The Himalayas influenced the climate and topography, leading to the formation of the desert. This article examines the process and geological changes.
Are all deserts barren lands where hot, fierce sandstorms blow? While there are tropical deserts, there are also temperate deserts, such as those in the highlands or interior of continents, where summers are hot but winters are cold. Deserts are generally defined as regions with annual precipitation of 250 mm or less, and most are located in low and mid-latitudes. Deserts are known to be inhospitable environments for living organisms, but there are various ecosystems and living organisms within them.
The climate and environmental conditions of deserts are known to be very extreme, making it difficult for many living organisms to adapt. The temperature rises extremely during the day and drops sharply at night, so plants and animals that need to adapt to these temperature changes have had to develop special survival strategies. For example, cacti, a typical plant of deserts, minimize evaporation through thick stems that can store water and thorny leaves, and their roots are very widely spread, so they can effectively absorb water even with little rain. Among animals, many are nocturnal animals that hide in the ground during the day and become active at night.
Deserts at low latitudes are located where the Tropic of Cancer or Tropic of Capricorn pass, and these regions are semi-permanently under high atmospheric pressure due to the Earth’s atmospheric circulation, creating a hot and dry climate. Tropical deserts such as the Sahara Desert and the Arabian Desert, which are located at the Tropic of Cancer, were formed due to these factors. This region has a large temperature difference between day and night, and strong sunlight directly shines down on it, making it very difficult for living things to survive. Nevertheless, special plants such as cacti have taken root in the desert, and some animals have various survival strategies, such as hiding in the ground during the day to avoid the heat and becoming active at night.
The formation process of the Great Salt Lake Desert in the western United States and the Taklamakan Desert in western China, which are located in mid-latitudes, is different. The Great Salt Lake Desert was formed when the Sierra Nevada Mountains blocked the movement of moisture in the moist air flowing from the ocean. This is because the air containing moisture loses moisture when it reaches the other side of the high mountain range, becoming dry. The Taklamakan Desert was formed because it is not only cut off from the ocean by the Himalayas, but also located in the middle of the continent. The loss of moisture in the air during the process of moving into the interior of the continent is also a cause of desert formation. As such, deserts are formed by factors such as the atmospheric circulation, topographical characteristics, and geographical location.
What is interesting is that the fossils of Neogene-period organisms that once lived in a tropical wet environment were found in the dry region of the Tibetan Plateau, which is adjacent to the Taklamakan Desert. This led scientists to hypothesize that this region was once a low-lying, wet area that was affected by tectonic plate movements. According to the existing theory of tectonic plate movement, the Himalayas were said to have risen as the Indian subcontinent collided with the Eurasian continent as it moved north. The biogenic fossils found in the Tibetan Plateau seemed to fit well with this theory. Scientists have concluded that the region rose with the formation of the Himalayas, based on the results of paleomagnetic measurements of sedimentary strata as well as carbon isotope analysis of fossils. Therefore, the formation of the Taklamakan Desert, which is adjacent to the Tibetan Plateau, is fundamentally related to the tectonic movement of the Himalayas.
The deserts of the Australian continent have similar aspects. The Australian continent, which separated from Antarctica about 50 million years ago, was moved north by tectonic plate movement and is located at low latitudes near the Tropic of Capricorn. It is understood that the formation of the desert began after that. In the process, Australia has developed a unique ecosystem, which has become home to a variety of plants and animals that are resilient to desert environments. Australia’s deserts are home to animals such as kangaroos and emus, which have unique physiological characteristics that allow them to survive in extreme conditions. For example, kangaroos efficiently reabsorb water in their bodies to minimize water loss, and emus travel over large areas in search of food and water.
Deserts are not simply inhospitable wastelands. They are home to unique ecosystems and adaptable life forms, and humans have also developed various ways to survive in desert environments. For example, nomads who traditionally lived in deserts have lived in constant motion in search of water and food through mobile housing, and in modern times, various attempts are being made to turn deserts into green spaces. These efforts are important to preserve the ecosystems of the desert while increasing the chances of human survival. Recently, there have also been attempts to transform deserts into centers of energy production through solar power generation. This is attracting attention as a way to produce sustainable energy by utilizing the large area of the desert and strong sunlight.
The formation of deserts reflects the complex mechanisms of nature, which play an important role as part of the Earth’s diverse climate and ecosystems. Understanding and studying deserts provides important clues to understanding the Earth’s past, present, and future, which also plays an important role in protecting the environment and building a sustainable future. Research on desert ecosystems is also important from the perspective of climate change and environmental protection, which is a problem directly related to the survival of humanity. Therefore, we must recognize and protect deserts as important natural resources of the Earth, not as simple wastelands.
