Only about 10% of all deserts are made up of sand. Most of them are rocky places that consist of gravel and larger stones. Desert landscapes are formed mostly by the power of the wind  and water.  Strong winds form rocks in strange ways. They also build up dunes made of sand. Such dunes can be up to 200 m tall and they can travel large distances every year. 

After rainy times , small streams carry water. They cut their paths through the desert  and carry  sediments with them .These streams often end in lakes where the water evaporates and salt and minerals are left over. Sometimes underground water comes to the surface. Such a place is called an oasis .  It is the only spot where people can live, plant crops and raise animals. 



rocky desert floor in the Mojave desert

Small rocks in the Mojave desert
Image:Leaflet, Public domain,
via Wikimedia Commons 


oasis in Algeria

Oasis in Algeria
Image:Abdelli amal, CC BY-SA 4.0,
via Wikimedia Commons 



Words

  • consist of = to be made up of
  • cut = hack, shop
  • distance = space from one place to another
  • dune = hill made up of sand
  • evaporate = when water changes into a cloud of air
  • gravel = small stones
  • landscape = area or countryside of a special type
  • oasis = a place in the desert with water, plants and trees
  • plant crops = to grow plants like wheat or corn which farmers use as food
  • raise = to look after animals and feed them
  • rocky = full of rocks and stones
  • sediment = small stones and sand that rivers carry with them  
  • spot = place, area
  • stream = a very small river
  • surface = top layer of the Earth