Wednesday, October 23, 2013

The Contrast In The Desert

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What is your common perception of desert? Hot? Dry? Both are true in some desert, but in other deserts which never get hot, only dry is true.  Some classifies desert as a place where the total annual precipitation is less than 10 inches a year, then, that will eliminate some of the desert we know since they get more precipitation than that. What is considered to be more appropriate description of a desert is when it loses more water from evaporation than it gains water from precipitation. Because of that, the air is very dry. Yet, they can have snow around, just like these:
 Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Canyonlands National Park, UT
Canyonlands National Park, UT
A desert does not have be hot, there are deserts in Antartica which never become hot. A desert does not have to be without surface water too, the Atacama Desert in Chile, one of the most arid places on earth, borders on the ocean.
The desert does not have always to be barren either.
Lundy Lake, Eastern Sierra, CA
 Desert's Fall Colors, Zion National Park, Utah
I am not really an expert of the desert, but in my short time of exploring it, I can say it opens to me a whole new world, a whole new beauty, that I before misunderstood. 
Mono Lake, Eastern Sierra, CA
In its starkness, you see a beauty that is as surreal as it can be.

To quote my sister-in-law, while we were exploring the desert in the Grand Circle middle of April 2009, while gazing at the stark beauty of the desert, she uttered:
 " This is so unreal! All that I see are just out of my imagination. Looks so hot, yet it is so cold. Looks so dry, yet there are lots of snow. I never expected to see more snow here in the desert at this time of the year than where we are in Illinois. This place looks like where the alien most likely will land!"
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15 comments:

  1. that I have to experience in time... i see lots of beautiful places in all your post betchai and learn a lot more. Only now I've seen a desert with snow capped on top and vast waters. great post!

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  2. The sunset shot in Mono Lake is just spectacular. I better check out Lundy Lake when we go back in October.

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  3. Fascinating post about deserts! Years ago, when I learned my husband's job had been transferred to the desert, I thought it would look all barren. But I was delighted to see that the Sonoran Desert has lush vegetation.

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  4. 'why is the desert so lovely to see? there is a reason so lovely to tell- because the desert somewhere is hiding a well,' - the Little Prince (not an exact paraphrase...) good job, bethsky!

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  5. Your photos are just spectacular! like Ayie, I too much more about your desert posts!

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  6. You really have a vast experience on travelling.
    I have not been to any desert, except the desert in my innert part.

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  7. I love the gradation tone of the mono lake.. its like painting :)

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  8. Really Betchai? I've never known desert to be like this. I must have missed it in school hehe. Thanks for your interesting bits of information. Whenever I read your posts, it's like reading a good textbook - very informative.The difference is,your blog is more interesting than textbooks,lol!I have no doubt you're a good teacher.

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  9. Miss Beth, nice post about desserts, este, desert... hehehe... And who would think one could have snow cones in the desert?

    The desert, as books say, is a place of extremes - very hot during the day and very cold during the night...

    Great pictures as always Miss Beth...

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  10. I like the colours of Lundy Lake and the reflection in the waters.

    Is that leftover snow in the first photo?

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  11. thaks a lot everyone.


    Mark, true, depending on the season here, during summer, the desert is very hot but cools down drastically at night. winter, even during the day, they don't get as hot as in the summer.

    Mei, yes, those are left over snow that has not totally melted yet.

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  12. Beautiful captures, and wise words. Thanks for stopping by.

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  13. I remember about different types of deserts a little bit, but you reminded me because I forgot most of it. I like your pictures here, as always.

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  14. Good definition!

    Some breathtaking photos you have here. I love them :)

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  15. my perception of desert totally changed because of you, Beth!

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!!