Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert (Mojave is used for the desert while Mohave is used for the native people of the desert) occupies a significant portion of Southern California and parts of Utah, Nevada and Arizona, in the United States. Named after the Mohave tribe of Native Americans, it occupies over 22,000 mi² (35,000 km²) in a typical Basin and Range topography.
The Mojave Desert is bounded in part by the Tehachapi Mountains together with the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountain ranges. The mountain boundaries are quite distinct since they are outlined by the two largest faults in California: the San Andreas and the Garlock. Its northern and eastern boundaries are less distinct. One way to determine entry is by observing the presence of Joshua Trees. The desert is believed to have between 1,750 and 2,000 species of plants.
Climate
The Mojave Desert receives less than 6 inches (150 mm) of rain a year and is generally between 3,000 and 6,000 feet (1,000 and 2,000 m) in elevation. The Mojave Desert also contains the Mojave National Preserve and the lowest and hottest place in North America: Death Valley, where the temperature normally approaches 120°F (50°C) in late July and early August. Despite its aridity, the Mojave (and particularly the Antelope Valley in its southwest) has long been a center of alfalfa production, fed by irrigation coming from groundwater and (in the 20th century) from the California Aqueduct.
The Mojave, like all deserts in general, is known for its summer heat; however, much less renowned is the Mojave's wintertime cold. Snow, although uncommon, does fall in parts of the Mojave. Amounts range from just a trace to a foot or more of heavy wet snow that can lead to freeway traffic closures and being "snowed in." The coldest wintertime temperature ranges have been below freezing yet above 0°F. That said, many parts of the Mojave typically range from highs of around 95–105°F in the summer to lows of around 20–30°F in the winter.
Wind is also a weather factor. Las Vegas, situated on the desert's east, may not have many winds, but the community of Mojave, California, situated at its western end, can have wind nearly every day — even winds surpassing 50 miles per hour. Nearby Tehachapi Pass, due to the high likelihood of reliable wind, is home to an extensive electrical Wind turbine "Wind farm" which converts wind, a renewable-clean-resource, into electricity.
The Mojave Desert contains a number of ghost towns, the most significant of these being the silver-mining town of Calico, California, and the old railroad depot of Kelso, California. Some of the other ghost towns are of the more modern variety, created when Route 66 (and the lesser-known US Highway 91) were abandoned in favor of the Interstates. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways Interstate 15, Interstate 40, US Highway 395 and US Highway 95.
The Mojave River is an important source of water in this arid land. A part of the Colorado River also traverses its far eastern portion.
The Mojave Desert is not entirely rural as a few cities do exist there. Las Vegas is the Mojave's largest city and metropolitan area. Palmdale, California is the largest city by population on the California side of the desert and is part of the Lancaster/Palmdale Urbanized Area, a U.S. Census Bureau defined term. Other incorporated cities include; Henderson, North Las Vegas, and Laughlin in Nevada, and Victorville, Barstow, Ridgecrest, and Needles in California.
Angelenos often refer to its southwestern portions, the Antelope Valley and the Victor Valley, as the High Desert.
Native Mojave plants and animals
Plants
Joshua Tree Jumping Cholla Teddy-bear Cholla Mojave yucca Mojave sage desert lily
Animals
Chuckwalla Desert horned lizard Desert iguana Desert kit fox Desert tortoise Fringe-toed lizard Rattlesnake (Mojave Green and Western Diamondback) Zebra-tailed lizard
Photos from the Mojave Desert
Pinnacles National Natural Landmark
Kelso Sand Dunes
Slot Canyon in Afton Canyon
Dust Devil, El Mirage Dry Lake
Water hole, Coyote Dry Lake
Rainbow Canyon, near the city of Barstow
Amboy Crater
Summer Storm
External links
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