3. Climate: What to Expect
•Dry desert climate
formed by high-
pressure zones that has
cold air descending
upon it
•Very little rainfall-
often less than 15cm per
year
•Rain usually occurs in
short periods between Satellite image of the Atacama desert in South America. From
long rainless periods left to right is the Pacific Ocean, Atacama desert, and the Andes
mountains. By looking at the Andes mountains it can be seen
•All months have that the moisture completely stops at the Atacama desert.
average temperatures
over 180C
TRAVELERS TIP: Make sure to bring LOTS of sunscreen
4. Climate: Seasonal Info & Climagraph
•Weather is warm
during spring &
fall, extremely
hot in Summer
•Winter has little
or no rainfall
•A mere 9.8 cm of
rain is the average
amount of yearly
Climagraph of the average yearly rainfall and temperatures in a
hot/dry desert
precipitation
shown in the
climagraph
•Temperatures on
the climagraph
highest in summer
months
TRAVELERS TIP: If booking in Summer months, be prepared to
5. Type of Vegetation
•Plants in the desert are
xerophytes -> plants that have
adapted to survive in a water-
lacking environment
•Low-down shrubs that have waxy
coatings and intricate root systems
exist
•Leaves are packed with nutrients
•Little or no organic matter due to
lack of water
A prickly pear cactus
located in the Sonora Barrel Cactus, one of the largest
desert cacti’s that can grow up to 11 ft tall
TRAVELERS TIP: Hungry? Native Americans used to stew the
barrel cactus to make a _ cabbage-
6. Vegetation: Adaptations
•Plants use dew for
moisture, taking it in through their
leaves/stems -> ex. Cacti
•At night time when temperatures
drop, some plants open up their
stomata to breath -> ex. Brittlebush
•Plants adapt in different ways to Acacia trees in the Rajasthan Desert (India)
that have lost their leaves to avoid evaporation
avoid water loss -> ex. Living stones of moisture A closer
plant is mainly underground to view of the
escape sun’s radiation so it avoids stomata
that helps
evaporation some
•Ability to stand extremely hot plants to
breath at
weather night by
•Some <- What the Saguaro cactus looksgrowth
plants slow down like transportin
g gases in
rate to conserve moisture -> ex. and out
Saguaro cactus
TRAVELERS TIP: Be sure to drink lots of water
7. Type of Soil & Global Position
•Packed with nutrients- needs minimal water
to be productive
•Soil is shallow, rocky, and gravely with no
sub-surface water
•Course due to less chemical weathering
•Deserts cover approx 1/5 of worlds surface
•Latitude range is 15-280 south of the equator
•Majority of hot/dry deserts located near the
Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn
Rocky, gravely soil that is typically found in deserts. The red color comes from the iron in the soil
TRAVELERS TIP: Make sure to pack a good pair of sandals
8. Soil Profile
Alkaline flat in the Alvord
Desert, formed due to
translocation. Alkaline flats
contain large concentrations of
salts, which is why they are often
Diagram that illustrates a hot/dry deserts soil profile in comparison to other shining and white.
biomes
•Lack of water = small amount of vegetation = limited
amount of decomposing litter -> soils lack hummus ->
nutrients aren’t developed
•Rate of evaporation exceeds precipitation, so
translocation occurs
9. Soil Profile Con’t
Natural vegetation regions of the world
Soils of the World map, with the pale yellow representing
map, with the bright yellow representing hot
aridisols soil classification
/dry deserts
Aridisols Soil Classification:
•Little hummus due to small amount of vegetation
•Mineral deposits on surface of soil due to transloca
•Water movement is towards the surface
•Coarse sand particles are evident
10. Cold & Hot Deserts
COLD:
•Snow in the
wintertime, temperature
ranges from -2 to -40C
•Located near the arctic part
of the world
•Precipitation from 15 to 26cm
yearly, with snow in the
HOT:
winter yearrainy periods in
•Warm and round, summer
the spring
temperature between 43.5 to
490C
•Located near the tropic of The Antarctic desert, weather conditions in this cold desert
capricorn & cancer can change fast & without warning
•Precipitation less than 15cm
yearly
“What makes the desert beautiful is that somewhere it
hides a well.”
11. A Tourist Attractions
F
ASIA
R
I
C
A Pyramids built by One of the fossils that
ancient Egyptians in the can be found in the Gobi
Sahara desert Desert
USA
The grand canyon located in the Mojave
Desert
TRAVELERS TIP: Spiders and reptiles you must be alert, because
all these things you will find in a desert
