Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Owen Richardson
3/16/15
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Definitions & Facts
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Weather: Describes changes that happen day to day to
conditions regarding sunlight, precipitation, humidity, air
pressure, temperature, etc.
Climate: Describes the average weather conditions in a
certain place or during a certain season. Climate changes
to not occur daily but over hundreds or thousands of years
Deserts cover 20% of the worlds land
Land is classified as a desert if there is less than 10 inches
of rainfall per year
Most large deserts are found away from the coasts, in
areas where moisture from the oceans rarely reaches
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
4 Types of Deserts
• Hot and Dry:
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Parch terrain and rapid evaporation
Examples: Sahara, Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq, California and
South Africa
• Semiarid:
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Stark temperature differences due to seasonal changes
Examples: Utah, Montana, Greenland, Russia
• Coastal:
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Cooler temperatures due to off shore ocean wind
Examples: Chile, Africa
• Cold:
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Ice desert due to lack of moisture in the air
Examples: Polar Regions
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Hot & Dry Desert Weather and Climate
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Are located in subtropical climate zones which have low
humidity
These deserts are located within 35 degrees north and
south of the equator
Rainfall of less than 10 inches per year and extreme
evaporation
Sunshine 365 days a year due stable descending air and
high pressure systems
Maximum temperatures are around 120 Degrees
Fahrenheit
Nighttime temperatures can drop to freezing (32 Degrees
F) or below
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Semiarid Desert Weather and Climate
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There are both cold semi-arid and hot semi-arid climates
These deserts are located all over the globe and are not
as dry as the as the Hot and Dry deserts
Nighttime condensation of dew may be higher than the
10 inches of annual rain in hot and dry deserts
Stark temperature differences from season to season
Temperatures can reach 100 degrees F in summer and
10 degrees F in winter
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Coastal Desert Weather and Climate
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Coastal deserts lie on the western coast of Africa and South
America
These are considered coastal fog deserts who's dryness is a result
of cold ocean pressure systems and winds
Average rainfall is around 8-13 centimeters annually which is very
low
Average summer temperatures can reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit
and winter can get as low as 25 degrees Fahrenheit
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
Cold Desert Weather and Climate
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Cold deserts are located near the north and south poles
Nearly all moisture is locked up in the form of ice
Short, moist summers and long, cold winters
The summer temperatures can be as high as 39 degrees
Fahrenheit and winter temperatures can dip to -15
degrees Fahrenheit
Rainfall can be as high as 5 inches per year
Snowfall can reach 3 inches per year
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
How Does Desert Weather Impact the Environment?
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Global warming is causing deserts to grow larger
each year across the globe
Winds can also carry sand grains off the dunes and
deposit them in non desert areas. This can turn
fertile land into desert land which is another reason
deserts increase in size each year
Precipitation through rainfall and other forms of
condensation are eliminated from the environment
once they enter a desert climate
Rain is absorbed quickly into the dry ground of hot
deserts or turned ice in cold desert regions
Desert Biomes-Meteorologist
How Does Desert Climate Effect Global Weather?
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Climate describes average weather conditions over
hundreds of years
Desert climates effect global weather because they
deserts are steadily growing every year
An example of desert growth is The Sahara Desert,
which grows up to 30 square miles per year
Our deserts expanding effects global climate by
raising average temperatures and making land
uninhabitable