Weve also recorded an episode of Astronomy Cast all about planet Earth. A sensor aboard NASA's Terra satellite is now collecting detailed measurements of how much sunlight the earth's surface reflects back up into the atmosphere. That might sound like a surprisingly large amount but that's based on the official definition of a desert. Desertification usually happens in semi-arid areas that border deserts.Human activities are a primary cause of desertification. One legend holds that the Persian Emperor Cambyses II sent an army of 50,000 men to the Siwa Oasis in western Egypt around 530 BCE. The Hohokam used the canals to irrigate their crops. How was Rome founded? In 1994, the United Nations established the Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), through which 122 countries have committed to Land Degradation Neutrality targets, similar to the way countries in the climate Paris Agreement have agreed to targets for reducing carbon pollution. Deserts are part of a wider class of regions called drylands. How much of the earth's land surface is desert? A large factor in determining whether a biome is a desert is precipitation. A place that receives less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain per year is considered a desert. The remaining 195 countries and regions below 1%, combined, account for the other half of Earth's land surface. Seen from space, the majority of the Earths surface is covered by oceans that makes up 71% of the surface of the Earth, with the remaining 29% for land. A fertile green area called an oasis, or cienega, may exist near such a water source. If desert communities use groundwater faster than it is replenished, water shortages can occur. This process, known as desertification, is not caused by drought, but usually arises from deforestation and the demands of human populations that settle in semiarid lands. This would mean that there would be no more coral reefs, no more marine life, and no more waves . During a sudden storm, water scours the dry, hard-baked land, gathering sand, rocks, and other loose material as it flows. Subtracting this uninhabitable 57% (32 665 981 mi2) from the total land area leaves 24 642 757 square miles or 15.77 billion acres of habitable land. The Gobi is also in the rain shadow of the Himalaya mountains to the south.Polar DesertsParts of the Arctic and the Antarctic are classified as deserts. The definitions for these categories asdefined bythe UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are given below.4, Naturally regenerated forest of native species, where there are no clearly visible indications of human activities and the ecological processes are not significantly disturbed.. However, the LSA changes induced by global vegetation greening are still not clear, and contrasting responses of LSA to vegetation changes were . But what percentage of the Earths land surface is desert? Brazil is the only other country with more than 10% of global forest cover. Most deserts. WWII soldiers accidentally discovered this ancient royal tomb, Why some people celebrate Christmas in January. Can fasting help you live longer? What share of the worlds forests does each country have? Throughout the Middle East, communities have dug artificial wadis, where freshwater can flow during rainy seasons. Today half of global habitable land isused for farming. 1. If you have questions about licensing content on this page, please contact ngimagecollection@natgeo.com for more information and to obtain a license. Some xerocoles avoid the sun by resting in scarce shade. Desert parks, such as Death Valley National Park, California, attract thousands of visitors every year. Naturally regenerated forest where there are clearly visible indications of human activities. People have damaged forests . Heres how different cold and flu drugs work, This desert oasis is a time capsule of Egypts grand past, This mysterious son of a witch founded Glasgow, Singapores art and culture scene is a love letter to its city, An adventure across Abu Dhabis diverse landscapes, Photograph by Jonas Bendiksen, Nat Geo Image Collection. This often produces several human health problems that range from malnutrition, respiratory disease caused by dusty air, and other diseases stemming from a lack of clean water. Desert are any region on Earth that can have a moisture deficit over the course of a year. Continue Reading 12 More answers below Sean Kernan Upvoted by Catia Gal A place that receives less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of rain per year is considered a desert. See which countries are gaining forest though natural forest expansion and afforestation. Foxes, coyotes, rats, and rabbits are all nocturnal desert mammals. Global warming is the most current instance of climate change. Today glaciers cover approximately: 3% of Earth'ssurface. A similar effort is underway in northern China, with the government planting trees along the border of the Gobi desert to prevent it from expanding as farming, livestock grazing, and urbanization, along with climate change, removed buffering vegetation. In countries like Yemen, artificial wadis can carry enough water for whitewater rafting trips during certain times of the year.When deserts and water supplies cross state and national borders, people often fight over water rights. Others are mountainous. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Hot and Cold DesertsThe largest hot desert in the world is the Sahara, which is 9 million square kilometers (3.5 million square miles). These spinning columns of dirt can rise hundreds of feet in the air. Light rains often evaporate in the dry air, never reaching the ground. Text on this page is printable and can be used according to our Terms of Service. Its a popular practice, and research shows it has real health benefits. Roads and buildings were washed away, and more than 100 people died.Even in a desert, water and wind eventually wear away softer rock. However, it comes at a cost to the environment. Not in a day, and not by twins. Few organisms can withstand the freezing, dry climate of Antarctica.Changing DesertsThe regions that are deserts today were not always so dry. Imagine a world without water. This art style formally termed as Land Art gained prominence in 1960s and 70s United States, in the context of the rise of the environmental movement amidst civil rights and antiwar . The amount of water available in a spring varied with the time of the year and the amount of rainfall. Knowledge on this subject allows for improving the urban climate through better planning and construction of urban infrastructure and adapting cities to . It can be folded and unfolded to cover the mouth, nose, and eyes. Less than 30% of the 510 million square kilometers of area on the Earth's surface is covered by land. On the other hand, every few years, an unusually rainy period can produce "super blooms," where even the Atacama becomes blanketed with wildflowers.Desert Animals and PlantsDesert animals have evolved ways to help them keep cool and use less water. Hydrogen molecules in the fat combine with inhaled oxygen to form water. In a study, published in the journalNature, Thomas Crowther and colleagues (2015) mapped tree density across the world.3To do this, they utilised 429,775 ground-sourced measurements of tree density from every continent on Earth to generate a global map of forest trees. The Earth is covered with 71% of water and rest 29% is land. This is a natural effect and thanks to its existence, our average global earth surface temperature is a comfortable 15C, which enables us to grow crops and exist. Dromedary camels, native to the Arabian and Sahara deserts, can lose up to 30 percent of their body weight without harm. About 33-35% of the earth's land surface is covered by deserts. Earth, third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of size and mass. A flash flood like this can sweep away anything and anyone in its path. b. Some deserts are among the planet's last remaining areas of total wilderness. Human activities such as burning fossil fuels contribute to global warming.In deserts, temperatures are rising even faster than the global average. The environmental impact of dams was not considered when the structures were built. All other material, including data produced by third parties and made available by Our World in Data, is subject to the license terms from the original third-party authors. The amount of evaporation in a desert often greatly exceeds the annual rainfall. Yet more than one billion people, one-sixth of Earth's population, actually live in desert regions.What Is a Desert?Deserts cover more than one-fifth of Earth's land area, and they are found on every continent. Some desert vultures urinate on their own legs, cooling them by evaporation.Many desert animals have developed ingenious ways of getting the water they need. Many of these people rely on centuries-old customs to make their lives as comfortable as possibleCivilizations throughout the Middle East and Maghreb have adapted their clothing to the hot, dry conditions of the Sahara and Arabian deserts. Some deserts are among the planet's last remaining areas of total wilderness. Nanoclay keeps the sand moist, clumping it together and preventing it from blowing away.Deserts Get HotterRising temperatures can have huge effects on fragile desert ecosystems. This degradation tends to be driven by a number of factors, including urbanization, mining, farming, and ranching. Rangelands are varied and complex systems that produce a myriad of valuable goods and services. And heres a link to NASAs Earth Observatory. warm the surface of the earth and the surrounding lower atmosphere. Any interactives on this page can only be played while you are visiting our website. On the other hand, every few years, an unusually rainy period can produce "super blooms," where even the Atacama becomes blanketed in wildflowers. If you have questions about how to cite anything on our website in your project or classroom presentation, please contact your teacher. Some areas of the Atacama are often covered by fog. Seven statesWyoming, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, and Californiarely on the river for some of their water supply.People often modify rivers to help distribute and store water in a desert. 1996 - 2022 National Geographic Society. These areas exist under a moisture deficit, which means they can frequently lose more moisture through evaporation than they receive from annual precipitation. How much of the earth's land surface is covered by glaciers and deserts? But within this total, there are multiple types of forest: primary forests which have not been disturbed by human activities versus regenerated or planted forests. The risk of desertification is widespread and spans more than 100 countries, hitting some of the poorest and most vulnerable populations the hardest, since subsistence farming is common across many of the affected regions. It differs from air temperature (the temperature given in weather reports . Just 3 percent of the surveyed lands are unchanged, researchers reported April 15 in Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. Overgrazing and deforestation remove plants that anchor the soil. When the air moves over the mountaintop and begins to descend the leeward slopes, there is little moisture left. About 2 billion people live on the drylands that are vulnerable to desertification, which could displace an estimated 50 million people by 2030. 173,000 km 2 - 115,000km 2 = 58,000 km 2. The Nile provides the most reliable, plentiful source of freshwater in the region. In fact, the largest cold desert in the world is the continent of Antarctica. What is the fraction of earth that is not. A new diet that tricks your body into thinking its fasting may have similar benefits. This leaves what we call habitable land. Designed to create a productive work environment where teammates can interact and share ideas, this mobile whiteboard's surface area is easily. The area used for livestock farming in particular is equal in area to the worlds forests. The study analyzed three factors to assess the integrity and intactness of Earth's ecosystems. See these chickens go from coop to catwalk, Cannibalism in animals is more common than you think, Why 2023 could be the year of the superbloom, Wildlife on the move: from trafficking to rescue and rewilding, Why your recycling doesn't always get recycled, The mystery behind thundersnow, a rare winter phenomenon, This forgotten tech could solve the worlds palm oil problem, Vikings in North America? It is designated by the symbol . This evidence includes rock paintings, graves, and tools. Other subtropical deserts include the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa and the Tanami Desert in northern Australia.Coastal DesertsCold ocean currents contribute to the formation of coastal deserts. Many desert cities, from the American Southwest to the Middle East, rely heavily on such aquifers to fill their water needs. Deserts are part of a wider class of regions called drylands. At night, these areas cool quickly because they lack the insulation provided by humidity and clouds. Approximately 20% of the Earth's land surface are hot deserts. The UNCCD has also promoted the Great Green Wall Initiative, an effort to restore 386,000 square miles (100 million hectares) across 20 countries in Africa by 2030. The audio, illustrations, photos, and videos are credited beneath the media asset, except for promotional images, which generally link to another page that contains the media credit. The driest deserts, such as Chile's Atacama Desert, have parts that receive less than .08 inches (2 mm) of precipitation a year. Many desert regions discourage visitors from hiking or camping in arroyos for this reason.Even urban areas in deserts can be vulnerable to flash floods. Climate scientists predict that global warming will lead to more rainfall in some regions, but less rainfall in other places. In the course of these activities, trees and other vegetation are cleared away, animal hooves pound the dirt, and crops deplete nutrients in the soil. These drylands account for more than 40 percent of the world's terrestrial surface area. What percentage of Earth is desert? Many escape the heat in cool burrows they dig in the ground. The distribution of trees across the world is shown in the interactive map. Far from being barren wastelands, deserts are biologically rich habitats with a vast array of animals and plants that have adapted to the harsh conditions there. At first that sounds like a lot and it is. Antarctica, although not a country, covers the second largest amount of land overall at 2.75%.Meanwhile, the other nations that surpass the 1% mark for surface area include the United States (1.87%), Brazil (1.67%), and Australia (1.51%).. In northern China, growing urbanization, which left much of the land unprotected against wind erosion and the buildup of sediment from the surrounding desert, created a desertification problem, prompting the government to build a "great green wall" as a hedge against encroaching desert.In existing deserts, some species are in peril because of climate change. This is roughly equal to the area of Spain. Dividing the global yearly demand by 400 kWh per square meter (198,721,800,000,000 / 400) and we arrive at 496,804,500,000 square meters or 496,805 square kilometers (191,817 square miles) as the area required to power the world with solar panels. Many desert animals, such as the fennec fox, are nocturnal, coming out to hunt only when the brutal sun has descended. A new diet that tricks your body into thinking its fasting may have similar benefits. The Sahara Desert is almost the size of the entire continental United States. Some deserts are mountainous. If a media asset is downloadable, a download button appears in the corner of the media viewer. 6. That might sound like a surprisingly large amount, but thats based on the official definition of a desert. A djebba is a short, square pullover shirt worn by men. How Much Rangeland is There? This is around one-quarter (26%) of total (both habitable and uninhabitable) land area. Aquifers take a long time to refill. Unfortunately, at the time farmers were investing in slash-and-burn agriculture, Madagascar experienced long-term droughts. Modern-day residents also rely on an extensive canal system to provide irrigation. All of our charts can be embedded in any site. When citing this topic page, please also cite the underlying data sources. Some plants have adapted to the arid climate by growing long roots that tap water from deep underground. It is less pronounced in desert cities than cities built in heavily forested areas. "Smallholders are now seen as part of the solution of land degradation rather than a main problem, which was a prevailing view of the past. Brazil, the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also have a largest forest area more than 100 million hectares each. These developing countries use Lake Chads shallow waters for agriculture, industry, and hygiene. The temperature of a city's surface is influenced by many factors, including human-dependent ones that can be shaped, such as the urban density, the condition of urban vegetation, the presence of urban water bodies, and soil moisture. The total land surface area of Earth is about 57 308 738 square miles of which about 33% is desert and about 24% is mountainous. Nomadic cultures are those that do not have permanent settlements. - has been the . An abundance of rain in California has set the stage for an epic sea of flowers this spring. Large areas of desert soil are irrigated by water pumped from underground sources or brought by canal from distant rivers or lakes. There are over 510 million square kilometers of area on the surface of Earth but less than 30%of this is covered by land. Winds at speeds of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour) sweep through some deserts. The world's primary feudal landowner is Queen Elizabeth II. How are our forests distributed across the world regions? They usually shift a few meters a year, but a particularly violent sandstorm can move a dune 20 meters (65 feet) in a single day.Sandstorms may bury everything in their pathrocks, fields, and even towns. Total surface area of earth: 510,072,000 sq km Total water surface area: 70.8% (361,132,000 sq km) Total land surface area: 29.2% (148,940,000 sq km) There are a total of 5 oceans, and they are the Arctic, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and the Antarctic Ocean. Straw is poked partway into the sand, forming a pattern of small squares along the contours of the dunes. Rapidly expanding populations in California, Nevada, and Arizona have compounded the problem. Small pores in the leaves, called stomata, take in carbon dioxide. If all of the world's water was poured on the contiguous United States, it would cover the land to a depth of about 107 miles (145 kilometers). Many desert plants can live for hundreds of years. The Great Green Wall initiative in Africa has evolved away from the idea of simply planting trees and toward the idea of "re-greening," or supporting small farmers in managing land to maximize water harvesting (via stone barriers that decrease water runoff, for example) and nurture natural regrowth of trees and vegetation. Figs, olives, and oranges thrive in desert oases and have been harvested for centuries.Some desert areas rely on resources brought from more fertile areasfood trucked in from distant farmlands or, more frequently, water piped from wetter regions. Seeking greater economic opportunities, farmers in Madagascar engaged in slash-and-burn agriculture. We get that the four arid climates (group B), add up to 4.401 10 7 k m 2 of a total of 1.527 10 8 k m 2 inventoried in the dataset (A good match for the figure of of global land area of 1.489 10 8 k m 2 listed by wikipedia ), leading to a grand total of 28.8% of Earth's land surface corresponding to arid climates. But in cities, structures like buildings, roads, and parking lots hold on to daytime heat long after the sun sets. A jackrabbits long ears contain blood vessels that release heat. Rising from the AshesThe desert city of Phoenix, Arizona, is named for the mythical desert bird that burns to death only to be reborn, rising from its own ashes. The total land surface area of Earth is about 57 308 738 square miles of which about 33% is desert and about 24% is mountainous. The ground heats the air so much that air rises in waves you can actually see. Water for irrigation is transported from hundreds of kilometers away, or drilled from hundreds of meters underground.Oases in desert climates have been popular spots for tourists for centuries. But some deserts are always cold, like the Gobi desert in Asia and the polar deserts of the Antarctic and Arctic, which are the world's largest. Sugar cane is a very water-intensive crop mostly harvested in tropical regions. According to Earther, 97 percent of the . In the deserts of the Middle East and Asia, nomadic tent communities continue to flourish. The total land surface area of Earth is about 57 308 738 square miles of which about 33% is desert and about 24% is mountainous. The hard, flat surface of desert salt flats are often ideal for car racing. Groundwater comes from rain or other precipitation, like snow or hail. The pounding of the soil by the hooves of livestock in ranching, for example, may degrade the soil and encourage erosion by wind and water. 33,700 km 2 - 20,135 km 2 = 13,565 km 2. It isn't the hottest place on Earth, though. Forests account for a little over one-third (38%) of habitable land area. Earth's name in English, the international language of astronomy, derives from Old English and Germanic words for . Heres how different cold and flu drugs work, This desert oasis is a time capsule of Egypts grand past, This mysterious son of a witch founded Glasgow, Singapores art and culture scene is a love letter to its city, An adventure across Abu Dhabis diverse landscapes. Deforestation can include clearing the land for farming or livestock, or using the timber for fuel,. Desert plants have adapted to go without fresh water for long stretches of time. It contains all or parts of five continents [1] ( Antarctica, Australia, about 90% of South America, approx. As the muddy water roars downhill, it cuts deep channels, called arroyos or wadis. FAO said the creation of the new database marks a "major improvement" in information regarding the physical characteristics of the Earth's surface. how much land is covered by croplands, trees or forests, bare soils, etc. The Lyran Giants may be the oldest humanoid race in the Milky Way Galaxy. Continents Located in the Northern Hemisphere Asia Tiny changes on Earth's surface may precede big disruptions like the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake that left this rupture in the Mojave Desert in California. Unauthorized use is prohibited. In fact the land of Canaan is described as "a land with streams of water, springs, and deep water sources, flowing in both valleys and hills" (Deut. Licenses: All visualizations, data, and articles produced by Our World in Data are open access under the Creative Commons BY license. This degradation tends to be driven by a number of factors, including urbanization, mining, farming, and ranching. Sometimes, rock is carved into tablelike formations such as mesas and buttes. All rights reserved. Most experts agree that a desert is an area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year. It is estimated that 68% of the Earth's land exists in the Northern Hemisphere, while 32% is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Turbans are also much longerup to six meters (20 feet)!Desert dwellers have also adapted their shelters for the unique climate. 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