Deserts

A desert is defined as an area where less than 19.6 inches (50 centimeters) of rain falls each year. Deserts cover about one third of the Earth's land surface. Examples of famous deserts include the Sahara, Atacama and Mojave deserts. Deserts aren't just hot and dry places, though; like Antarctica, they can also be cold and dry. Read below for news about these driest spots on Earth.

Related Topics: Sahara Desert, Climate Change, Water

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Ninja Rat Drop-Kicks Deadly Rattlesnake in Epic Slow-Motion Video

March 28, 2019 | Article

In the dark desert outside Yuma, Arizona, a showdown is about to occur.
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Miles-Long Lake Pops Up in Death Valley

March 12, 2019 | Article

A large lake just formed in the middle of North America's driest area
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Barren Desert 'Fairy Circles' Caused by … Rain?

February 26, 2019 | Article

Odd patterns of bare patches called "fairy circles" found in only two places on Earth may be the result of heavy rain and hot weather.
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What's So Special About the Atacama Desert?

February 12, 2019 | Reference

Northern Chile's dry and desolate Atacama Desert hosts the world's largest array of astronomical observatories. Scientists have called the largely lifeless region Earth's closest analogue of Mars.
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Will It Really Take Joshua Tree '200 to 300' Years to Recover from the Shutdown?

January 31, 2019 | Article

The government shutdown lasted just 35 days. The damage that happened during it at Joshua Tree National Park could take decades to heal.
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Ancient Skeletons of Woman and Fetus Hint at Childbirth Death 3,700 Years Ago

November 19, 2018 | Article

Archaeologists in Egypt recently unearthed a grim discovery: skeletons of a pregnant woman and her fetus.
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Photos: White Sands National Monument

July 22, 2018 | Image Album

A pocket within the largest desert in North America is covered in gorgeous white sand dunes, whose genesis began some 100 million years ago. Here's a look at the gorgeous landscape deep in the Central Plateau of Mexico.
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Quitobaquito — Photos of a Desert Oasis

June 13, 2018 | Image Album

One of North America's most unique desert oases is called Quitobaquito Springs.
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The Sahara Desert Is Growing. Here's What That Means

March 29, 2018 | Article

Since 1920, the Sahara Desert has grown by about 10 percent.
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Underground Castles? How Desert Spiders Craft Vertical Tunnels

December 20, 2017 | Article

Scientists have unearthed desert spiders' underground-tunnel-building secrets.
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