Mojave Desert ( mo- HAH -vee ) is a dry rain-field the shadow sand and the driest desert in North America. It is in the southwest United States, mainly in southeastern California and southern Nevada, and occupies 47.877Ã, sqÃ, mi (124,000 km 2 ). A very small area also extends to Utah and Arizona. Its limits are generally noted by the existence of the Joshua tree, which only comes from the Mojave Desert and is considered an indicator species, and is believed to support 1,750 to 2,000 additional plant species. The middle of the desert is sparsely populated, while its suburbs support large communities such as Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, and St. George.
The Mojave Desert is bordered by the Great Basin Desert in the north and the Sonoran Desert to the south and east. Topographic borders include the Tehachapi Mountains to the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains and the San Bernardino Mountains to the south. The mountain boundaries are different because they are outlined by two of California's biggest mistakes - the fault of San Andreas and Garlock. The Mojave Desert features distinctive basins and topography. The higher altitude above 2,000 ft (610 m)) in Mojave is usually referred to as the High Desert; However, Death Valley is the lowest elevation in North America at 280Ã, ft (85 m) below sea level and is one of the more famous Mojave Desert venues. The Mojave Desert occupies less than 50,000 m² (130,000 km 2 ), making it the smallest desert in North America.
The Mojave Desert is often referred to as the "high desert", in contrast to the "low desert", the Sonoran Desert to the south. However, the Mojave Desert is generally lower than the Great Basin Desert in the north. The spelling Mojave comes from Spanish while the spelling Mohave comes from modern English. Both are used today, even though the official Mojave Tribe uses the spelling of Mojave ; it is a shortened form of Hamakhaave , their endonym in their native language, which means 'next to water'.
Video Mojave Desert
Climate
The Mojave Desert receives less than 13 deep (330 mm) of rain per year and generally between 2,000 and 5,000 feet (610 and 1,520 m) at altitude. The Mojave Desert also contains the National Preserve Mojave; as well as the hottest and hottest places in North America: Death Valley at 282Ã, ft (86 m) below sea level; where temperatures often exceed 120 ° F (49 ° C) from late June to early August. Zion National Park in Utah is located at the intersection of Mojave, Great Basin Desert, and Colorado Plateau. Despite its aridity, the Mojave (and especially the Antelope Valley in the southwest) has long been the center of alfalfa production; fed by irrigation derived from groundwater and (in the 20th century) from the California Aqueduct.
The Mojave is an extreme temperature desert and two different seasons. Winter brings comfortable daytime temperatures, which sometimes drop to about 25 ° F (-4 ° C) on the valley floor, and below 0 ° F (-18 ° C) at the highest altitude. Storms that move from the Pacific Northwest can bring rain and in some places even snow. More often, the rain shadows made by the Sierra Nevada as well as the mountains in the desert like the Spring Mountains, carry only clouds and wind. In longer periods between storm systems, the winter temperatures in the valley can be close to 80 ° F (27 ° C).
Spring weather continues to be affected by the Pacific storm, but rainfall is wider and more rare after April. In early June, rare other Pacific storms had a significant impact on the weather in the region; and temperatures after mid-May are usually above 90 Â ° F (32 Â ° C) and often above 100 Â ° F (38 Â ° C).
Summer weather is dominated by heat. Temperatures on the valley floor can soar above 120Ã, Â ° F (49Ã, Â ° C) and above 130Ã, Â ° F (54Ã, Â ° C) at the lowest elevation. Low humidity, high temperature, and low pressure, attracting moisture from the Gulf of Mexico create a storm in the southwestern desert known as the North American monsoon. While the Mojave does not get nearly as much rainfall as the Sonora desert in the south, rain humidity will create a storm in western California Valley Central from mid-June to early September.
Autumn is generally fun, with one to two Pacific storm systems creating regional rain events. October is one of the driest and sunniest moons in Mojave; and the average high temperatures usually remain between 70Ã, Â ° F (21Ã, Â ° C) and 90Ã, Â ° F (32Ã, Â ° C) on the valley floor.
After the temperature, wind is the most significant weather phenomenon in Mojave. Across the region, windy days are common; and is also common in areas near the transition between the low valleys of Mojave and California, including nearby Cajon Pass, Soledad Canyon and Tehachapi area. During June Gloom, cooler air can be driven into the desert from Southern California. In the Santa Ana wind events, hot air from the desert blows into the valley of Los Angeles and other coastal areas. The wind farm in these areas generates electricity from this wind.
The other major weather factor in the region is elevation. The highest peak in Mojave is Charleston Peak at 11,918 feet (3,633 m); while the Badwater Basin in Death Valley is 279 feet (85 m) below sea level. Thus, temperatures and precipitation run wild in all seasons across the region.
The Mojave Desert has historically not supported the fire regime due to its low fuel and connectivity load. However, in recent decades, invasive annual crops such as Bromus, Schismus and Brassica have facilitated the fire. This has significantly changed many of the desert areas. At higher altitudes, the fire regime is regular but rare.
Maps Mojave Desert
Geography
The Mojave Desert is defined by many mountains that create its xeric conditions. This range often creates valleys, endorheic basins, salt pans, and seasonal saline lakes when rainfall is high enough. These mountains and valleys are part of the Basin and the Territory of the Province and the Great Valley; the geological area of ​​thinning crust that attracts valleys open for millions of years. Most of the valleys are internally drained (endorheic basins), so all the deposition that falls within the valley does not eventually flow into the oceans. Some Mojave (eastward, in and around the Colorado River/Virgin River Gorge) are in a different geographic domain called the Colorado Plateau. This area is known for its incised canyon, high mesas and plateau, and flat strata; a unique geographical region not found elsewhere on earth.
Cities and regions
Although the Mojave Desert itself is sparsely populated, it is increasingly urban in recent years. Metropolitan areas include: Las Vegas, the largest city in Mojave with a metropolitan population of approximately 2.3 million by 2015; St. George is the most northeastern metropolitan area in Mojave, and is located in the convergence of Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Lancaster, California's largest city in the desert; and more than 850,000 people live in the Mojave area connected to the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, including Palmdale and Lancaster, (referred to as the Antelope Valley), Victorville, Apple Valley and Hesperia (referred to as Victor Valley) attached to the inland Metropolitan Empire, the 14th largest in the country.
Small towns or micropolitan areas in the Mojave Desert include Helendale, Lake Havasu City, Kingman, Laughlin, Bullhead City and Pahrump. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990.
Notable cities with less than 30,000 people in Mojave include: Barstow, Boron, California City, Helendale, Joshua Tree, Landers, Lone Pine, Lucerne Valley, Mojave, Needles, Nipton, Pioneertown, Randsburg, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Yucca Valley, and Twentynine Palms in California; Mesquite and Moapa Valley in Nevada; and Hurricanes in Utah.
The desert sections of California also contain Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Station of China Lake, recorded for aviation and experimental weapons projects, and the largest Marine Corps base in the world at Twentynine Palms. The US Army also retains Fort Irwin & amp; The National Training Center (NTC) is a key training area for the United States Military. Mojave Airport is also home to long-term storage facilities for large aircraft due to the extremely dry and non-corrosive weather conditions and ideal soil for aircraft parking. The airport also has the Airport and Aerospace and is one of the test centers for the Virgin Galactic Fleet.
The Mojave Desert has several ghost towns, the most significant being the gold mine of Oatman, Arizona, the silver mining town of Calico, California, and the old rail depot of Kelso. Several other more modern ghost towns, created when Route 66 US (and the lesser known US Route 91) were abandoned for Interstate. The Mojave Desert is crossed by Interstate 15 main highway, Interstate 40, US Route 95, US Route 395, and State Route of California 58.
In addition to the Colorado River in the eastern part of Mojave, several long rivers cross the desert. The Mojave River is an important water source for the southern part of the desert. The Amargosa River flows from the Great Basin Desert to the south near Beatty, Nevada, then underground through Ash Meadows before returning to the surface near Shoshone, California, disappearing underground again moments later and having the last outlet to the southern end of Death Valley. The river floor passes through SR 127 near Dumont Dunes before turning north into Death Valley National Park.
The Mojave Desert is also the playground of Devils Playground; about 40 miles (64 km) of dunes and salt flats in the northwest-southeast direction. Devils Playground is part of the Mojave National Preserve and is located between Baker City, California, and Providence Mountains. The Cronese Mountains are inside the Devils Playground.
Parks and tourism
The Mojave Desert is one of North America's most popular tourist attractions, primarily because of the Las Vegas gambling destination. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, hosting the Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. Lake Mead, Mohave, and Havasu provide water sports recreation, and a large off-road area attracts off-road fans. The Mojave Desert also includes California State Park, California Poppy Reserve's Antelope Valley, in Lancaster. Hoover Dam is a popular tourist destination. Visitors get a chance to see the structure, hydroelectricity, and hear the history of dam construction during the Great Depression.
In addition to major national parks, other areas of significance and tourist interest in the desert such as Big Morongo Canyon Preserve, in the Colorado Desert and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 17 miles (27 km) west of Las Vegas are both managed by the Bureau of Management Land.
Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in Mojave is the world's highest thermometer with a height of 134 feet (41 m), located along Interstate 15 in Baker, California. The newly renovated Kelso Depot is the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Wildlife Refuge. Close to the extensive Kelso Dunes is a popular recreation area. Nipton, California, at the north entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, is a ghost town re-established in 1885.
Several attractions and natural features are in the Calico Mountains. Calico Ghost Town, in Yermo, is managed by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and tourist attractions, and inspired Walter Knott to build Knott's Berry Farm. BLM also manages Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon, two "off-the-beaten-path" scenic attractions along Barstow north in Calicos. The Calico Early Man Site, in Calico Hills east of Yermo, is believed by some archaeologists, including Louis Leakey, to show the earliest evidence with the bending stone tools found here from human activity in North America. Calico Peak rises above all destinations.
The Mojave Desert tour inspired American songwriter, Carrie Jacobs-Bond, to make the living room song "A Perfect Day" in 1909.
Museum
- State Historic Park of the Antelope Valley Indian Museum
- Amargosa Opera House and Hotel
- Barstow Museum Route 66 "Mother Road"
- California Route 66 Museum
- Desert Discovery Center
- Harvey House Railroad Depot
- Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Hotel Employee
- Maturango Museum
- Mojave River Valley Museum
- The American Western Railway Museum
Parks and protected areas
- Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
- Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Desert National Wildlife Refuge (Nevada)
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area
- Mojave National Preserve
- Providence Mountains State Recreation Area
- Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (Utah)
- Red Rock Canyon Park
- Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (Nevada)
- Saddleback Butte State Park
- Snow Canyon State Park (Utah)
Flora
The Mojave Desert flora helps define the so-called Mojave Desert in that the desert itself is generally considered to be underlined by the growth rate of one of its plants, the Joshua tree ( Yucca brevifolia ). Mojave Desert flora is not a vegetation type, although plants in the area have evolved in isolation due to physical barriers. These areas include southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwest of Utah and northwest Arizona in the United States. Flora adapts to very hot and dry conditions, but is generally not as extreme as the adaptations needed to survive in the Sonora desert flora, which has overlap in its main flora, such as the creosote shrub ( Larrea tridentata ). Fauna
Soil and crop conditions
The soil types in the Mojave and Sonoran desert mostly come from volcanoes, especially areas of California. When topography decreases, particle size decreases as you move down the gradient, where you can also find low alkalinity. This erosion gradient is a habitat for many plant communities. As you climb the desert gradient, you will find more inland and alluvial fan land. In this area, most flora are succulents. As you move down the slope, this area is depicted as upper and lower bajada, then you move to playa and salina, and eventually you will reach the river. Dried deciduous plants are found in alluvial fans and upper bajada. Evergreen hardwoods are found in some parts of the upper bajada, but most are found in the lower bajada. Once the salinity increases, you will find plants that are more tolerant to salt. In the river basin, plants are deeply rooted. Due to the harsh and dry conditions in the desert, the plant has adapted to have succulent leaves, with CAM photosynthesis, thorns, buried tubers, feathered or waxy leaves, photosynthetic rods, deep faucet roots, and ephemerals.
West Mojave litigation plan
The US Land Management Bureau (BLM) manages public land in the Mojave Desert as part of its "national landscape conservation system". It has pointed to a large number of off-road vehicle use areas open on public lands in the western Mojave Desert, including El Mirage, Jawbone Canyon, Rasor, Spangler Hills, Stoddard Valley, Dove Spring Canyon, Dumont Dunes, and the world's largest open-off open. area of ​​road vehicle use, Johnson Valley. Open area devoted to unlimited vehicle travel in the western Mojave Desert totaling 363,480 hectares (1,471.0 km 2 ). Some of the additional open areas dedicated to unlimited vehicle travel on public lands have been set in the northern and eastern Colorado Desert (NECO). In 2002, BLM established all laundering in the southeast third of the NECO planning area and was also open to unlimited vehicle travel. This was followed in 2003 by BLM expanding off-road vehicle networks in the western Mojave Desert to increase recreational opportunities of off-road vehicles. In 2004, relative to the case of the Center for Biodiversity, et al., Plaintiff, v. Land Management Bureau, et al., Defendant ; The United States District Court ordered "all off-road vehicle use in washing the NECO Desert planning area while awaiting the publication of a new biological opinion." New biological opinions are then issued and BLM open wash marking in the NECO planning area is restored. In 2006, several environmental groups protested the extension of additional route networks established under the West Mojave Desert (WEMO) plan.
In 2009, US District Judge Susan Illston decided against the proposed proposed additional BLM allowance for the use of off-road vehicles in the western Mojave Desert. According to the verdict, BLM violated its own rules when it was established around 5,000 miles (8,000 km) off-road route in 2006. According to Judge Ilston, the BLM designation was significantly "flawed because it lacked a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitats. Judge Illston found that the bureau did not adequately analyze the impact of routes on air quality, soil, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered Mojave beaver, suggesting that the deserts and resources were "extremely fragile, vulnerable , and slowly healed. "
The court also found that BLM failed to follow the route designation procedure set out in the California Desert Conservation Area Plan, which allowed visitors to make hundreds of illegal OHV routes over the past three decades. The plan usually requires the BLM to consider the impact on private ownership, non-motorized recreational opportunities, and natural resources prior to building off-road areas. The adopted amendment of the West Mojave plan violates the BLM manual guidelines themselves, the 1976 Federal Land Policy and Law (FLPMA) and the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The decision was considered a success for a conservation group coalition, including the California Original Plantation Society, Friends of Juniper Flats, Alliance for Responsible Recreation, Off-Road Vehicle Control, the Center for Biodiversity, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society, which together initiated legal challenges by the end of 2006.
In 2011, Judge Illston decided on a request for improvements put forward by the ten environmental organizations involved. The BLM in this decision is directed to finalize the appointment of the revised WEMO route that complies with all laws and regulations by March 2014. This body is also required in accordance with this rule to place signs on all legalized off-road routes for use , make monitoring plans to determine whether illegal vehicle use occurs, and provide additional enforcement to prevent illegal use.
Gallery
See also
References
Further reading
- Miller, D.M. and Amoroso, L. (2007). Initial surface geology of open-air vehicle area Dove Spring, Mojave Desert, California [USA. Open-File Report of Geological Survey 2006-1265]. Reston, VA: US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey.
- Wild Mojave Wilderness , Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. iv
External links
- The Nature Explorers Mojave Desert Expedition 1 Hour 27 min ecosystem video in July.
- Mojave Desert images in bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
- Mojave Desert Blog
- Mojave Desert Catalog Project
- Community ORV Watch
- Media related to Nature of the Mojave Desert on Wikimedia Commons
- Mojave Desert travel guides from Wikivoyage
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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