Tropical Desert

[Danilopez89]

Out of curiosity I did a Google search for "Tropical Desert ". From the bit of reading I did It sounds like the Coachella Valley would be considered part of a Tropical Desert.

What do you Palmtalkers think? I'd be interested in hearing from you guys since some here seem to know and understand weather quite well. Unlike me 

http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/climate_systems/tropical_desert.html

Edited November 1, 2016 by Danilopez89

[Danilopez89]

http://www.earthonlinemedia.com/ebooks/tpe_3e/climate_systems/tropical_desert.html

[Tyrone]

Much of NW Australia would be a Tropical desert, with the odd decaying cyclone or tropical storm providing some moisture. Most of that area is in the 30's C all year round and rainfall is sporadic to say the least.

[bubba]

Coachella,Ca. had a mean/medium temperature for the month of Jan. 2016 of 55 degrees F. In order to qualify as "tropical" under the guidelines of the link attached in your topic, it is necessary for the coldest month to have a mean/medium temperature of no less than 64.4 degrees F. This constitutes the guidelines of the Koppen Climate Designation, which is the widely accepted authority for the distinction of "tropical". While the Coachella Valley has a climate that certainly fulfills numerous heat related requirements, it does not fulfill the necessary requirements to qualify as "tropical".

[Silas_Sancona]

Here in North America, the only "Tropical" Desert is the Sonoran, which encompasses everything south and west of the Mogollon Rim/White Mountains here in Arizona, as well as most of S.E. California roughly following the I 10 from Palm Springs east to Phoenix south. What separates the Sonoran from other, adjacent deserts such as the Colorado and Mojave is the increasing influence of summer rainfall vs the amount of moisture that occurs during the winter. This version of the deserts here also occupies all of N.W. Mexico in the state of Sonora and a thin slice of the Baja Peninsula that runs along the west side of the Sea of Cortez/ Gulf of California south towards Cabo San Lucas.  

What's interesting about our desert is how, as one travels south, you see it graduate from what a casual observer might see as obvious desert to semi tropical scrub/ deciduous tropical forest, and bands of Mangroves along coastlines  starting roughly south of Hermosillo.

A similar graduation of climate also occurs as one heads east/south through the  Chihuauhan Desert, toward the Gulf of Mexico/ Southernmost Texas. Unlike the areas to the west, in N.W. Mexico, the openness of the land through Chihuahua and adjacent Great Plains to the north and east allows much more cold artic air to push further south, limiting the extent of plants or animals one might think would wander north from more "Tropical" areas just south of the border. More species/ Genera of such plants can be found at more northerly latitude in Sonora than areas to the east. 

Here in Arizona, rainfall plays a big role in how "lush" the desert looks at the height of our summer Monsoon season, let alone the number of tropical-esque plants and animals you might encounter. We also sit in an area where one can still see various plants that were left over from the last Ice Age, and those that have returned after retreating south during that time. 

I found an exhibit I saw at the Desert Museum a few months ago quite interesting since it depicted a scene more reminiscent of southern Florida (Glades, Cypress Swamps, Mangrove strands.. Alligator or Crocodile relatives,  Boa Constrictor ..etc) occurring in an area dominated by Saguaro and Cactus Wrens. It's also pretty cool that one might encounter Cougars, Bobcats, Ocelot, and Jaguars if trekking through some of the mountains along the Border just east of Nogales.  Those mountain "Islands" also contain some of the most diverse habitats in the Americas as well. 

[Danilopez89]

On Tue Nov 01 2016 18:16:36 GMT-0700, bubba said:

Coachella,Ca. had a mean/medium temperature for the month of Jan. 2016 of 55 degrees F. In order to qualify as "tropical" under the guidelines of the link attached in your topic, it is necessary for the coldest month to have a mean/medium temperature of no less than 64.4 degrees F. This constitutes the guidelines of the Koppen Climate Designation, which is the widely accepted authority for the distinction of "tropical". While the Coachella Valley has a climate that certainly fulfills numerous heat related requirements, it does not fulfill the necessary requirements to qualify as "tropical".

Yes I have to agree with you. But as I see it, it's a thin line between an area being qualified as "tropical" and not, here in the Coachella Valley. Mostly due to differences in elevation. For instance, half of Palm Desert is below 300 feet above sea level and the other half is 300 to 1,000 feet above sea level. That makes a huge difference when it comes to winter months lowest temperatures.

I think elevation is key here when it comes to having a "tropical desert" climate. 

[User00]

. off wind side east Africa. Kenya has tropical desert and northern Australia has lage part of tropical desert , also Southern part  Sahara and  Arabian peninsula.

[Tyrone]

The climate of Australia is broadly classified as tropical continental.