The 9 Most Extreme Deserts in the World

5. Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert stretches for over 1 million km (500,000 miles) across northwestern China and southern Mongolia. The desert is a rain shadow formation; the high peaks of the Himalayas block rain-carrying clouds from the Indian Ocean from reaching the Gobi, resulting in an area that receives annual rainfall of less than 8 inches; much of the precipitation the desert does receive occurs in winter, as wicked winds blow in moisture from the Siberian steppes. While there are some sand dunes, much of the Gobi is simply barren or exposed rock. The Gobi’s climate is an extreme one, with frigid winters and hot summers; temperatures can fluctuate as much as 35°C in the span of 24 hours. More alarming is that the Gobi has been expanding at a rate of about 3,600 km (1,390 miles) per year and dust storms have been increasing in frequency over the last 20 years.

4. Arabian Desert

Much as the Sahara is the name on everyone’s lips when they talk about deserts, the Arabian Desert is likely what everyone pictures. This tract of 2 million+ km (900,000 miles) stretches through Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman, to Jordan and Iraq. This vast swath of wilderness is home to some isolated sand seas; the center of the desert is the Rub’al-Khali, one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world. Since the area is so large, it is possible to subdivide it into different regions; some areas receive 100 mm of rain per year, while other areas receive as little as 50 mm of rainfall. Daytime temperatures soar and drop at night, sometimes to the point of freezing. Record highs exceed 50°C (122°F). In addition, the desert receives around 3,400 hours of sunshine per year, making it one of the sunniest places on earth.

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