SW Asia: Climate and Vegetation

The region is dry – most of it averages just 18 inches of rain per year. Compare that with the 48 inches that Houston annually receives. That’s almost an extra three and a half feet of water.

The region is dry – most of it averages just 18 inches of rain per year.

Compare that with the 48 inches that Houston annually receives. That’s almost an extra three and a half feet of water.

Deserts Rub al-Khali “ The Empty Quarter” or “The Place Where No One Comes Out” This is a massive desert in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula and is about the size of Texas.

Deserts

Rub al-Khali

“ The Empty Quarter” or “The Place Where No One Comes Out”

This is a massive desert in the southeastern Arabian Peninsula and is about the size of Texas.

Some of the sand dunes can reach 800 feet tall. The Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall.

Some of the sand dunes can reach 800 feet tall. The Empire State Building is 1,250 feet tall.

An-Nafud Desert North of Rub Al-Khali Syrian Desert North of An-Nafud Negev Desert Mainly located in Israel

An-Nafud Desert

North of Rub Al-Khali

Syrian Desert

North of An-Nafud

Negev Desert

Mainly located in Israel

Sometimes you’ll get an oasis. These are pockets of vegetation in the desert that are usually fed by underground springs.

Sometimes you’ll get an oasis.

These are pockets of vegetation in the desert that are usually fed by underground springs.

Salt Deserts Not all deserts are just a bunch of sand. Sometimes they’re salt flats. Salt flats develop when winds evaporate the moisture in the soil, but leave behind the salts that were in that water. This is what happens in Iran when the mountains surrounding the country keep out rain. Iran has two salt flat deserts: the Dasht-e Kavir in the central area and the Dasht-e Lut in the east. They’re hot, uninhabited and nearly devoid of any flora or fauna

Salt Deserts

Not all deserts are just a bunch of sand. Sometimes they’re salt flats.

Salt flats develop when winds evaporate the moisture in the soil, but leave behind the salts that were in that water.

This is what happens in Iran when the mountains surrounding the country keep out rain.

Iran has two salt flat deserts: the Dasht-e Kavir in the central area and the Dasht-e Lut in the east.

They’re hot, uninhabited and nearly devoid of any flora or fauna

Dasht-e Kavir

Dasht-e Lut

This is the Bonneville Salt Flat in Utah.