GEOS 170A1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Peninsular Ranges, Rain Shadow, Atacama Desert

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A desert is hot but can be wet or dry. A desert is can be hot or cold but is always dry. Answer: a desert is can be hot or cold but is always dry. Deserts are dry regions but can be both hot or cold. Dry = less than 10 inches of rain annually. Global air currents favor formation of deserts a latitudes 15* to 35* north and south of the equator. A latitudinal desert primarily a result of global air circulation. Less than 3 inches of rain per year. How does topography influence the location of deserts- Imagine a wall of rock blocking warm, moist air . Moist air forced to rise by topography/mountain. Cooling results in saturation and precipitation on windward side of mountains. Dry air on downwind side of mountains. Found at continental margins where cold ocean water cools air flowing onshore (coastal peru, sw africa) Atacama desert of chile is virtually rainless.

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