hyper-arid
Extremely lacking moisture
Hyper-arid describes climates or regions with extreme dryness—even more severe than arid.
These environments receive almost no rainfall, often less than 25 millimeters annually, and may go years without precipitation.
The Atacama Desert and parts of the Sahara qualify as hyper-arid: The hyper-arid core of the desert supports almost no plant life.
To leave behind completely
- AtacamaChilean coastal desert
- SaharaLargest hot desert
- extremeFurthest from moderate
- droughtProlonged water scarcity
rainfall · precipitation · desiccation · moisture · evaporation · barren · parched · bone-dry
Alphabetical guide to contents
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- measurementDetermining size or amount
- millimetersMetric units, thousandths of meters
annual · evapotranspiration · UNEP · research · monitoring · satellite · data · hydrology
Seasonal desert watercourses
- playasDried-up lake basins
- NamibSouthwestern African coastal desert
- GobiCentral Asian arid region
- badlandsArid, heavily eroded terrain
ergs · regs · canyon · mesa · basin · rocky · windswept · desolate
Drought-tolerant plant species
- succulentMoist and flavorful
- dormancySuspended biological activity
- camelHumped desert mammal
- scorpionStinging arachnid with pincers
fennec · survival · sparse · vegetation · ephemeral · seeds · germination · extremophile
desert
To leave behind completely
drought · rainfall · precipitation · desiccation · moisture · evaporation · barren · parched · bone-dry · climatology
index
Alphabetical guide to contents
- classificationSystematic grouping by traits
- thresholdPoint of beginning
- measurementDetermining size or amount
millimeters · annual · evapotranspiration · UNEP · research · monitoring · satellite · data · hydrology · quantification
wadis
Seasonal desert watercourses
badlands · ergs · regs · canyon · mesa · basin · rocky · windswept · desolate · expanse
xerophyte
Drought-tolerant plant species
scorpion · fennec · survival · sparse · vegetation · ephemeral · seeds · germination · extremophile · crust