U.S. Physical Geography

The Columbia Encyclopedia,... World Encyclopedia Concise Dictionary of World... Further reading

Mojave Desert

The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. | 2011 | Copyright

Mojave 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 Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park 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).

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Mojave Desert." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Mojave Desert." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-MojaveDs.html

"Mojave Desert." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-MojaveDs.html

Learn more about citation styles

Mojave Desert

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | Copyright

Mojave Desert Arid region with low, barren mountains in s California, USA, surrounded by mountain ranges on the n and w, and the Colorado Desert on the se. It was formed by volcanic eruptions and deposits from the Colorado River. Area: c.38,850sq km (15,000sq mi).

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"Mojave Desert." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Mojave Desert." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-MojaveDesert.html

"Mojave Desert." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-MojaveDesert.html

Learn more about citation styles

Mojave Desert

Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names | 2005 | | Copyright

Mojave Desert, South‐West USA Named after the Mojave tribe. Their name is also spelt Mohave.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mojave Desert." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mojave Desert." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-MojaveDesert.html

JOHN EVERETT-HEATH. "Mojave Desert." Concise Dictionary of World Place-Names. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O209-MojaveDesert.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	The year we lost the deserts.(Mojave Desert) Magazine article from: Earth Island Journal; 1/1/2006
	Competition between alien annual grasses and native annual plants in the... Magazine article from: The American Midland Naturalist; 7/1/2000
	The Mojave Desert.(Brief article)(Book review) Newspaper article from: Internet Bookwatch; 7/1/2009