Deserts or Death- The Sonoran Desert

A Horrible Geography of the Sonoran Desert.

If you have always thought that deserts were simply useless wastelands, you are very, very wrong. They are not wastelands. They are flourishing and lush death traps. But of all the deserts, none is as devastatingly horrible as the Sonoran desert.

The Sonoran desert is located on the border of Arizona and Mexico, in the south of North America, by many canyons (like the Grand Canyon and the Verde Canyon). It stretches over a vast 311,000 km²! It's geographical coordinates are 32°15′36″N 112°55′34″W. It is one of the largest deserts in America, and also said to be one of the very hottest. However, it is certainly not 'tropical' heat- it is a very dry, deadly kind of heat.

The Sonoran desert is home to many different kinds of dangerous animals and plants. These plants and animals don't just survive here- they have adapted to live without harm in the desert. They all have ways to protect themselves- whether they be defensive or agressive. The Sonran desert is famous for it's cacti. The most famous Sonoran cactus is the Saguaro cactus. This cactus will only grow in the Sonoran desert, and no where else. Some other types of cacti found in this desert are the golden barrel cactus, the fish-hook barrel cactus, the prickly pear cactus and the ocateel. There are also many animals that live in this desert, such as the much-feared rattlesnake and the ruthless cayote. They are both just two of the many lethal animals that live in the Sonoran.

[Left: A Saguaro Cactus. Right: A Prickly Pear Cactus.]

This desert has a very dry and hot climate. It has one of the hottest temperatures in the USA, with a minimum temperature of 55.1º and a staggering maximum of 84.5ºf on a yearly average. The hottest moth is June, with a maximum temperature of 100.3ºf!!! On a monthly average, there is much less than 6cm of rainfall.

The weather in the Sonoran Desert is extremely harsh, with dust storms (sometimes known as 'dust devils' due to their almost devil-like look) a very common and much feared sight. They can cause severe weathering to any structure over time. Although it rarely rains in this desert, when it does rain it can become a thunderstorm very quickly and without any warning. Due to the strange terrain of the land, this can be a very grim problem.

[An example of the desert mountains]

The Sonoran desert was first inhabited by Native America tribes. The most well known tribe is the Najavo Tribe. Their cultures shows a life of hardships in this deadly desert. They also have legends of the kokopelli, and the skin-walker. But while one is good and represents good luck (you'll need it in this desert!), the other is pure evil.

Nowadays, this desert has many attractions, such as the Pima Air & Space Museum, the Verde Canyon Railroad and the Titan Missile Museum. These are all very popular, even though they are situated in a horrifying desert!

The Sonoran Desert is a very harsh and cruel place to be.