Hot Desert Climate Regions

Hot Deserts : Location Areas with hot desert climate are found at the edge of the tropics and on the western side of continents. The largest hot desert is the Sahara in north Africa and the only continent not to have a hot desert is Europe.

Location of the worlds hot deserts. Along the tropic of Cancer and the tropic of Capricorn. Along the west side of continents and they follow the flow of ocean currents. In areas of the rainshadow effect. For example the Gobi desert.

Characteristics of Hot Deserts Maximum temperatures reach approximately 35ºC Minimum temperature is approximately 12ºC The rainfall is less than 250mm Rain falls in only a few months, but often in torrential storms

The climate of Touggourt, Algeria: a hot desert climate

Top Desert Geographical Fact – Number 1 The hottest place in the world is Libya, in the Sahara Desert. Temperatures have reached 58ºC here.

Top Desert Geographical Fact – Number 2 The driest area in the world is in Chile, in the Atacama Desert. It only receives a few rainstorms every 100 years

Hot Deserts Advantages The hot sunny climate and unusual scenery attracts tourists especially at ‘cooler’ times of the year. Advantages If irrigation is possible, then a wide variety of crops will grow well in the hot sunny climate and two or three harvests a year possible.

Desert Tourism - Ayres Rock

Desert Tourism - Egypt

Irrigation

Hot Deserts Disadvantages Too dry to grow crops without irrigation In order to rear animals, such as camels, goats and sheep, the people have to be nomadic, moving from place to place in search of water and grazing Disadvantages Water is in short supply. Wells and streams often run dry. To obtain a large amount of water people have to build very expensive dams and reservoirs across major rivers.

Nomadic farmers

Nomadic farmers

Colorado Dam

Your Turn Read Page 70 – 71 in the text book. Answer questions 2, 3 & 4 on page 74