Deserts and Desert Environments » (New Edition)

Julie Laity is a Professor at California State University, Northridge, USA. Her work has focused on deserts, looking at aeolian, fluvial, and groundwater systems, and the impact of environmental degradation on wind-blown sand and dust events. Her research on groundwater-sapping systems and wind erosion has been used to aid our understanding of Martian environments.

Deserts and Desert Environments focuses on geomorphic systems, providing a comprehensive introduction to the physical, biological, temporal, and human components of drylands. Taking a global perspective, the book:

• examines physical systems, including climate, hydrology, past and present lakes, weathering, hillslopes, geomorphic surfaces, water as a geomorphic agent, and aeolian processes


• investigates the nature, environmental requirements, and essential geomorphic roles of plants and animals in this stressful biological environment


• considers the impact of human population growth on climate, desertification, water resources, and dust-storm activity


• covers surface/atmosphere interactions and the impact of El Niño Southern Oscillation events, exploring recent advances in understanding the temporal and spatial variability of deserts.

The breadth of coverage and accessible style make Deserts and Desert Environments ideal for introductory students of desert systems or desert geomorphology, as well as a useful reference for scientists and environmental professionals.

1 Introduction: defining the desert system 1

2 Deserts of the world 14

3 The climatic framework 48

4 The hydrologic framework 71

5 Lake systems: past and present 98

6 Weathering processes and hillslope systems 122

7 Desert soils and geomorphic surfaces 148

8 Water as a geomorphic agent 168

9 Aeolian processes 186

10 Landforms of aeolian erosion and desert dust 216

11 Plant communities and their geomorphic impacts 237

12 Animal communities 259

13 Desertification and the human dimension 267

References 285

Index 320