It is often taken, that the desert is an area with an average annual rainfall below 250 millimeters. Deserts vary widely across the globe, depending on the location, topography and climatic zone, in which they occur. It can be a rocky desert covered with rock scrap yards or an endless sea of sand with dunes. Rocky hills can rise up in the desert, or overgrown it with sparse clumps of thorny vegetation, it can also be flat, uniformly dead rag of earth.
DESERT TYPES
Rocky desert.
Its surface is horizontal, solid rocks, which were the days of the seas thousands of years ago. These deserts in various parts of the world are very inhospitable, there is no shelter whatsoever and there are strong winds.
Desert with cacti.
In some deserts there are plants specially adapted to these conditions, such as cacti, which can store water. We meet them in the Americas, Australia and Asia.
Very.
It is a vast hot sandy desert with characteristic dunes and barchans (croissant-shaped dunes). Such deserts occupy large areas of North Africa, Australia and Asia.
Semi-desert.
Clumps of dry algae and bushes grow in these areas, but it's too dry there, that there could be grass. They are found in the temperate zone. They are also found in the Americas, Central Asia and Australia.
Protection during a sandstorm.
1. Dust storms are very troublesome, they can change the look of the desert in a flash. Therefore, you should mark the direction of travel with sticks or stones.
2. Try to find any shelter from the wind. Cover your face and neck completely. Calmly wait for the storm to end. Go on your way only when the wind stops completely.
TRAVELING IN THE DESERT
If we travel through the desert in search of water or a place, where you can count on rescue, you should only go at night and, if possible, in the moonlight. In a wilderness devoid of landmarks, it is extremely difficult to find the right direction, find an oasis.
Shadow
In the desert, you can get some shade by hanging a sleeping bag or blanket on a piece of string. The string is attached to sticks stuck in the ground or stones piled up in a mound. You need to dig a hole in the sand, so that you can slip under the blanket.
How long can a man endure without water?
Man needs 4-5 liters of water per day, so that he can walk on foot without exposing the body to exhaustion. In the desert, water losses should be avoided at all costs, therefore any physical exertion should be undertaken at night, to sweat as little as possible. At a temperature of 50 ° C, a person can survive without drinking water for no more than five days, doing nothing, only resting in the shade. This time is cut in half, if you go, even at night. Therefore, when in the desert, you should always think carefully, before you make a move or make an effort, unless you have a large supply of water.
