The Grand Canyon is a desert. One third of Earth's land mass is desert. Deserts
have low rainfall, sparse vegetation and extensive exposed rocky areas. Not all
deserts are in hot climates; Antarctica is a desert. The desert environment
effects how weathering changes the landscape. Since much of the desert landscape
is bare rock and desert soil has little to hold it in place, water and wind play
a much more dominant role in weathering than in other biomes. In contrast,
evaporation exceeds precipitation in desert climes, retarding
chemical-weathering processes. The most spectacular form of weathering in the
desert is caused by the wind. Wind sculpts rock by picking up tiny rock
particles and abrading rock surfaces.
Is this area humid or arid? ___________________
