Mojave Desert

also Mohave Desert An arid region of southern California and Nevada southeast of the Sierra Nevada. Once part of an ancient inland sea, the desert was formed by volcanic action and by materials deposited by the Colorado River.

Mojave Desert

Mohave Desert

n (Placename) a desert in S California, south of the Sierra Nevada: part of the Great Basin. Area: 38 850 sq km (15 000 sq miles)

Mo•ja′ve

(or Mo•ha′ve) Des′ert

(moʊˈhɑ vi)
n. a desert in S California: part of the Great Basin. ab. 15,000 sq. mi. (38,850 sq. km).

Thesaurus

Noun

Mojave Desert - a desert area in southern California and western ArizonaMohave Desert, Mojave, MohaveArizona, Grand Canyon State, AZ - a state in southwestern United States; site of the Grand CanyonCalif., California, Golden State, CA - a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakesDeath Valley - a desert area that is part of the Mojave Desert in eastern California and southwestern Nevada; contains the lowest point in North America

Mojave Desert

Mojave or Mohave Desert,

c.15,000 sq mi (38,850 sq km), region of low, barren mountains and flat valleys, 2,000 to 5,000 ft (610–1,524 m) high, S Calif.; part of the Great Basin of the United States. It is bordered on the N and W by the Sierra Nevada and the Tehachapi, San Gabriel, and San Bernardino mts. and merges with the Colorado Desert (part of the Sonoran Desert) in the southeast. Once a part of an ancient interior sea, the desert was formed by volcanic action (lava surfaces with cinder cones are present) and by material deposited by the Colorado River.

The temperature is uniformly warm throughout the year, although there is a wide variation from day to night. Strong, dry winds blow in the afternoon and evening. Located in the rain shadow of the Coast Ranges, the Mojave receives an average annual rainfall of 5 in. (12.7 cm), mostly in winter. Juniper and Joshua trees are found on the higher, outer mountain slopes; desert-type vegetation and numerous intermittent lakes and streams are present in the valleys. The Mojave River is the largest stream. Minerals found in the desert include borax and other salines, gold, silver, and iron.

Military installations were established in the Mojave during World War II; Edwards Air Force Base is perhaps the best known. Northwest of Edwards, on the western edge of the desert, is Mojave Air and Space Port, a civilian test facility and aircraft storage center. Further north and northeast is the U.S. Navy's China Lake weapons testing facility, which is also the site of the Coso Petroglyphs, the largest collection of ancient rock art in the Americas. About 1,450,000 acres (587,250 hectares) of the desert are protected in Mojave National Preserve. Death ValleyDeath Valley,
SE Calif. and SW Nev., a deep, arid basin, 140 mi (225 km) long, bordered on the W by the Panamint Range and on the E by the Amargosa Range. In summer the valley has recorded some of the world's highest air temperatures (134&degF;/56.
..... Click the link for more information. National Park and Joshua Tree National ParkJoshua Tree National Park,
1,022,703 acres (414,050 hectares), S California. Lying between the high Mojave Desert and the low Colorado Desert, this park has a unique ecosystem in which are preserved rare Joshua trees (Yucca brevifolia
..... Click the link for more information. are also located in the region.

Bibliography

See E. C. Jaeger, The California Deserts (4th ed. 1965); M. Q. Sutton, Papers on the Archaeology of the Mojave Desert (1987).

Mojave Desert

, Mohave Desert a desert in S California, south of the Sierra Nevada: part of the Great Basin. Area: 38 850 sq. km (15 000 sq. miles)

Mojave Desert

Mojave Desert

Mojave Desert

Mohave Desert

Mo•ja′ve

(or Mo•ha′ve) Des′ert

Mojave Desert

Mojave or Mohave Desert,

Bibliography

Mojave Desert

Mojave Desert

Synonyms for Mojave Desert

noun a desert area in southern California and western Arizona

Synonyms

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