Mojave desert
- Location: Located in the South-western United States and is composed of Death Valley, Pahrump Valley, Amargosa Valley, and the Las Vegas Valley are some of the surrounding deserts.
- Climate: Strong seasonal winds and clear skies. Windy during most months. Humidity is below 40% most of the year. Precipitation is usually 5 inches. Most rain falls between November and April. Summer rainstorms happen from July to September w/ violent and heavy rains. The desert has experienced these heavy rains since 1950's. Severe erosion of gullies and silt deposits from rainstorms. May and June are usually the driest months.
- Characteristics: Colorado River runs between the Mojave Desert from the East. Sierra Mountains are set on the West. It has an elevation of 2000-5000 ft. Covers about 25000 square miles. Some plants that live in this desert are the Brittlebush, Creosote Bush, Joshua Tree, and the Sagebush. (Plants have an adaption to reach water. Such as shallow roots, spines, and thorns. The shallow roots easily absorb rain because they are so close to the surface, spines store water by expanding like an accordion, and thorns protect the plant from danger). Other organisms that live there, could be the tortoise. (An adaption that the desert tortoise has, is that it eats plants in the spring, so that they have enough food to last them the whole year).
- Unique qualities: It has the rain shadow effect: Rain goes over the mountains and most of it is evaporated by hot air before it reaches the ground.