![]() While most deserts are characterized by scorching heat, there are also cold deserts, such as the Gobi Desert, the entire continent of Antarctica, or the coastal desert of Peru and northern Chile, where the air is so cold that it cannot hold moisture to generate precipitation. As a result, you have a region that receives very little rain, is buffeted by dry winds, and doesn’t benefit from the movement of cold fronts. Furthermore, if a high-pressure system is strong and stable, it makes it very difficult for low-pressure systems to move in and generate variability in weather patterns. High-pressure systems are full of warm, heavy air, and in subtropical or semi-permanent high-pressure systems, such as the one found in the region of the Sahara, that air cannot rise, cool, form clouds and generate precipitation. That being said, some deserts on the planet aren’t located near mountains, and are instead the result of unique weather patterns on a regional scale. This often results in hot, dry winds that can exacerbate the formation of a desert over the course of thousands or millions of years. The east side of the mountain is called a “rain shadow”, and the air will descend and warm up, but will not have any moisture to speak of. Rain Shadowīy the time the air moves over the top of the mountain range, it is largely devoid of moisture, save for a few clouds that don’t produce much precipitation. However, as the air rises, it begins to cool, causing it to release its moisture in the form of precipitation. The damp, warm air that rolled up against the base of the mountain will now begin to rise and form clouds. ![]() For example, consider a weather system blowing in from the west and bumping into a north-south mountain range. To understand this, you must consider the behavior of air and moisture when it encounters an obstacle. One of the prime causes behind an area that receives little rainfall is being on the “wrong side of the mountain”. In terms of a formal definition, a desert is typically characterized by an extreme lack of rainfall. ![]()
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