Deserts: Geology and Resources
U. S. Department of the Interior / U. S. Geological Survey
by A. S. Walker
Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado ( photograph by John Keith ).
Beauty is before me
And beauty behind me,
Above and below me hovers the beautiful,
I am surrounded by it,
I am immersed in it.
In my youth I am aware of it,
And in old age
I shall walk quietly
The beautiful trail.
A. S. Walker
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What Is a Desert?
How the Atmosphere Influences Aridity
Where Deserts Form
Types of Deserts
Trade wind deserts
Midlatitude deserts
Rain shadow deserts
Coastal deserts
Monsoon deserts
Polar deserts
Paleodeserts
Extraterrestrial deserts
Desert Features
Soils
Plants
Water
Eolian Processes
Eolian erosion
Eolian transportation
Eolian deposition
Types of Dunes
Remote Sensing of Arid Lands
Mineral Resources in Deserts
Desertification
Problem
Global monitoring
Local remedies
Selected Readings
Length
Area
Temperature
Cover Photographs:
Transcriber’s Notes
