Knowra Desert Desert A biome where low precipitation constrains vegetation and animal life. Deserts can be hot or cold, and include landscapes shaped by wind, water, and temperature.
Aridity : A climatic condition in which water loss through evaporation and transpiration exceeds water supplied by precipitation. It captures the persistent water deficit that defines desert environments.
Desert pavement : A tightly packed surface layer of gravel and stones left after finer particles are removed. Wind and runoff can strip away fines, leaving this characteristic desert surface.
Desertification : Land degradation in drylands that reduces biological productivity and can arise from climatic and human pressures. It is degradation of dryland ecosystems, not simply the existence or expansion of deserts.
Sahara : A vast subtropical desert spanning much of North Africa. Its hot, expansive landscapes are a familiar example of a subtropical desert.
Precipitation : Water released from the atmosphere to Earth's surface as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. Its scarcity, rather than heat alone, limits desert life.
Flash flood : A rapid flood caused by intense rainfall, often in a small drainage basin. Infiltration is limited in some desert soils, so brief storms can generate sudden runoff.
Oasis : A fertile area in an arid region where surface water or groundwater supports vegetation and settlement. Oases concentrate life and human activity where water is locally available.
Antarctic Desert : The polar desert covering Antarctica, where very low precipitation limits biological productivity. It demonstrates that deserts need not be hot or dominated by sand.
Potential evapotranspiration : The amount of water that could evaporate and transpire if sufficient water were available. Comparing it with rainfall helps classify dry climates.
Aeolian processes : The erosion, transport, and deposition of sediment by wind. Sparse vegetation leaves desert sediment especially exposed to wind.
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