The name “tropical deserts” itself tells us that this natural zone lies in the same climatic zone. On our planet, almost all desert areas are located precisely in the tropics, but, unlike the heavens on the coasts of the sea, the weather conditions here are much more severe and completely unsuitable for life. Well, let’s look at how such tropical deserts are characterized, where they can be found and which of them are the most famous.
What characterizes the desert zones of the tropics?
The relief and origin of each of the deserts known to us is very different. Somewhere such natural zones are based on plateaus, in other places they are surrounded by cliffs and elevated plateaus, sometimes deserts are found on the shores of the oceans, that is, in lowlands. But climate unites all tropical deserts. The first characteristic is sharp daily fluctuations in air temperature. During the day, in most of these natural zones, the thermometer can exceed 50, and at night the air cools 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 fluctuations expands. Well, the third common sign is the wind. Some regions of our planet have become completely devastated, not because there are badlands. It’s just that atmospheric flows are arranged so that there are no clouds over deserts - 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
The largest desert in the world is the Sahara. It occupies the entire northern part of Africa and smoothly passes through the small isthmus into the Arabian desert. Both natural zones are very similar in landscape, origin and climate. They also form a pronounced climatic zone on the surface of the Earth. Numerous tropical deserts, the names of which are given only by local residents, are part of this natural zone. It is dominated by yellow sands, which are collected either in solitary dunes or in huge ranges of dunes, stretching for kilometers. It is in this Afro-Asian geographical area that very high temperature jumps are observed. In the afternoon, the thermometer does not fall below 45, and the maximum reaches 58. Therefore, only insects and reptiles live in the sands of the Sahara and Arabia, which creep to the surface only at night.
Smallest continent
Deserts of the tropical zone are also concentrated on Australian lands. Locals also divide them into numerous "sovereign" territories, but their landscapes are very similar to each other. The 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). The Australian sandy plains are characterized by their red soils. The local sands have a crimson hue, the glow of which intensifies at sunset.
Mysterious Chile Valley
In the west of South America, perhaps, the most extraordinary tropical deserts are found. Photos of these masterpieces of nature are presented in the article, and they do not look like pictures of the Sahara or any other natural zone. Here, the main role is not the sands, but the valleys, which are surrounded by rocks. In the Atacama Desert (as it is called), precipitation has not occurred for 400 years. All the moisture that the land here is content with is fog, which occurs only in the summer.
Other sand areas
In southern Africa, you can also find desert territories. These are Kalahara and Namibia. The landscape and 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 Atakama. There are few sands, but there are a lot of different other breeds that create incredible beauty.