Why are deserts located in the subtropical zone?

Why are deserts located in the subtropical zone?

Subtropical deserts are caused by the circulation patterns of air masses. They are found along the Tropic of Cancer, between 15 and 30 degrees north of the Equator, or along the Tropic of Capricorn, between 15 and 30 degrees south of the Equator. Hot, moist air rises into the atmosphere near the Equator.

Where are most of the Earth’s deserts located?

Most of the world's deserts are located near 30 degrees north latitude and 30 degrees south latitude, where the heated equatorial air begins to descend. The descending air is dense and begins to warm again, evaporating large amounts of water from the land surface.

Why are most deserts on the tropics?

Because the tropics are largely cloudless they get very hot during the day. There are few clouds to insulate these areas during the night. Therefore, temperatures drop to very low levels overnight.

Why most of world’s deserts are located in?

Most of the worlds deserts are located in the western margins of continents in the subtropics because the prevailing winds in the tropics are tropical easterly winds. The tropical easterly winds become dry by the time they reach the western margins of the continents and so they bring no rainfall.

Why are deserts not found on the equator?

(Deserts do not occur near the Equator, tropics occur there). Higher in the atmosphere, the now cold, dry air rises and moves away from the equator. At about 30 degree latitudes in both hemispheres (north and south), the air descends.

Why are the deserts located where they are?

4:597:48Where are deserts formed and why? – The Hadley cell, rain shadows and …YouTube

What is a subtropical desert?

Subtropical deserts are very hot and dry in the summer and cooler but still dry in the winter. Rainfall happens in short bursts. The air is so hot and dry in these deserts that sometimes rain evaporates before it even has a chance to hit the ground!

Why are the deserts located in the western part of the continents in the tropical region?

because the rain bearing trade winds blow offshore due to presence of cold ocean currents on the western sides of the Continents.

Why hot deserts are located on the western side of continents?

The trade winds prevail in the lower portion of the earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere. These winds become dry when they reach the western sides of the continents, and hence don't bring any rain with them. As these regions become devoid of moisture, deserts are formed.

Where are hot deserts located and why?

Hot deserts are mainly found around the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn. The world's hot deserts are located between 15° and 30° north or south of the equator, where the air is subsiding or sinking air (find out why deserts are found along the tropics here).

Where is the desert located in?

Major Deserts of the World

Rank by size Desert (location) Climate
1 Antarctic Desert (Antarctica, South Pole) Polar Desert
2 Arctic Desert (Arctic North and Greenland) Polar Desert
3 Sahara Desert (Northwest Africa) Hot Desert
4 Arabian Desert (Middle East) Hot Desert

•Nov 17, 2021

Why are deserts located where they are?

Deserts are often found towards the west of continents. Some deserts are found on the western edges of continents. They are caused by cold ocean currents, which run along the coast. They cool the air and make it harder to hold moisture.

Why are deserts not on the equator?

(Deserts do not occur near the Equator, tropics occur there). Higher in the atmosphere, the now cold, dry air rises and moves away from the equator. At about 30 degree latitudes in both hemispheres (north and south), the air descends. As it does, it warms.

What is the reason for the major hot deserts lying in the western part of tropical latitude?

The correct answer is They are influenced by trade winds. The aridity of the hot deserts is mainly due to the effects of off-shore Trade Winds; hence they are also called Trade Wind Deserts. The major hot deserts of the world lying in the Western part of the tropical latitude because they are influenced by dry winds.

Why are deserts on the west coast?

Presence of cold ocean currents along the western coast of continents tends to stabilise the air over the coast. This prevents cloud formation and rainfall. Hence, it leads to arid conditions or the formation of marine deserts on the adjacent coastal lands.

Why are deserts not found on the Equator?

(Deserts do not occur near the Equator, tropics occur there). Higher in the atmosphere, the now cold, dry air rises and moves away from the equator. At about 30 degree latitudes in both hemispheres (north and south), the air descends.

Why is the Sahara desert located where it is?

For several hundred thousand years, the Sahara has alternated between desert and savanna grassland in a 20,000-year cycle caused by the precession of Earth's axis as it rotates around the Sun, which changes the location of the North African monsoon.

Where are the deserts located?

Hot and dry deserts can be found in North America, Central America, South America, southern Asia, Africa, and Australia. Well-known hot and dry deserts include the Mojave and the Sahara. As the name suggests, these deserts are very hot and very dry.

Why are subtropics hotter than Equator?

Subtropical areas have longer day hours in the summer than the equatorial. Subtropical areas get heated by the hot ocean currents more than equatorial locations.

Why most hot deserts are found on the western side of continents?

The trade winds prevail in the lower portion of the earth's atmosphere, in the lower section of the troposphere. These winds become dry when they reach the western sides of the continents, and hence don't bring any rain with them. As these regions become devoid of moisture, deserts are formed.

Why the tropical desert are on the western side of the continent?

Air in the tropical regions moves in the direction of the equator, while air in the northern hemisphere deflects towards right and southern towards left. All this happens according to the Earth's rotation. Now, the air that comes from Northern hemisphere when deflects towards west, it turns to the west, geographically.

Where is the Sahara desert located at?

Africa The Sahara is the world's largest desert; it extends across most of the northern part of Africa.

Can you swim under the Sahara desert?

The Cave of Swimmers is a cave with ancient rock art in the mountainous Gilf Kebir plateau of the Libyan Desert section of the Sahara. It is located in the New Valley Governorate of southwest Egypt, near the border with Libya….Cave of Swimmers.

History
Excavation dates 1933
Archaeologists László Almásy

In what latitude zone are most of Earth’s deserts between?

Deserts cover around 20% of the Earth and are on every continent. They are mainly found around 30 to 50 degrees latitude, called the mid-latitudes. These areas are about halfway between the equator and the north and south poles.

What is the main reason that the Earth experiences highest temperature in the subtropics?

The main reason that the earth experiences highest temperatures in the subtropics in the northern. Hemisphere rather than equatorial areas. Subtropical areas tend to have less cloud cover than equatorial areas. Subtropical areas have longer day hours in the summer than the equatorial.

Where is the subtropical zone?

The subtropics are the geographical and climatical zone of the Earth immediately north and south of the Tropics. The term "subtropical" describes the climatic region found adjacent to the tropics, usually between 20 and 40 degrees of latitude in both hemispheres.

Why are major deserts hot in the Northern Hemisphere?

Major hot deserts in northern hemisphere are located between 20-30 degree north and on the western side of the continents. Why? The hot deserts lie along the Horse Latitudes or the Sub-Tropical High Pressure Belts where the air is descending, a condition least favorable for precipitation of any kind to take place.

Why is the Sahara desert where it is?

All this has been known for decades. But between 8,000 and 4,500 years ago, something strange happened: The transition from humid to dry happened far more rapidly in some areas than could be explained by the orbital precession alone, resulting in the Sahara Desert as we know it today.

Is the eye of the Sahara natural?

The subsurface volcanic flow eventually pushed up the overlying layers of sandstone and other rocks. After the volcanism died down, wind and water erosion began to eat away at the domed layers of rock. The region began to settle down and collapse in on itself, creating the roughly circular "eye" feature.

What is buried under the Sahara?

Beneath the sands of the Sahara Desert scientists have discovered evidence of a prehistoric megalake. Formed some 250,000 years ago when the Nile River pushed through a low channel near Wadi Tushka, it flooded the eastern Sahara, creating a lake that at its highest level covered more than 42,000 square miles.