Only one word "desert" makes us relevant associations.This space, which is almost completely devoid of the flora, the fauna is very specific, and is located in the zone of very strong winds and monsoons.Desert Zone - about 20% of the planet's land.And among them are not only sand, but the snow, rain and many others.Well, look at this more closely the natural landscape.
What desert
this term corresponds to the flat terrain, which is a homogeneous type.The flora here is almost entirely absent, and the fauna has a very specific characteristic.Relief desert zone - a vast territory, most of which are located in tropical and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere.Desert landscape also holds a small part of South America and most of Australia.Among its features, except for the plains and plateaus, also called arteries parched rivers, reservoirs or closed, which previously could be the lake.Also desert zone - a place where very little rain falls.This is an average of 200 mm per year, and in particularly dry and hot regions - up to 50 mm.There are even desert regions where rainfall does not fall within a dozen years.
Animals
Desert Nature Area is characterized by sparse vegetation completely.Sometimes the distance that lies between the bushes reach kilometers in length.The main representatives of the flora in a natural zone - a thorny plants, only a few of which are familiar to us the green foliage.Animals that live on these lands - it's just mammals or accidentally wandered here reptiles and reptiles.If we are talking about the icy wilderness, here live only animals that tolerate low temperatures.
Climatic indicators
To begin, we note that in its geological structure of the desert zone is no different, say, from the plains in Europe or in Russia.And as harsh weather conditions that can be traced here, formed because of the trade winds - the winds, which are peculiar to tropical latitudes.They literally disperse clouds over the area, not allowing them to irrigate the land sediments.So, understanding the climatic zone of the desert - a region with a very sharp temperature changes.Happy because of the scorching sun here can be as much as 50 degrees Celsius, but at night the thermometer drops to the level of five.In the deserts, which lie in the more northern zones (temperate and boreal) daily fluctuations in temperature are the same rate - 30-40 degrees.But here the day the air is heated to zero, and the night cools down to -50.
zone of semi-desert and desert: the differences and similarities
In temperate and subtropical latitudes of any desert always surrounds the semi-desert.This natural area, where there is no forest, tall trees and conifers.Everything here has - a flat terrain, or plateau, which are covered with grasses and shrubs, unpretentious to weather conditions.A characteristic feature is not arid semi-desert, but in contrast to the desert, the increased volatility.The amount of precipitation that falls on a belt, enough for a full-fledged existence of any animals here.In the eastern hemisphere, often referred to as semi-desert steppes.It is a vast plain area, where you can often find very beautiful plants and see the stunning landscapes.On the western continents, the territory called the savanna.Its climatic features are somewhat different from the steppe, there are always strong winds blow, and the plant is much less.
most famous hot deserts of the Earth
area of tropical desert literally divides our planet into two parts - North and South.Most of them falls on the Eastern Hemisphere, and quite a bit of them in the west.Now we look at the most famous and beautiful areas like the Earth.Sahara - the greatest deserts of the planet, which occupies the whole of North Africa and the Middle East a lot of land.Locals, it is divided into a set of "podpustyn", among which popular White.It is in Egypt, and is famous for its white sands and vast deposits of limestone.Along with it in this country, there are Black.Then mixed with sand stone characteristic color.Red widest expanse of sand - the inheritance of Australia.Among them deserves respect for the landscape, called Simpson, where you can meet the highest sand dunes on the continent.
Arctic desert
Nature Area, which is located on the most northern latitudes of the planet, called the Arctic desert.Its members include all the islands, which are located in the North Arctic Ocean, extreme coast of Greenland, Russia and Alaska.Throughout the year, more than half of the natural area is covered by glaciers, because there are practically no plants.Only on the territory that comes out to the surface in the summer, growing lichens, mosses.On the islands you can find coastal algae.Among the animals found there the following individuals: arctic wolf, deer, foxes, polar bears - the kings of the region.Do we see the waters of the ocean mammals pinnipeds - seals, walruses, fur seals.The most common bird here who are perhaps in the Arctic wilderness of the only source of noise.
Arctic climate
icy desert zone - a place where the polar night and polar day, which is comparable with the concepts of winter and summer.The cold season here lasts about 100 days, and sometimes more.The temperature does not rise above 20 degrees, and particularly in tough times, and is -60.In summer, the sky is always covered with clouds, the rain and snow and there is a constant evaporation, thereby increasing the humidity.The temperature in summer days is about 0. As in the sandy deserts, the Arctic is constantly blowing winds that constitute a terrible storm and snowstorms.
Conclusion
On our planet, there are still a number of deserts, which differ from the sand and snow.This expanse of salt, Akatama in Chile, where the arid climate in the growing pile of flowers.Deserts can be found in the state of Nevada, USA, where they overlap with the red canyons, forming unreal beautiful landscapes.