry lee of high ranges that act like vast umbrellas.
Desert Surprises: Not Just Sand Dunes
Only about 20 % of deserts are dunes; the rest are rocky plateaus, gravel plains, salt flats, or snowfields. Iran’s Dasht-e Kavir gleams white after rare showers leave a salty crust.
Desert Surprises: Not Just Sand Dunes
Snow coats some deserts. The high Colorado Plateau may wear a winter veil that later gives way to spring wildflowers. On Bolivia’s Salar de Uyuni, rain briefly turns the salt flat into a perfect sky mirror.
Desert Surprises: Not Just Sand Dunes
From Australia’s stony Outback to Namibia’s dunes that crash into the ocean, deserts constantly rewrite expectations. Think of ice-covered wastelands, fog-drenched coasts, and mirror-like salt flats—a showcase of nature’s creativity with almost no water.
