Subscribe now

deserts

Earth

Why is China drilling a hole more than 10,000 metres deep?

An oil company in China has started drilling a hole that would be the deepest in the country and among the deepest in the world

News

Free

Comment

Rare photograph of snow in the usually baking hot Sonoran desert

Regulars

Free

Image taken: 2nd March 2023 SNOW WAY! The surreal site of snow-draped cacti in Arizona???s Sonoran Desert was captured in breath-taking detail by Jack Dykinga last week. The scenes, which meteorologists have described as ???once in a generation??? demonstrate a rare convergence of nature???s extremes. The Sonoran desert is typically known for its arid sub-tropical climate. Even in winter, days are sunny and mild. But this month the area saw 2-4 inches of snow that lasted about 4 hours. Dykinga, who has been photographing the Sonorn Desert since 1976, says the last big snow was a full decade ago. He described this year???s otherworldly scenes as ???pure magic, seemingly out of place and strikingly beautiful.??? Before the snow arrived, the Desert looked completely different, boasting an explosion of flowers and clear blue skies. The reason for the uncharacteristic snowfall is not fully understood. The current La Ni??a event (a cyclic weather pattern that influences global weather) is partly responsible, coupled with a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean and cold air migrating south from the Arctic. Climate change also means extreme weather events are becoming more likely.

Life

First full survey of Peru and Chile’s threatened fog island ecosystems

News

Subscriber-only

fog oasis
People planting trees

Environment

A wall of trees is being built across Africa to hold back the desert

News

Subscriber-only

soldier Saharan silver ant

Life

Desert ant runs so fast it covers 100 times its body length per second

News

Free

Prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) may struggle to get enough water due to climate change

Life

Desert birds are struggling to get enough water to stay cool

News

Free

Dubai painting

Humans

Disappearing buildings in the desert aren't all they seem

Regulars

Free

protest

Earth

Green thinking in the era of Trump

Culture

Free

Arsenic

Life

Desert people evolve to drink water poisoned with deadly arsenic

News

Free

Earth

Mysterious fairy circles in Namibian desert explained at last

Patterns in desert vegetation have been puzzling ecologists for years, but now it seems to have been finally cracked: both water and termites are at play

News

Free

Namibian fairy circle

Life

Elusive Arabian sand cat spotted after 10 years' disappearance

News

Free

Earth

Nomad’s land: Journey into the rugged heart of the Sahara

Features

Life

Who needs water? Dry volcanic vents more alive than wet soil

News

Free

Life

Desert plant seen drinking fog and mist with its leaves

News

Free