Racklefrack t1_j1t0l23 wrote
One example is Nevada, which is relatively near the Pacific and is mostly desert or very desert-like, it sits in the "rain shadow" of the Sierra Mountains along the CA / NV border, hence, much less rain = desert.
There are probably dozens more explanations for other deserts both nearby and around the world.
tomsing98 t1_j1t1uqj wrote
To expand on the rain shadow effect - air going up over a mountain range cools and water condenses out of the air, falling as precipitation. Then as it comes down over the opposite side, it warms back up and is at much lower humidity (since it lost water as precipitation, and since warm air can hold more water). So you're going to get much less condensing water/clouds/precipitation on the back side of the mountain range. If you have a prevailing wind such that this is mostly happening in the same direction, you'll have a rain shadow desert.
You can even get rain shadow deserts over the ocean, on the lee side of a mountainous island.
Half_burnt_skunk t1_j1t1ixy wrote
One of those would be salt content within the air, and latitude and longitude within the globe.
Spectacularsunsets t1_j1tpets wrote
Another example is the dry lands west of the great dividing range in Australia
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