Wanderlust World Wanderlust World | Feature | Tropical Deserts | Temperate Deserts |
|---|---|---|
| Latitude | 15°–30° N/S (near Tropics) | 30°–50° N/S (mid-latitudes) |
| Examples | Sahara, Arabian, Thar, Sonoran (low), Australian | Gobi, Great Basin, Patagonian, Central Asian, Great Victoria |
| Temperature | Hot year-round; avg >30°C (86°F); extreme diurnal | Seasonal extremes: hot summers, cold winters (below freezing) |
| Precipitation | Very low (<250 mm/yr); summer convective or winter frontal | Low (250–500 mm/yr); winter frontal, some summer convection |
| Vegetation | Sparse: cacti, succulents, drought-deciduous shrubs, ephemerals | Shrubs, grasses, some trees (juniper, pine); more cover |
| Animals | Nocturnal, burrowing, water-efficient (kangaroo rat, fennec, reptiles) | Wider variety: ungulates, predators, birds, rodents, reptiles |
| Landforms | Sand seas (ergs), dunes, hamada, reg, wadis | Mountains, plateaus, basins, badlands, playas |
| Soils | Aridisols, Entisols; low organic, high salts, caliche | Aridisols, Mollisols (fringe); some organic matter |
Tropical deserts = heat-driven aridity (subtropical high pressure).
Temperate deserts = rain-shadow / continentality-driven aridity (far from moisture sources, blocked by mountains).