What is a beautiful desert and how to appreciate this beauty? But, looking at the photographs of the Sonoran Desert taken by those who have been there, you understand that it is actually beautiful! Its undulating relief, unusual vegetation, represented by a variety of forms of trees and shrubs, its variety of cacti is simply amazing. Today's tour of it and the photos in the article will confirm that the desert is beautiful!
Desert World
The sandy-stony Sonoran Desert lies in the subtropical zone from the southwest of the United States to the northwest of Mexico, covering part of the Great Basin of the lower reaches of the Colorado River and faceted (otherwise you will not say it) by gentle and steep mountains. At the foot of the mountains lies sand, which is washed down by powerful air currents from the slopes of the mountains down, forming bayadas, which means “slopes” in Spanish. The landscape of the desert is not uniform. Approximately ¼ of the desert is occupied by low hills and small mountains. Depending on the calculation method used fordetermination of large areas, sources show different sizes of the desert area, but not less than 260 square meters. km and no more than 355 sq. km. The Sonoran Desert is so large that it is sometimes referred to as a group of deserts with the names Yuma, Yuha, Colorado and others.
Climate
The desert climate is harsh. Precipitation is rare. In winter, it rains from December to March. The proximity of the desert to the mountains and the ocean has formed a peculiar type of summer weather over the desert with flurries of heavy rains and thunderstorms raging from July to September. Moisture in the desert does not linger due to the high air temperature and the water evaporates quickly. The temperature is always positive, even in the winter months it can be +30°C, with a maximum of +40°C in summer. But the average daily temperature range is large: from +40°С during the day to +2°С at night.
Desert Flora
The Sonoran Desert's bi-seasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species in the Sonoran Desert than in any other desert in the world. It contains plant genera and species from the Agave family, the Palm family, the cactus family, the legume family, and many others. The desert is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus, fishhook, prickly pear, night-flowering organ and pipe organ grow. Cacti provide food for many mammals and birds of the desert. They are very impressive when flowering, covered with red, pink, yellow and white flowers. Most often, cacti bloom from late March to June, depending on the type of cacti and seasonal temperatures. Wildflowers of the desertSonora includes desert sand verbena, desert sunflower and evening primrose. All plants have long roots with which they seek water, plunging into the soil for tens of meters.
Interesting fact
Scientists from the University of Arizona, while conducting research on the presence of life in the almost lifeless and hot deserts, made an amazing discovery. In the thicknesses of seemingly lifeless sands, a huge number of bacteria live - microorganisms that increase the temperature of the soil surface by 10 ° C through their vital activity. Since deserts cover more than 20% of the planet's surface, the conclusions come naturally that desert microorganisms play an important role in the global thermal regime of the planet. Sonora is no exception in this process. The more microorganisms in the soils and sands of the desert, the darker the layers of desert soils become. Microorganisms secrete scytonemin into the soil during their vital activity. It is he who makes the soil dark, and this happens due to the absorption of waves of green and yellow sunlight.
Crack in the Sonoran Desert
As noted above, natural phenomena and microorganisms affect the changes taking place on the planet. Heavy rainfall, especially after drought, and tropical storms encourage crack formation, while artificial cracks can be caused by heavy pumping of groundwater for agricultural protection, exploratory drilling and excavation. That is, a person does not stand aside, thanks to his activity, a break in the American desert could well have occurred. Sonora, discovered 16 kilometers from Arizona's Pikachu State Park. It was in this area that extensive drainage of groundwater in the desert was carried out.
The first cracks appeared in the Sonoran Desert in 1929. There are quite a lot of them at the moment in the desert. In 2013, the Arizona Geological Survey recorded another fissure 5 kilometers long separating the surface of the desert in the Tator Hills region. By 2014, the crack had widened due to heavy autumn rains. Geologists believe that the southern part of the fissure is more recent, and it is believed that this could be an underground void that reached the surface after the monsoons in 2016.
These faults are dangerous for people and SUVs, so in case of faults, the Arizona Geological Survey always warns local residents of the danger.
Desert House
It would seem, who wants to live in the desert? But there are those who want to build a house in the Sonoran Desert in an open and arid space with mystical landscapes. Rocky mountains and giant cacti that create an alien look provide an opportunity to take a break from the hustle and bustle of cities, leave the stone jungle, immersing yourself in the wildlife of the desert.
Architectural bureau DUST helps to realize the most ambitious desires of its clients. In the project of a particular house, the requirement of the construction customers was to minimize the physical impact of the house on its environment. At the same time, it was necessaryto create a place that will serve as a backdrop for life and strengthen the occupants' bonds with the impressive mystical landscape. Therefore, the architects chose a site that is located far from the animal migration routes, where it will be least blown by the winds. To provide residents with drinking water, a rainwater filtration system and its collection and storage have been installed.
Car parking is located 120 meters from the house, which makes it possible to walk along a footpath through a group of tall cacti that cover the house. The internal layout of the house provides the opportunity for family members to communicate in shared rooms; the house also provides an individual personal space for each family member. Sometimes it pays to be alone…
