DESERTS

WHAT IS A DESERT? Deserts cover more than one fifth of the Earth's land and they are found on every continent. Deserts can be "hot" or "cold". Deserts receive less than 10 inches of precipitation a year. Lack of water creates a survival problem for all desert organisms, animals, plants and people.

Sub Tropical Deserts These are the hottest deserts with parched* terrain* and rapid evaporation. *Parched: to make extremely, excessively, or completely dry, as heat, sun, and wind do. *Terrain: a tract of land, especially as considered with reference to its natural features

Cool Coastal Deserts Located at the same latitude as sub- tropical deserts but the average temperature is much cooler because of frigid offshore ocean currents

Cold Winter Deserts These deserts have stark* temperature differences from season to season ranging from 100 degrees in the summer to 100 degrees in winter *Stark: harsh, grim, or desolate, as a view, place, etc.

Polar Regions Polar regions are considered deserts because nearly all moisture is locked up in the form of ice.