Gobi Desert

Gobi means "waterless place." The Gobi desert is a desert in Asia that is approximately 500,000 square miles, shaped like a crescent, and surrounded by mountains. The Gobi Desert is covered with fossils, steppes (dry grasslands), mountains, and a shallow layer of gravel that overlays granite, slate, and other rocks. Only 5% of the Gobi Desert is sand dunes. The Gobi desert is broken by the hills of the Altai Mountains, whose peaks exceed 12,000 feet. There are some blackish lakes that appear after violent, late-summer thunderstorms, but the only reliable source of water comes from wells and springs. The Gobi Desert gets both very hot and cold. Temperatures within the area can vary from an average of -40F in the winter, to 113oF in the summer. Winter is the driest season with 2.7 inches of precipitation. Summer has only eight inches of rain. There are strong winds year round in the Gobi Desert. The Gobi Desert is a lonely place because there are only three people per square mile. Many people herd animals to survive. Most Gobi Desert residents are focused on moving the sheep so that they have food. Sheep, goats, cattle, and two-humped camels migrate 120 miles annually in search of pastures and water. Despite its harshness, it can be incredibly beautiful. Gobi Desert mornings can be a picturesque dream.

Source: http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/Aero2000/studweb/gobi.html