Quck answer
The Gobi Desert is located in East Asia, spanning parts of northern and northwestern China and southern Mongolia. It is the largest desert in Asia and the fifth-largest in the world. The desert covers an area of approximately 1.3 million square kilometers, encompassing both rocky and sandy terrain. Despite its harsh conditions, the Gobi Desert is also home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, including the Bactrian camel and the elusive snow leopard. The Gobi Desert is a unique and fascinating destination, attracting adventurers and researchers from around the world.
What are your aspirations for the future? Some of our Wonder Friends may aspire to be doctors or dentists. Others may dream of becoming the next President of the United States or an astronaut traveling to the International Space Station.
Perhaps some of our Wonder Friends may be interested in exploring the world in search of ancient dinosaur fossils. Does that sound intriguing to you? Wouldn’t it be exciting to be part paleontologist, part explorer?
Where would you like to travel to search for fossils? Exploring lush tropical jungles could be fun. It would also be thrilling to venture deep into remote mountain ranges. How about a vast desert?
Trekking across a desert may not sound appealing. After all, wouldn’t it be too hot? And what could you possibly find walking up and down endless sand dunes? However, before you dismiss the idea of a desert, you might want to learn more about a massive desert that is a bit different from what usually comes to mind when you hear the word “desert.”
The Gobi Desert spans nearly 1,200 miles across the most isolated part of Central Asia, including northern China and southern Mongolia. With an area of over half a million square miles, the Gobi Desert is the fifth largest desert in the world.
The Gobi Desert derives its name from the Mongolian word “gobi,” which means large and dry. That’s an accurate description, as the Gobi Desert receives an average of two (in the west) to eight (in the northeast) inches of rain per year.
This lack of rainfall is what classifies the area as a desert. Its arid climate is a result of being in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. This massive mountain range blocks most moisture-laden clouds from reaching the Gobi Desert.
Unlike many deserts that are characterized by sand dunes, the Gobi Desert consists mostly of solid, rocky terrain with relatively few sand dunes. However, the absence of sand does not make the Gobi Desert particularly inviting. The bare rock and sparse vegetation make it a harsh environment to live in.
In fact, humans avoided settling in the area for thousands of years. In addition to the challenging terrain, the weather can be extreme and drastically change from season to season. Winter temperatures can drop as low as -40º F, while summer days can regularly reach temperatures over 110º F.
Today, the Gobi Desert remains sparsely populated with less than three people per square mile. Most residents are nomadic and earn a living through cattle rearing. The Gobi Desert is also home to various wildlife, including camels, gazelles, antelopes, gophers, marmots, and a variety of reptiles.
However, in the distant past, the Gobi Desert was inhabited by dinosaurs and various large mammals. This knowledge comes from the Central Asiatic Expeditions conducted in the early 1920s by explorer Roy Chapman Andrews.
Some people speculate that the fictional character Indiana Jones was partially inspired by the life of Roy Chapman Andrews. Andrews, a naturalist and author, led numerous significant expeditions in connection with his work for the American Museum of Natural History.
Andrews gained fame for the discoveries he made during his third expedition to Central Asia. By chance, he became lost on the plains of the Gobi Desert. While searching for directions to a military outpost, his photographer, John B. Shackelford, stumbled upon fossil bones along a nearby cliff.
These red sandstone cliffs, now known as the Flaming Cliffs of Djadokhta, turned out to be a rich source of dinosaur and mammal fossils. The findings included dinosaur eggs and previously unknown species such as Protoceratops and Velociraptor, as well as various large prehistoric mammals from the Cretaceous period.
Give It a Try
Are you prepared to explore the Gobi Desert? Enlist the help of a friend or family member and engage in the following activities:
- The Gobi Desert is home to one of the world’s rarest large mammals. Read “Can World’s Rarest Bear Be Saved?” online and consider whether it can be saved. What measures, if any, should the nations of the world take to ensure its survival?
- Take a journey back in time by exploring the online photography archives of the Central Asiatic Expeditions. Browse through the photos to see Roy Chapman Andrews and other expedition members, as well as pictures of the fossils they discovered!
- Can you locate the Gobi Desert on a map? Visit this online Map of the Gobi Desert to learn more about its location. If given the opportunity, would you travel to the Gobi Desert? Why or why not? Do you think it would be enjoyable to explore and search for fossils there? What types of fossils might still be hidden in the Gobi Desert?
Sources of Wonder
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Gobi
- http://www.desertusa.com/du_gobi.html
- https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/history-of-geology/roy-chapman-andrews-and-the-kingdom-of-the-cretaceous-skulls/
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Roy-Chapman-Andrews
FAQ
1. Where is the Gobi Desert located?
The Gobi Desert is located in Asia, primarily in northern and northwestern China and southern Mongolia. It stretches across parts of China’s Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia regions, as well as through Mongolia’s southern provinces.
2. What countries does the Gobi Desert cover?
The Gobi Desert spans across two countries: China and Mongolia. In China, it covers regions such as Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia. In Mongolia, it extends through the southern provinces of the country.
3. How big is the Gobi Desert?
The Gobi Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world, covering an area of approximately 500,000 square miles (1.3 million square kilometers). It is roughly the same size as the states of California and Nevada combined.
4. What are the geographical features of the Gobi Desert?
The Gobi Desert is characterized by its vast expanse of sandy and rocky terrain. It is surrounded by mountains, including the Altai Mountains to the north and the Gobi Altai Mountains to the southwest. The desert is also known for its extreme temperatures, ranging from scorching hot during the day to freezing cold at night.
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