What is a piedmont desert?
Quick Answer
A piedmont desert is a desert located at the base of a mountain range, where mountains shed rock and sediment onto an adjoining plain. The term piedmont means “foot of the mountain.”
The Full Story
A piedmont desert sits where mountains meet lowland basins, so it often contains broad gravel fans and dry washes built by water flowing out of the mountains. These deserts can form in rain shadows or in tectonically active regions where mountains rise next to arid basins. The Mojave Desert in the southwestern United States contains classic piedmont landscapes, while similar settings occur in parts of the Andes and Central Asia. Because sediment spreads out from mountain fronts, these deserts often have alluvial fans and bajadas. They are shaped by rare but intense rainfall rather than by constant water flow.
Key Facts
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"Why deserts often begin right where the mountains end"
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