{"id":1318,"date":"2026-05-12T20:26:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T20:26:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=1318"},"modified":"2026-05-26T14:35:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-26T14:35:27","slug":"23-1-what-characterizes-deserts-physical-geology-2nd-edition","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/chapter\/23-1-what-characterizes-deserts-physical-geology-2nd-edition\/","title":{"raw":"23.1 What Characterizes Deserts? &#8212; Physical Geology &#8211; 2nd Edition","rendered":"23.1 What Characterizes Deserts? &#8212; Physical Geology &#8211; 2nd Edition"},"content":{"raw":"<h1 class=\"entry-title\">23.1 What Characterizes Deserts?<\/h1>\r\nFor an area to be classified as a desert, it must meet four criterion:\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Receives less than 10 inches of precipitation annually.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Has no permanent streams (Figure 23.1.1)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Less than 15% of the ground cover is vegetated.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Contain low human populations &amp; specialized ecosystems.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/e\/e9\/Dry_stream_%2813883363693%29.jpg\" width=\"668\" height=\"426\" \/>\r\n\r\nFigure 23.1.1 This dry stream channel, in California's Death Valley National Park, is what is known as an <strong>ephemeral<\/strong> (<em>temporary<\/em>) stream. These stream beds temporarily \"reactivate\" during a major storm event then become dry again. These is no permanent water flowing here constantly, year-round.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAlthough the last point is more subjective and qualitative (Figure 23.1.2a), also take note that nowhere in the definition of deserts is <em>temperature<\/em> described. Thus, deserts can even occur in very cold regions! This will be discussed in the next section with p<em>olar deserts<\/em>. If one visits the area of Bryce Canyon National Park, in southern Utah, during the winter months, snow in that desert region is expected largely due to the area's high elevation. In fact, snow and ice are crucial for slowly forming the park's famous <strong>hoodoos<\/strong>, or slotted chimneys, that will be discussed later this chapter (Figure 23.1.2b).\r\n\r\n<img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Saguaro_National_Park_East%2C_Arizona%2C_USA_2024_8.jpg\/3840px-Saguaro_National_Park_East%2C_Arizona%2C_USA_2024_8.jpg\" width=\"432\" height=\"288\" \/> <img class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Bryce_Canyon_%28lever_de_soleil%29.jpg\/960px-Bryce_Canyon_%28lever_de_soleil%29.jpg?_=20090804121831\" alt=\"File:Bryce Canyon (lever de soleil).jpg\" width=\"455\" height=\"256\" \/>\r\n\r\nFigure 23.1.2.a (left) These tall Saguaro cacti characterizes Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona. Cactus are probably the most notable plants that often comes to people's minds when deserts are mentioned. Figure 23.1.2b (right) The \"hoodoos\" of Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. Despite being a desert area, snow is common during the winter months.\r\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Figures 23.1.1, 23.1.2a,b: Wikimedia Commons<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","rendered":"<h1 class=\"entry-title\">23.1 What Characterizes Deserts?<\/h1>\n<p>For an area to be classified as a desert, it must meet four criterion:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Receives less than 10 inches of precipitation annually.<\/li>\n<li>Has no permanent streams (Figure 23.1.1)<\/li>\n<li>Less than 15% of the ground cover is vegetated.<\/li>\n<li>Contain low human populations &amp; specialized ecosystems.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/e\/e9\/Dry_stream_%2813883363693%29.jpg\" width=\"668\" height=\"426\" alt=\"image\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Figure 23.1.1 This dry stream channel, in California&#8217;s Death Valley National Park, is what is known as an <strong>ephemeral<\/strong> (<em>temporary<\/em>) stream. These stream beds temporarily &#8220;reactivate&#8221; during a major storm event then become dry again. These is no permanent water flowing here constantly, year-round.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Although the last point is more subjective and qualitative (Figure 23.1.2a), also take note that nowhere in the definition of deserts is <em>temperature<\/em> described. Thus, deserts can even occur in very cold regions! This will be discussed in the next section with p<em>olar deserts<\/em>. If one visits the area of Bryce Canyon National Park, in southern Utah, during the winter months, snow in that desert region is expected largely due to the area&#8217;s high elevation. In fact, snow and ice are crucial for slowly forming the park&#8217;s famous <strong>hoodoos<\/strong>, or slotted chimneys, that will be discussed later this chapter (Figure 23.1.2b).<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/d\/d4\/Saguaro_National_Park_East%2C_Arizona%2C_USA_2024_8.jpg\/3840px-Saguaro_National_Park_East%2C_Arizona%2C_USA_2024_8.jpg\" width=\"432\" height=\"288\" alt=\"image\" \/> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/upload.wikimedia.org\/wikipedia\/commons\/thumb\/a\/aa\/Bryce_Canyon_%28lever_de_soleil%29.jpg\/960px-Bryce_Canyon_%28lever_de_soleil%29.jpg?_=20090804121831\" alt=\"File:Bryce Canyon (lever de soleil).jpg\" width=\"455\" height=\"256\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Figure 23.1.2.a (left) These tall Saguaro cacti characterizes Saguaro National Park in southern Arizona. Cactus are probably the most notable plants that often comes to people&#8217;s minds when deserts are mentioned. Figure 23.1.2b (right) The &#8220;hoodoos&#8221; of Bryce Canyon National Park in southern Utah. Despite being a desert area, snow is common during the winter months.<\/p>\n<h3>Media Attributions<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Figures 23.1.1, 23.1.2a,b: Wikimedia Commons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"author":31,"menu_order":149,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-1318","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":17,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1318","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1443,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1318\/revisions\/1443"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/17"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/1318\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=1318"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=1318"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.ccconline.org\/accphysicalgeology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=1318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}