12 Desert Phenomena

Everyone knows about dunes.Dunes., right? People think of them when imagining a desert. Loose sand piles up underJust.the right conditions. You need very dry sand; moisture makes grains stick. This makes dunes common in the driest climates on earth (but also, Weirdly.They exist in places like Michigan, caused by voodoo from the Great Lakes. Wind moves the sand, but underwater dunes exist too. Rocks and sparse plants form obstacles where sand piles up. That is dunes!

But some dunes sing. It'sTrue.: Climbing or sliding down a dune under correct conditions can cause an avalanche. This triggers a "100-decibel singing sound" from a "feedback loop of collisions." The dune's face acts like a loudspeaker, boosting the vibrations of the shifting and colliding sand. Researchers state you feel the "song" in your whole body if the conditions match.

An.Oasis.An oasis is not a small spot in the desert. It has a few shade trees and a lake where weary travelers can stop after emptying their canteens. Roughly 75 percent of the Sahara's population lives in oases.Roughly 75 percent of the Sahara's population, for example,People live in oases; these locations vary greatly in size. The popular idea of an oasis as desert paradise holds up: Sahara oases feature palm trees and food like figs, peaches, wheat, and barley. Natural springs or wells supply the water at an oasis's center. Managers must control this water to make crops succeed.

The one in the photo above is a very extreme case, but it shares the forces that shape all yardangs.Yardangs.Yardangs are vertical shapes in bedrock or packed sediment. Wind abrasion removes loose dust and sand (deflation). Yardangs usually stretch longer than they are wide relative to the wind direction that formed them. They often appear in groups called "fleets." Try saying this in a sentence: "Let's take our engagement pictures next to that fleet of yardangs.Fun!

These strange desert marks look like something from aDr. Suess.book, but they are real and certainlyrare. They exist only in two spots on Earth: the Namib Desert in South Africa and the Pilbara region inThey appear only in two places: the Namib Desert in South Africa and the Pilbara region in.Western Australia.justright for the fairy circles to appear, and these two areas seem to create the right effect: despite being thousands of miles apart, Australian and African fairy circles are almost the same, showing nearly identical repeating hexagonal shapes from above.These two regions create the right spell for fairy circles to show. Though thousands of miles apart, Australian and African fairy circles look almost the same. They show nearly identical repeating hexagonal shapes when viewed from above.

Finally: a pothole you don't want to fix!Desert potholes—also called ephemeral pools—are naturally formed sandstone basins. These basins support tiny ecosystems in the desert.Desert potholes, also called ephemeral pools, form sandstone basins in the desert that host tiny ecosystems. Creatures living there must handle temperature swings: surface temps hit 140 degrees Fahrenheit in summer and drop below freezing in winter, according to the National Park Service.Many of these "pothole organisms" enter cryptobiosis.Surface temperatures swing from 140 degrees Fahrenheit in summer to below freezing in winter, the National Park Service reports.The National Park Service reports surface temperatures swing from 140 degrees Fahrenheit in summer to below freezing in winter.These storms happen when high winds lift loose grains into the air. The grains then fall back down, ejecting more material and causing a chain reaction. The dust and sand forms a dramatic wall.This wall can stretch thousands of feet high, causing low or no visibility. High winds accompanying haboobs can even uproot trees and power lines.Creatures tolerate these extreme conditions by entering a "Sleep Mode," stopping all metabolic activity, meaning no reproduction or development. They wake up when conditions improve.

The high winds that accompany haboobs can uproot trees and power lines.So, dust devils are basically desert tornadoes, correct? Not exactly. They usually occur in sunny, fair weather, unlike their larger, home-destroying relatives. They form when hot air near the ground meets cooler, lower-pressure air just above it. Deserts and dust devils link together. Deserts provide the hot air that fuels the little devils, plus plenty of dust and sand to make them visible. Mars gets them, too!First, forget what Looney Tunes taught you—they are not hallucinations you get from being very thirsty.A mirage is an observable, photographable event. It happens when light bends through air with different temperatures.Common desert mirages include inferior mirages. Light from a higher image bends through the hot air near the ground, making an image appear below the actual object. This often looks like a blue shimmering mass, like a lake on the ground (meaning you might mistake it for an oasis). If you drive through the desert in summer, you likely see them on the road.The so-called "desert pavement" appears in deserts globally, even Antarctica. It looks like a neat paved path you'd want in your garden. However, nature acts as the landscaper, taking thousands of years to finish the job. Wind does the work, blowing away sand layers through a process called deflation.Haboobs reach densities sometimes compared to a storm of "dirty snow," stretching thousands of feet high and causing low or no visibility.Haboobs cause low or no visibility.High winds from haboobs can uproot trees and power lines.

Dust devils are basically desert tornadoes, right?Dust devils occur when hot air near the ground meets cooler, lower-pressure air above it. Deserts and dust devils connect because deserts provide the hot air that fuels these devils and the sand for visibility.Mars gets them, too!Dust devils form when hot air near the ground meets cooler, lower-pressure air just above it.Dust devils form when hot air near the ground meets cooler, lower-pressure air just above it.

Forget what Looney Tunes taught you.Looney Tunes taught you.Dust devils are not hallucinations you get from being very thirsty.Dust devils are not hallucinations you get from being very thirsty.A mirage is an observable, photographable event. It happens when light bends through air with different temperatures. Common desert mirages include inferior mirages.Common desert mirages include inferior mirages.Inferior mirages happen when hot air near the ground bends light from a higher image, making an object look like a lake below it. Viewers often see a blue shimmering mass resembling a lake on the ground, which can cause confusion with an oasis. Drivers often see these on summer desert roads.

The "desert pavement" common in deserts worldwide, even in Antarctica, looks like a neat paved path. Nature finishes the job over thousands of years. Wind blows away sand layers in a process called deflation.The "desert pavement" common in deserts worldwide, even in Antarctica, looks like a neat paved path.Wind blows away sand layers in a process known as deflation.Wind blows away sand layers in a process known as deflation.Deflation blows fine sand particles from the land. This filters rocks into a tight, man-made pebble pavement surface. This process also stops soil erosion underneath.

"Desert varnishIt forms on stable rock faces that receive little precipitation or wind abrasion. Clay and iron and manganese oxides make up the varnish. It is only about a micrometer thick. Its color shifts from orange-yellow to black.

Jeff Mitton at Colorado State University explains what causes this.Scientists agree that water, clay, microbes, and minerals interact over long times to form desert varnish. Some details still cause debate.Water, clay, microbes, and minerals interact over long periods to form desert varnish. Scientists agree that water, clay, microbes, and minerals interact over long periods to form desert varnish, but there is some debate about the specifics.

Early Native Americans used rock faces covered by desert varnish as a canvas for their art. The rock underneath the varnish is lighter.

Dry lakes, orplayasDry lakes, or playas, form in dry areas. Meltwater or rain water collects in a low spot in the land. Since evaporation beats rain, the spot dries out, leaving behind salt deposits. Water keeps collecting and evaporating in these dry lakes, making surface formations of cracked salts, ice, or clay.New Mexico and Texas hold the greatest concentration of dry lakes globally. Bolivia holds the largest dry lake in the world.Salar de Uyuni, which is4,085 square miles.

Xerowhatsits?Xerophytes are plants adapted to dry places. These include the popular cactus.cactusThese plants show many types. Their shared trait is water conservation and retention. Some spread roots widely but not deeply to soak up water. Others let seeds rest in the dirt until enough moisture arrives. Many store water in their cells for months or even years.yearsThese plants act like doomsday preppers after a heavy rain.doomsday preppersof the plant world.