high desert
Lofty arid plateau
High desert refers to arid plateau regions at elevations typically above 4,000 feet, characterized by sparse vegetation, dramatic temperature swings, and low humidity.
The term is especially common in the American West: They bought a ranch in the high desert outside Santa Fe.
Unlike low desert regions, high desert areas experience cold winters and occasional snow.
Southwestern American desert
- Great BasinClosed hydrological region, American West
- Colorado PlateauElevated arid region, American Southwest
- Joshua TreeBranching desert yucca species
- BendTo flex or curve
Santa Fe · Reno · Albuquerque · Flagstaff · Taos
Aromatic arid-land shrub
- juniperAromatic berry-bearing conifer
- piñonSmall cone-bearing evergreen
- rabbitbrushWestern drought-tolerant shrub
- chaparralDense, drought-adapted shrubbery
shrubland · bunchgrass · xerophyte · pronghorn · jackrabbit · rattlesnake · lizard · coyote
State of being immense
- solitudeState of being alone
- isolationComplete separation from others
- emptinessAbsence of substance
- expanseUnbroken area of space
openness · sparse · uninhabited · desolate · backcountry · off-grid · remote · stillness
Flat highland area
- mesaFlat-topped steep-sided elevation
- butteIsolated flat-topped hill
- basinConcave water receptacle
- escarpmentSteep slope dividing elevations
arroyo · canyon · ridge · badlands · lava field · volcanic · rimrock · outcrop
Prolonged water scarcity
- drynessAbsence of moisture
- parchedExtremely dry or thirsty
- sunbakedDried by solar heat
- dustyCoated with fine particles
aridity · waterless · evaporation · dehydration · alkali · cracked · hardpan · rainless
Measured height above reference
- thin airSeeming nothingness
- mountain backdropPeaks framing a view
- snowcappedCovered in summit ice
- acclimationAdjusting to new conditions
temperature swing · cold nights · frost · clear skies · visibility · ultraviolet · treeline · exposed
Mojave
Southwestern American desert
- Great BasinClosed hydrological region, American West
- Colorado PlateauElevated arid region, American Southwest
- Joshua TreeBranching desert yucca species
sagebrush
Aromatic arid-land shrub
- juniperAromatic berry-bearing conifer
- piñonSmall cone-bearing evergreen
- rabbitbrushWestern drought-tolerant shrub
chaparral · shrubland · bunchgrass · xerophyte · pronghorn · jackrabbit · rattlesnake · lizard · coyote · raven
vastness
State of being immense
expanse · openness · sparse · uninhabited · desolate · backcountry · off-grid · remote · stillness · silence
plateau
Flat highland area
escarpment · arroyo · canyon · ridge · badlands · lava field · volcanic · rimrock · outcrop · wash
drought
Prolonged water scarcity
dusty · aridity · waterless · evaporation · dehydration · alkali · cracked · hardpan · rainless · xeric
altitude
Measured height above reference
- thin airSeeming nothingness
- mountain backdropPeaks framing a view
- snowcappedCovered in summit ice
acclimation · temperature swing · cold nights · frost · clear skies · visibility · ultraviolet · treeline · exposed
- Rural NevadaBeatty, Goldfield, Austin, Eureka, Rachel
- desert climatearid, aridity, dry heat, extreme heat, scorching heat
- Mountain WestColorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
- Southwestmesa, Monument Valley, Arizona, New Mexico, Grand Canyon
- Western Landscapesmesa, butte, canyon, arroyo, sagebrush
- Cold DesertsAntarctic, Gobi, Atacama, Tibetan Plateau, Arctic
high desertlowland
Low-elevation flat land
coastal plain · valley floor · depression · basin · Death Valley
high deserttropical rainforest
Humid equatorial biome with dense vegetation
rainforest · jungle · wetland · swamp · temperate rainforest
high desertdense forest
Closely packed woodland
old-growth forest · jungle · woodland · thicket · verdant landscape