Hot Deserts and Their Margins: An Overview | 热带沙漠及其边缘地带概述

📚 Hot Deserts and Their Margins: An Overview | 热带沙漠及其边缘地带概述

Hot deserts are among the most extreme environments on Earth, characterised by exceptionally low precipitation, high daytime temperatures and sparse vegetation. They are located generally between 15° and 30° north and south of the equator, where subtropical high-pressure systems dominate the climate.

热带沙漠是地球上最极端的环境之一，其特点是降水量极低、白天气温极高、植被稀疏。它们通常位于赤道南北纬 15° 至 30° 之间，受副热带高压系统控制。

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1. Global Distribution of Hot Deserts | 热带沙漠的全球分布

The world’s major hot deserts include the Sahara in North Africa, the Arabian Desert in the Middle East, the Thar Desert in South Asia, the Kalahari and Namib Deserts in southern Africa, the Great Victoria and Simpson Deserts in Australia, and the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts in North America.

世界主要热带沙漠包括北非的撒哈拉沙漠、中东的阿拉伯沙漠、南亚的塔尔沙漠、南部非洲的卡拉哈里沙漠和纳米布沙漠、澳大利亚的大维多利亚沙漠和辛普森沙漠，以及北美的莫哈韦沙漠和索诺兰沙漠。

These deserts are not randomly distributed. They occur in two distinct belts: the Tropic of Cancer belt (around 23.5°N) and the Tropic of Capricorn belt (around 23.5°S). The map below summarises key examples:

这些沙漠并非随机分布，而是集中在两个明显的地带：北回归线地带（约北纬 23.5°）和南回归线地带（约南纬 23.5°）。下表总结了主要实例：

Desert | 沙漠	Location | 位置	Approximate Annual Rainfall | 年降水约值
Sahara | 撒哈拉	North Africa | 北非	＜ 100 mm
Arabian | 阿拉伯	Middle East | 中东	＜ 150 mm
Thar | 塔尔	India / Pakistan | 印度 / 巴基斯坦	100 – 250 mm
Kalahari | 卡拉哈里	Southern Africa | 南部非洲	150 – 500 mm
Great Victoria | 大维多利亚	Australia | 澳大利亚	150 – 250 mm

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2. Climatic Causes of Desert Formation | 沙漠形成的气候成因

The formation of hot deserts is primarily linked to atmospheric circulation. At the equator, intense solar heating causes air to rise, cool and condense, producing heavy rainfall. This rising air then diverges at high altitude and subsides around 30° latitude, creating semi-permanent subtropical high-pressure cells.

热带沙漠的形成主要与大气环流有关。在赤道地区，强烈的太阳加热使空气上升、冷却并凝结，形成大量降水。随后，上升气流在高空分流，并在纬度约 30° 附近下沉，形成半永久性的副热带高压系统。

• Subsiding air warms adiabatically, reducing relative humidity and preventing cloud formation.

  下沉气流绝热增温，降低相对湿度，抑制云层形成。

• Clear skies allow intense insolation during the day but also rapid radiative cooling at night.

  晴朗的天空使得白天太阳辐射强烈，但夜间辐射冷却也很快。

• Offshore trade winds and cool ocean currents (e.g. the Benguela Current, the Canary Current) further stabilise the atmosphere and reduce precipitation.

  离岸信风和寒流（如本格拉寒流、加那利寒流）进一步稳定大气，减少降水。

In coastal deserts such as the Namib, fog is a critical moisture source, even though rainfall is almost negligible. The cold Benguela Current condenses warm maritime air, producing frequent sea fog that supports unique desert-adapted species.

在纳米布这样的沿海沙漠中，尽管降雨几乎可以忽略不计，雾却是关键的水分来源。寒冷的本格拉寒流使温暖的海洋空气凝结，频繁产生海雾，支撑着独特的沙漠适应物种。

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3. Temperature and Precipitation Regimes | 气温与降水特征

Hot deserts exhibit extreme diurnal temperature ranges. Daytime temperatures can exceed 50 °C, while night-time temperatures may fall below 10 °C in winter. This is due to the dry atmosphere and lack of cloud cover, which allow rapid energy exchanges.

热带沙漠的昼夜温差极大。白天气温可超过 50 °C，而夜间气温在冬季可能降至 10 °C 以下。这是由于大气干燥且云量极少，能量交换十分迅速。

Temperature range = Maximum daily temperature − Minimum night-time temperature

气温日较差 = 日最高气温 − 夜间最低气温

Precipitation is not only scarce but also highly erratic. Some years may bring no measurable rain at all, while a single convective storm can deliver 50 mm in a few hours, causing flash floods. The mean annual rainfall in a true hot desert is usually below 250 mm.

降水不仅稀少，而且极不稳定。有些年份可能完全没有可测量的降雨，而一次对流性风暴就可能在几小时内带来 50 mm 的降水，引发山洪。真正热带沙漠的年均降水量通常低于 250 mm。

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4. Geomorphological Processes: Erosion | 地貌过程：侵蚀

Although water is scarce, it is the most powerful agent of erosion in hot deserts when it does arrive. Flash floods in wadis transport large volumes of sediment and carve distinctive landforms. Wind, however, is the most continuous process, operating through abrasion and deflation.

尽管沙漠中水资源稀缺，但一旦出现降水，水便是最有力的侵蚀动力。旱谷中的山洪携带大量沉积物，塑造出独特的地貌。然而，风是最持续的作用力，通过磨蚀和吹蚀两种方式运作。

• Abrasion: sand-laden wind erodes rock surfaces, creating yardangs and zeugen.

  磨蚀作用：携带沙粒的风侵蚀岩石表面，形成白龙堆和风蚀残丘。

• Deflation: wind removes loose fine particles, lowering the land surface and forming deflation hollows.

  吹蚀作用：风移除松散的细颗粒物，降低地表，形成风蚀洼地。

• Ventifacts are rocks shaped and polished by wind-blown sand, often with flat, faceted surfaces.

  风棱石是风携沙粒磨蚀和抛光的岩石，通常具有平整的棱面。

Fluvial processes dominate in mountain-front zones, where ephemeral streams deposit alluvial fans at the base of hills. This creates a characteristic desert landscape of pediments and bajadas.

流水过程在山前地带占主导地位，季节性河流在山脚沉积形成冲积扇，从而塑造出山麓侵蚀面与山麓联合冲积扇这一典型的沙漠景观。

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5. Aeolian Depositional Landforms | 风成堆积地貌

Wind not only erodes but also deposits sediment, producing dunes, loess and sand seas. Dune morphology depends on wind direction, sand supply and vegetation cover.

风不仅侵蚀，还会堆积沉积物，形成沙丘、黄土和沙海。沙丘形态取决于风向、沙源供应和植被覆盖度。

• Barchan dunes are crescent-shaped, with horns pointing downwind; they form where sand supply is limited.

  新月形沙丘呈月牙状，两翼指向下风向，形成于沙源有限的区域。

• Seif dunes are long, linear ridges aligned parallel to the dominant wind direction.

  纵向沙丘（赛夫沙丘）是平行于主导风向的长条形沙脊。

• Star dunes develop where wind directions are variable, producing multi-armed peaks.

  星状沙丘形成于风向多变的地区，呈多臂状峰形。

• Transverse dunes form at right angles to the prevailing wind where sand is abundant.

  横向沙丘垂直于盛行风向，形成于沙源丰富的区域。

Loess deposits, though more common in semi-arid regions, can also accumulate downwind of desert margins. They are fertile but highly erodible.

黄土堆积在半干旱地区更为常见，但也可能积聚在沙漠边缘的下风向。黄土虽肥沃，但极易被侵蚀。

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6. Desert Soils and Hydrology | 沙漠土壤与水文

Desert soils, often called aridisols, are shallow, coarse-textured and low in organic matter. Due to limited rainfall, leaching is minimal, so soluble salts accumulate near the surface, a process known as salinisation. In some basins, salt pans or playas form where evaporation exceeds inflow.

沙漠土壤通常称为旱成土，土层浅薄、质地粗糙、有机质含量低。由于降水有限，淋溶作用极少，可溶性盐类在地表附近累积，这一过程称为盐渍化。在一些盆地中，当蒸发量超过汇入量时，会形成盐滩或干盐湖。

Hydrologically, deserts are dominated by ephemeral drainage systems. Wadis carry water only during short storm events and remain dry for the rest of the year. Groundwater recharge is extremely slow because the infiltration rate is limited by surface crusts and the high intensity of rainfall events.

在水文方面，沙漠以季节性水系为主。旱谷仅在短暂的暴雨事件中才有水流，其余时间保持干涸。由于地表结皮和降雨强度高限制了入渗速率，地下水补给极为缓慢。

Aquifers are crucial water stores in desert regions. The Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System beneath the Sahara is one of the largest fossil groundwater reserves in the world, containing water that fell as rain thousands of years ago.

含水层是沙漠地区至关重要的储水构造。撒哈拉之下的努比亚砂岩含水层系统是世界上最大的化石地下水储量之一，其中储存着数千年前降水形成的水。

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7. Plant and Animal Adaptations | 动植物适应特征

Desert organisms exhibit remarkable morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations to survive extreme heat and water scarcity.

沙漠生物展现出惊人的形态、生理和行为适应特征，以在极端高温和缺水环境中生存。

• Xerophytes such as cacti store water in succulent stems, reduce surface area with spines, and close stomata during the day (CAM photosynthesis).

  旱生植物如仙人掌在肉质的茎中储存水分，通过刺减少表面积，并在白天关闭气孔（CAM 光合作用）。

• Phreatophytes like the mesquite tree send roots down 20–30 m to reach groundwater.

  潜水植物如牧豆树可将根系深入地下 20 至 30 米以获取地下水。

• Ephemeral plants germinate, flower and set seed within weeks of rare rainfall, completing their life cycle rapidly.

  短命植物在稀有降雨后的数周内完成发芽、开花和结籽，迅速完成生命周期。

Animals adopt strategies such as burrowing, nocturnal activity, concentrated urine and large ears for heat dissipation. The fennec fox and kangaroo rat exemplify efficient water conservation.

动物则采取穴居、夜间活动、浓缩尿液以及利用大耳朵散热等策略。耳廓狐和更格卢鼠是高效保水的典型代表。

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8. Human Adaptations and Land Use | 人类适应与土地利用

Indigenous populations in hot deserts have developed sustainable adaptations over millennia. The Bedouin practice nomadic pastoralism, moving herds in response to seasonal grazing and water availability. The Tuareg, similarly, depend on camel caravans and deep wells.

热沙漠中的原住民在数千年间发展出可持续的适应方式。贝都因人实行游牧畜牧，随季节草场和水源状况迁移畜群。图阿雷格人同样依赖骆驼商队和深井。

Sedentary agriculture is possible only near water sources. In oases, date palms are cultivated beneath shade-tolerant crops, creating a multi-layered farming system. Ancient qanat systems in Iran and the Arabian Peninsula channel groundwater via underground tunnels to reduce evaporation.

只有在靠近水源的地方才能进行定居农业。在绿洲中，枣椰树下方种植耐阴作物，形成多层农业体系。伊朗和阿拉伯半岛古老的坎儿井系统通过地下隧道引水，以减少蒸发。

Irrigation efficiency = (Useful water consumed ÷ Total water withdrawn) × 100%

灌溉效率 =（有效消耗水量 ÷ 总取水量）× 100%

Modern irrigation technologies, including drip systems and centre-pivot sprinklers, have expanded cultivation but have also introduced severe problems of salinisation and aquifer depletion.

现代灌溉技术，包括滴灌系统和中心支轴喷灌机，扩大了耕作面积，但也引发了严重的盐渍化和含水层枯竭问题。

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9. Desert Margins and the Sahel | 沙漠边缘地带与萨赫勒地区

Desert margins, sometimes called semi-arid or dry-subhumid zones, are transitional belts where rainfall is low and highly variable. The Sahel, lying immediately south of the Sahara, receives 150–600 mm of annual rainfall and is classified as a marginal environment under severe ecological pressure.

沙漠边缘地带，有时称为半干旱或干半湿润区，是降水稀少且变率极大的过渡地带。紧邻撒哈拉以南的萨赫勒地区年降水量为 150 至 600 mm，属于生态压力极大的边缘环境。

These margins support rain-fed subsistence agriculture and pastoralism. However, their ecosystems are inherently fragile because small changes in rainfall or land use can trigger dramatic shifts in vegetation cover, soil stability and hydrology.

这些边缘地带支持着雨养自给农业和畜牧业。然而，其生态系统天然脆弱，因为降水或土地利用的微小变化都可能引发植被覆盖、土壤稳定性和水文状况的剧烈变化。

Lake Chad, located in the southern Sahel, has shrunk by over 90% since the 1960s due to reduced rainfall, upstream irrigation and climate change. This has profoundly affected fishing, farming and pastoral livelihoods for around 30 million people.

位于萨赫勒南部的乍得湖自 20 世纪 60 年代以来已缩小超过 90%，原因是降水减少、上游灌溉和气候变化。这对约三千万人的渔业、农业和牧业生计产生了深远影响。

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10. Desertification: Causes and Processes | 荒漠化：原因与过程

Desertification is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry-subhumid areas, driven by both natural factors and human activities. It results in persistent loss of vegetation, soil fertility and biological productivity.

荒漠化是指干旱、半干旱和干半湿润地区的土地退化，其驱动因素包括自然因素和人为活动，导致植被、土壤肥力和生物生产力持续丧失。

Natural Factors | 自然因素	Human Factors | 人为因素
Prolonged drought and rainfall variability | 长期干旱与降水变率	Overgrazing and herd pressure | 过度放牧与畜群压力
Strong wind erosion of degraded soils | 强风对退化土壤的侵蚀	Unsustainable fuelwood collection | 不可持续的薪柴采集
High intensity rainfall causing surface crusting | 高强度降雨造成地表结壳	Poor irrigation practices causing salinisation | 不当灌溉导致盐渍化
Climatic variability and aridification | 气候变率与干旱化	Deforestation and bush clearing | 滥伐森林与灌丛清除

The process is cyclical and self-reinforcing: vegetation loss reduces soil cohesion, exposing the surface to erosion, which further reduces water retention, leading to more vegetation death. This positive feedback loop makes recovery extremely difficult.

这一过程具有循环性和自我强化性：植被丧失降低了土壤粘结力，使地表暴露于侵蚀之下，进而削弱保水能力，导致更多植被死亡。这种正反馈循环使恢复极为困难。

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11. Management Strategies and Sustainable Solutions | 治理策略与可持续解决方案

Addressing desertification requires an integrated approach combining ecological restoration, community participation and international cooperation.

治理荒漠化需要统筹生态修复、社区参与和国际合作，采取综合手段。

• The Great Green Wall initiative in Africa aims to restore 100 million hectares of degraded land along the Sahel by planting a mosaic of drought-resistant trees, shrubs and grasses.

  非洲绿色长城倡议旨在通过在萨赫勒沿线种植抗旱树木、灌木和草类的镶嵌式植被，恢复 1 亿公顷退化土地。

• Contour terracing and stone bunds capture rainfall and reduce surface runoff, increasing soil moisture and promoting regrowth.

  等高梯田和石埂可拦截降雨、减少地表径流，提高土壤湿度并促进植被再生。

• Improved irrigation management, including deficit irrigation and drainage systems, reduces salinisation and preserves water resources.

  改进灌溉管理，包括亏缺灌溉和排水系统，可减少盐渍化并保护水资源。

• Community-based natural resource management empowers local populations, combining indigenous knowledge with modern technical support.

  社区型自然资源管理赋权于当地居民，将本土知识与现代技术支持相结合。

Agroforestry systems, where nitrogen-fixing trees are intercropped with cereals, can raise yields while improving soil fertility and microclimate. The ‘Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration’ (FMNR) approach in Niger has restored over 5 million hectares of farmland.

农林业系统将固氮树木与谷物间作，可在提高产量的同时改善土壤肥力和局地小气候。尼日尔的”农民管理自然再生”（FMNR）方法已恢复超过 500 万公顷农田。

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12. Case Study: Climate and Change in the Sahara | 案例研究：撒哈拉的气候变化

Palaeoclimatic evidence shows that the Sahara has alternated between humid and arid phases. Around 10,000 years ago, during the African Humid Period, the Sahara was a lush landscape of lakes and savannas, supporting a rich human and animal population. Rock paintings in Tassili n’Ajjer depict giraffes, elephants and antelopes.

古气候证据表明，撒哈拉曾在湿润和干旱时期之间交替。大约一万年前，在非洲湿润期，撒哈拉是湖泊与热带稀树草原交织的繁茂景观，支撑着丰富的人类和动物种群。塔西利-恩-阿耶岩画描绘了长颈鹿、大象和羚羊。

The transition to desert conditions around 5,500 years ago was likely driven by changes in Earth’s orbital parameters, which weakened the African monsoon. This shows that desert margins respond dramatically to climatic forcing, with implications for present-day global warming.

约 5,500 年前向沙漠条件的转变很可能是由地球轨道参数变化驱动的，这些变化削弱了非洲季风。这表明沙漠边缘对气候强迫具有剧烈响应，对当前全球变暖具有重大启示意义。

Under future climate scenarios, many models project an expansion of subtropical dry zones poleward. This would increase aridity in the Mediterranean and southern Africa while potentially greening parts of the Sahel if monsoon rainfall strengthens. Uncertainties remain large, but the sensitivity of desert margins is undeniable.

在未来气候情景下，许多模型预测副热带干旱区将向极地方向扩展。这将加剧地中海和南部非洲的干旱，同时如果季风增强，萨赫勒部分地区可能出现绿化。尽管不确定性仍然很大，但沙漠边缘地带的敏感性毋庸置疑。

Understanding the dynamic interactions between atmosphere, land surface and human activity is essential for predicting future changes and designing robust adaptation strategies in these vulnerable regions.

理解大气、陆表和人类活动之间的动态相互作用，对于预测未来变化以及在这些脆弱地区制定稳健的适应策略至关重要。

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