Deserts of North America

North American Deserts

Scientists have determined that there are four distinct catagories of deserts in the World. These categories are Subtropical, Cool Coastal, Cold Winter and the Polar regions. North America is home to major deserts from two of these categories.

There are five distinct deserts in the U.S. However some biologists classify t he Mojave as merely a transition between deserts and throw the Colorado Plateau into the Great Basin. I follow the school of thought that there are five distinct areas with very unique properties. There also exists 18 other subdivisions of these deserts, of which more information can be found at DesertUSA .

Below is a summary of these deserts.

Category	Square Miles	Area	Description
Subtropical Deserts
Mojave	54,000	Az, Co, Nv, Ut, Ca	Transition zone between the Sonoran and Great Basin. Death Valley is in the Great Basin-Mojave border. This climate has an extreme varing daily temp and receives less than 5" rainfall per year. Freezing temps can occur in winter and summers are extremely hot, dry and windy. This area is home to the Joshua Tree, found in the higher elevations and only in this desert region. This desert is characterized with mountain chains, dry alkaline lake beds and calcium carbonate dunes.
Sonoran	120,000	Az, Ca, Mexico	This is the hottest of the North American deserts. This desert is comprised of basins and plains bordered by mountains ridges. This is the only desert where the Saguaro will grow. The majority of this desert is in Arizona.
Chihuahuan	175,000	NM, parts of Tx, Mexico	Largely a shrub desert and the largest in North America with most of it in Mexico. Most precipitation occurs during the short, but heavy summer rains, but will still receive less than 10" annually. This is where most varieties of yuccas are found... a main component of Root Beer!
Cold Winter Deserts
Colorado Plateau	130,000	Az, NM, Ut, Co, Wy	Sometimes called the Navajoan, probably because the Navajo nation occupies the majority of this desert land. Other times this is included merely as a subdivision on the Great Basin, making the basin that much larger of a desert. This area is marked with magnificent sedimentary rock formations, mesas and plateaus. Includes the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, San Rafael Swell, Capitol Reef, Arches. etc etc.
Great Basin	190,000	Ut, Nv, Or	The largest desert in the U.S. In this area the precipitation falls more consistently through the year with a large portion coming from snowfall. Mountains ridges, Valley, 1% sand dunes