There are large areas in the world considered ” cold deserts “: these are certainly fascinating places, but where it is difficult if not impossible to stop for a long time . But what is meant by “cold desert”
And what are the largest cold deserts in the world
Let’s find out together.
What is the meaning of cold desert
When we talk about “desert” usually comes to mind the huge arid expanses such as those of the Sahara, in North Africa. Technically, however , the desert is a large expanse without rainfall, uncultivated and uninhabited , and can be found both in hot climates and in temperate and cold climates.. Some of the coldest areas in the world are considered “cold deserts”: let’s see what they are.
10 – Namib Desert, 80,900 km2
Located in southern Africa, the Namib Desert is known for its cold temperatures caused by the Benguela current , favored by its location along the coast. This cold desert is also known for its strong winds which lead to incredible sandstorms , the cause of numerous shipwrecks .
9 – Taklamakan Desert, 270,000 km2
Photo of Colegota Central Asian desert in western China. Since it is located in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, this desert is subject to Siberian influences andwinter temperatures can go as low as – 26 ° C. In many winters there was also the deposition of a layer of frozen snow with a maximum thickness of 4 cm. In the photo we see its snow-covered dunes.
8 – Kizilkum Desert, 300,000 km2
Very vast cold desert located between Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, in Central Asia . With very severe winters , during the period from mid-May to mid-September, temperatures in certain areas can reach up to 50 ° C.
7 – Colorado Plateau, 337,000 km2
This vast plateau, crossed by the Colorado River and its tributaries, is located in the southwest of the United States and touches Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. The spectacle is impressive : the various rivers have carved deep canyons into the rocks, the most famous of which is the Grand Canyon. The driest area is often hit by hurricanes.
6 – Karakum Desert, 350,000 km2
Photo by flydime This desert is also located in Central Asia, in the Turkmenistan area . Very characteristic are the takyr , large basins separated by dunes generated by winds. The vegetation is very limited and the desert is known for the gate of hell, a huge hole made by man in 1971 to find oil. In January, temperatures can reach – 20 ° C.
5 – Patagonian Desert, 673,000 km2
The Patagonian Desert is the largest desert in the entire American continent , and is mainly found in Argentina, Patagonia, Chile . The temperature never goes above 12 ° C and the annual average is 3 ° C. There are frequent frosts but, due to drought, snowfalls are very scarce.
4 – Greenland, 974,000 km2
Greenland is known to be one of the largest and coldest desert areas in the world . In particular theNortheast Greenland National Park , which covers about 45% of the island’s surface, has temperatures as low as -50 ° C : this is why the area is totally uninhabited.
SEE ALSO : THE MOST UNEXPLORED PLACES OF THE PLANET
3 – Gobi Desert, 1,300,000 km2
Located in Asia, the Gobi Desert covers the north and north west of China and a portion of Mongolia . Located on the top of a plateau, the high altitude leads to very low temperatures: at night it reaches -40 ° C.
2 – Arctic, 13,700,000 km2
Much more than cold: the Arctic, together with Antarctica, is one of the polar areas of the Earth. It does not have a well-defined extension as it includes various areas of some continents. The Arctic and the region of the land surrounding the North Pole , and winter temperatures drop to -58 ° C.
1 – Antarctica, 13,829,430 km2 Antarctica, a region opposed to the Arctic and including the seas and land surrounding the South Pole ,
wins our ranking of the coldest deserts in the world . 98% of the land is covered by ice from the Antarctic ice sheet. The minimum temperatures go down to -50 ° C, and in 2010 even between Dome Argus and Dome Fuji a temperature of -93.2 ° C was recorded.
