Badlands

Wadi

Bajada

Erg

Wash

Butte

Dune

Mesa

Playa

Badlands
Badlands are regions of small, steep hills and gullies. There is an area in the Sahara Desert (Egypt) that is covered by this landform.

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Bajada (ba HA da)
The area at the base of many desert mountains, mesas, or plateaus is called the bajada. It is a sloped area of rocks, gravel, and sand that has been washed out of the higher area around it.

Many plants and animals live in bajada areas. Saguaro cactus, wood rats, and coyotes are some examples of animals that live in this area of the desert.

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Butte (byoot)
These are cliff-like rock formations that stick up from the desert floor. They are formed mainly by wind and weather erosion.

Buttes can be found in the deserts of North America. In some ways, buttes are similar to mesas. The are found in the same climates and they are both shaped by erosion. However, buttes are usually much smaller than mesas.

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Mesa (MAY suh)
A mesa is a land formation with steep walls and a flat top. Some describe the top of a mesa like a table top.

Mesas usually stand alone ... away from other mountains or buttes. They are found in the deserts of North America and Australia.

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Plateau (pla TOE)
Plateaus are areas of flat land that is higher than the land around it. Plateaus often have deep valleys cut by rivers. These deep valleys are called canyons.

One of the most famous plateaus is the Colorado Plateau. It is on this plateau that you will find the Grand Canyon

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Erg (urg)
An erg is a sandy desert area. These are the places in the desert where shifting sands create dunes and seas of sand.

The word erg is used especially for the sand dune areas in the Sahara desert.

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Dunes
Dunes are mounds of sand that has been blown by the wind. In some deserts these dunes are called seas ... sand seas.

The sand that makes up these dunes is actually rock that has been eroded from mountains and other rocky areas.

Because the sand in the dunes is loose, the dunes don't stay in one place for long. Desert winds shift the dunes. In fact, foot prints can disappear in hours and whole settlements can disappear over time. Desert winds can shift a dune over 60 feet (20 meters) a year.

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Playa (PLY a)
A dry lake bed is known as a playa. These are the areas of a desert that collect water after a rain. They become temporary lakes.

Sometimes, the water in the playas are very salty. When the water evaporates, it leaves behind a layer of salt. Few plants can grow in soil that salty!

The picture shows a salt flat in Death Valley (Mojave Desert).

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Wadi (WAH dee)
If you are visiting a desert in the Middle East or Africa, you might find a wadi. Wadies are dry valleys. During the rainy season, these valleys (or ravines) fill up with water.

The word wadi is also used as a name for the streams that run through these valleys.

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Wash
A wash is found in the North American deserts. It is a sandy or rocky area that fills with water during rainy times. Washes are dry most of the time.

Washes can be very dangerous during a storm. The desert ground is hard and packed. Water doesn't soak in the ground. Instead, it becomes a powerful, rushing river. Anything that is in the wash is in danger of getting washed away!

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Oasis (oh AY sis)
If you are in the desert and you see an area where people are growing crops and have made a settlement, you have probably found an oasis.

At an oasis, underground water forms a spring or is close enough to the surface to be collected by a well. Sometimes there is a permanent river.

The size of the oasis depends upon how much water is available. Some oasis areas can only support a few people. Other areas can support a large city!

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