Catalog Search Results
1) Judea
Language
English
Description
Lying east of Jerusalem and descending to the Dead Sea, the Judean Desert is relatively small at just over 900 square miles. It's full of breathtaking views, and has an incredible history that in turn has shaped the cultural history of mankind, and given birth to the religions of Judaism and Christianity. Major urban areas such as Bethlehem and Jericho are included in this area, making it one of the more populated deserts?
2) Outback
Language
English
Description
The Australian continent is covered by desert, including parts of the country's interior where saline lakes and bizarre rock formations can also be found. Yet these deserts are full of life. Aboriginal communities have adapted to the harsh conditions and have not been displaced here as they have in other areas. The wildlife in this area has also had to adapt. From kangaroos and dingoes, to the prolific birdlife and feral animals that thrive in this...
Language
English
Description
The Namib Desert means vast space and stretches for more than 1,000 miles along the western coast of Africa. Having endured arid conditions for 55-80 million years, it is also the oldest desert in the world. While the Namib is largely unpopulated by humans, animal and plant life abounds. Namib desert beetles, or fog beetles, thrive by taking advantage of the condensation from early morning fog to stay hydrated in this environment.
4) Atacama
Language
English
Description
The Atacama Desert in Chile is commonly known as the driest place on Earth. Studies by a group of British scientists have suggested that some riverbeds have been dry for 120,000 years. Once known for its rich deposits of copper and the world's largest natural supply of sodium nitrate, the desert is now home to the largest space observatory every built by man. Because of its high altitude, nearly non-existent cloud cover, dry air, and lack of light...
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English
Description
The Rub' al Khalii, or Empty Quarter, is the immense sand desert in Southern Arabia. This film follows a Bedouin family on their winter migration into this desolate landscape and examines the desert animals and plants. Camels, gazelle, oryx, desert shrimp, plants, and insects have all adapted to cope with a life of extreme heat and no water. The wildlife at the ancient al-Hasa oasis offers a glimpse at life forms few even know exist. The impacts of...
6) Thar
Language
English
Description
The Thar - or Great Indian - Desert is the most densely populated desert in the world and has been inhabited for thousands of years. Huge windblown seas of sand dominate the desert with some dunes reaching close to 500 feet in height. Extreme temperature shifts, from near freezing to more than 120 degrees, make life difficult for all who call the Thar home.
7) Gobi
Language
English
Description
Known as one of the most extreme places on the planet, the Gobi Desert can see a temperature change of more than 80 degrees in a 24-hour period, and dust storms with winds over 100 miles per hour. Occasional frost and snow on the dunes is not an uncommon sight. Despite the harsh conditions, the surrounding regions sustain a multitude of animal and plant life. This film explores Asia's largest desert with its expanses of gravel plains and rocky outcrops....
Language
English
Description
Global warming is bad news - unless, of course, you're accustomed to life in the desert. Arid environments, which already cover one third of the Earth's land mass, are growing at an alarming rate, which means that they could conceivably become the new normal. In the next few decades, up to 35 percent of the world's terrain faces desertification with the lives and livelihoods of millions, if not billions, in jeopardy. Examining the dramatic changes...