Chapter 1
The driest and hottest extremes
Chapter 2
Cold deserts and polar plains
Chapter 3
Bizarre survival and desert life
Chapter 4
Mysteries and landmarks of the sands
YOUR GOAL
Master of Secrets of the world's deserts
Ch 2 · Cold deserts and polar plains
schopenhauer Cold Deserts and Polar Plains
It's running red, it's running red / Out in the freezing desert wind
schopenhauer The Great Basin Desert in the United States is a cold desert formed by the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
schopenhauer The Gobi Desert in Central Asia is a cold desert where temperatures can drop to minus 40 degrees Celsius.
BETA
schopenhauer Match bizarre landmarks to discover the surprising secrets of Earth's coldest deserts.
Fun Fact
Antarctica's desert status: Antarctica is the world's largest desert because it receives less than 51 millimeters of water equivalent yearly.
Glossary
permafrost (noun)
A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, chiefly in frigid regions. Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys contain dry permafrost that has remained frozen for millions of years.
A thick subsurface layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year, chiefly in frigid regions. Antarctica's McMurdo Dry Valleys contain dry permafrost that has remained frozen for millions of years.
Quiz
How does the Great Basin Desert receive the majority of its annual precipitation?
Quiz
Which South American country contains almost the entirety of the cold, windswept Patagonian Desert?
Quiz
What are the fierce, gravity-driven winds in Antarctica that can reach speeds of 320 kilometers per hour called?
Quiz
What geographic barrier blocks western rain clouds to create the dry Patagonian Desert?
Quiz
In which two Asian countries is the high-altitude Gobi Desert primarily located?
Quiz
What mountain range creates the rain shadow that forms the Great Basin Desert in North America?
Quiz
Which ice-free region of Antarctica has had no liquid water or snow for nearly 2 million years?