The desert is so hot during the day because of the intense solar radiation and lack of humidity, which allow the ground to heat up quickly. At night, with no clouds to trap the heat, the lack of humidity results in a rapid loss of heat, causing temperatures to drop.
The desert receives an enormous amount of solar energy during the day because it is often located near the equator or at latitudes that promote intense and direct sunlight. Since there is not much to block it—trees, dense vegetation, or clouds—the desert soil directly absorbs almost all of this solar energy. As a result, the surface heats up super quickly, and temperatures can rise to extreme levels, easily exceeding 40 to 50 degrees Celsius. This high absorption of heat during the day greatly contributes to the spectacular temperature difference recorded between day and night.
The sand and desert soils act as excellent thermal insulators but lack the ability to store heat well. Specifically, their surface warms up very quickly as soon as the sun shines, resulting in extremely high temperatures during the day. However, this heat penetrates very little into depth. As a result, as soon as the sun disappears, the heat stored on the surface evaporates quickly into space, and temperatures drop rapidly at night. This low thermal capacity of sand largely explains why deserts experience such striking temperature extremes within just a few hours.
In deserts, the air contains very little moisture, which results in extremely high temperature fluctuations. During the day, there is almost no water vapor to absorb or diffuse the sun's rays: as a result, the heat hits hard, striking directly on the ground. But as soon as the sun sets, this lack of humidity also becomes a disadvantage. No humidity means almost no heat reserve stored in the atmosphere to maintain a pleasant temperature. Consequently, all the accumulated heat quickly evaporates into space, creating a sharp drop in temperature. While other places remain mild due to humidity that retains and slowly releases heat, the desert experiences roller coasters.
In desert regions, there are almost no clouds to retain the heat accumulated during the day. Clouds act like a sort of insulating blanket, reflecting heat back down to the ground. Without this protection, heat quickly escapes into space as soon as the sun sets. This results in a very pronounced rapid cooling phenomenon, which explains why desert nights quickly become freezing after being scorching during the day.
Some desert animals, like the fennec fox or the gerbil, have developed large ears or other physiological adaptations to effectively dissipate heat from their bodies.
In Chile, in the Atacama Desert, it sometimes happens that no significant rainfall occurs for several decades, making it the driest place in the world.
Desert nomads often wear loose, light clothing in bright colors that allows for good air circulation while effectively protecting them from intense sunlight.
The Sahara can reach temperatures close to 50°C during the day, but can drop to temperatures below 0°C during some winter nights.
Indirectly, yes. Climate changes driven by human activity can affect the frequency and intensity of extreme episodes of drought, aridity, and intense heat in certain desert regions, thereby influencing temperature ranges and local conditions.
No, temperature variations depend on the specific type of desert, its geographical location, and its specific characteristics such as soil composition and cloud cover. While many arid deserts experience significant cooling at night, those located in coastal or humid regions often record less pronounced variations.
Animals living in extreme conditions have developed various adaptation strategies: nocturnal living to avoid the intense daytime heat, burrowing underground where temperatures remain constant, or physiological adaptations (water storage, limiting water loss through evaporation, insulating fur, etc.) that help manage these extreme temperature fluctuations.
Desert sand is particularly effective at quickly absorbing solar heat during the day and re-emitting it at night into the atmosphere, without being able to retain this accumulated heat effectively. This is why its surface temperature fluctuates significantly between day and night, being scorching to the touch during the day and very cool at night.
Some deserts, like the Gobi Desert or Antarctica, can be cold during the day for several reasons: they receive less solar energy, are located at high altitudes, or are near the poles, which significantly reduces the intensity of the solar radiation received.
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