Geography – Hot Deserts Essay Example

worth of rain may fall in one downpour. The continental location of many tropical deserts places them far from a source of moisture, the ocean. Combine this continentality with the strong subsidence of the subtropical high and you have one of the driest places on earth. When air subsides from the subtropical high, it undergoes adiabatic warming and reduces the relative humidity. The relative humidity can drop to 10% or less. This extremely low relative humidity leads to the evaporation of whatever little surface water exists.

The Arica desert, characterized by an arid climate, experiences a lack of rainfall due to the subsiding air and atmospheric stability. This climate is influenced by the proximity of cold ocean currents, resulting in a monthly temperature of 22°C. Despite the limited precipitation, the desert is not completely devoid of water. According to climatologists, an arid climate is defined by an annual precipitation that is less than half of the annual potential evapotranspiration.

In the tropical desert, an oasis is the primary source of surface water aside from exotic streams. This oasis is formed when the groundwater table is close to the surface. Based on the previous explanation, it is evident that the desert is an extreme climate characterized by lethal temperatures. Rainfall is irregular, and there are even years in which no measurable precipitation occurs. The extremely dry conditions of deserts are caused by the continuous effects of subtropical high pressure and continentality.