The very name "tropical deserts" tells us that this natural zone lies in the climatic zone of the same name. On our planet, almost all desert areas are located precisely in the tropics, but, unlike paradises on the coasts of the sea, the weather conditions here are much more severe and not at all suitable for life. Well, let's look at what characterizes such tropical deserts, 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 are very different. Somewhere such natural zones are based on plateaus, in other places they are surrounded by rocks and elevated plateaus, sometimes deserts are found on the shores of the oceans, that is, in the lowlands. But it is the climate that unites all tropical deserts. The first characteristic is the sharp diurnal fluctuations in air temperature. During the day in most of these natural areas, the thermometer can exceed 50, and at night the air cools down to 10. The second characteristic is the difference between winter and summer. In such zones, it is insignificant, but the further the desert lies from the equator, the more the range of annual temperature fluctuations expands. Well, the third common feature is the wind. Some regions of our planet have become completely devastated not because there are barren lands. It's just that the atmospheric currents are arranged in such a way that there are no clouds over the deserts - they are always dispersed by the wind. Due to this, the percentage of solar radiation increases and, accordingly, all life dies.
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 into the Arabian Desert along a small isthmus. Both natural areas are very similar to each other in terms of landscape, origin and climate. They also form a pronounced climatic zone on the surface of the Earth. Numerous tropical deserts, whose names are given only by local residents, are part of this natural area. Here, yellow sands predominate, which are collected either in single dunes or in huge ridges of dunes stretching for kilometers. It is in this Afro-Asian geographic area that very high temperature fluctuations are observed. During the day, 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 crawl out to the surface only at night.
The smallest continent
Deserts of the tropical beltalso focused on Australian lands. Local residents 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 per year is up to 300 mm (which is a lot for a desert). The Australian sand flats are characterized by their red soils. The sands here have a purplish hue that intensifies at sunset.
Mysterious valleys of Chile
In the west of South America, perhaps, there are the most extraordinary tropical deserts. 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 area. Here, the main role is played not by the sands, but by the valleys, which are surrounded by rocks. In the Atacama Desert (as it is called), precipitation has not fallen for 400 years. All the moisture that the local land is content with is fog, which occurs only in the summer.
Other sand areas
Desert areas can also be found in southern Africa. These are Kalahara and Namibia. The landscape and origin of this natural area can be compared to 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 the Atacama. There is little sand, but a lot of various other rocks that create incredible beauty.
