The Gobi Desert The Gobi Desert is the second-largest desert in Asia and the sixth-largest in the world, spanning north- western China and southern Mongolia. As a rain-shadow desert, it lies on the leeward side of the Tibetan Plateau, with the Himalayan Mountains blocking precipitation from the Indian Ocean. Located 43 degrees north of the equator, winter temperatures can drop to –45 ° C, with rare summer highs of up to 45 ° C. The landscape is varied, with only about 5 per cent being sand. Grassy plains appear when snow melts, and the region is a significant paleontological site, with fossils more than 88 million years old preserved by the cold conditions. Australian deserts Australia, the world’s driest inhabited continent, has around 70 per cent of its land classified as arid or semi-arid, but only 18 per cent is true desert. Uluru sits within the semi-arid desert environment of the central Australian outback, in the Northern Territory.
SkillBuilder discussion Concluding and decision-making 1. How do you think Uluru was formed? 2. Suggest why Uluru is a place of cultural significance to Anangu People. 3. Should Uluru be open to tourists?
FIGURE4 Uluru is an inselberg that rises above the surrounding landscape. To the Anangu People, it is a significant landmark created during the Dreaming and seen as the resting place for generations of ancient spirits.
Australian deserts, located between the equator and Tropic of Capricorn, are classified as hot deserts. They receive less than 250 millimetres of rainfall annually. In summer, temperatures can soar past 50 ° C. Humidity levels are low, ranging between 10 and 20 per cent. Australian deserts such as the Simpson Desert are rain-shadow deserts. The Great Dividing Range blocks warm moisture-laden air from the east coast from reaching the continent’s interior. Additionally, cold ocean currents along the west coast contain little moisture and the winds are dry as they move inland. The Australian desert landscape is varied, and includes sandy deserts, grassy plains and gibber plains (stony areas). The dry climate has resulted in the preservation of fossil remains.
TOPIC13 Landforms and landscapes – diversity, significance and management 323
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