You’re not deceiving yourself when you see this small desert, which is located in the mountains of Canada’s Yukon Province. It’s a sandy desert with a beautiful mountain backdrop to enjoy.
The desert was formed approximately 11,000 to 24,000 years ago when thick layers of ice covered the area. Due to the melting of the glaciers and the formation of massive lakes between the mountains, the sand and silt blown by the wind became a new and popular recreational area.
Deserts are characterized by a lack of vegetation, which makes them incredibly harsh environments for animal and plant life. The lack of vegetation also leads to denudation, which occurs when the ground is exposed to the elements. About a third of the Earth’s surface is characterized by semi-arid or arid conditions.
This includes areas in the polar regions, which are referred to as cold deserts. Deserts can be distinguished from other types of terrain by their precipitation. They can also be categorized based on their geographical location and the temperature they experience.
The formation of deserts, including the Carcross Desert, can be attributed to the various weather conditions that occur in the area, such as the temperature changes between the day and the night. These temperature variations cause the rocks to break apart. Although rain rarely occurs in these areas, flash floods can sometimes occur due to heavy downpours.
The Carcross Desert is considered to be the world’s smallest desert. Measuring just over a square mile, it’s smaller than the city of Hoboken in New Jersey. In fairness, the Mile Square City of Hoboken is bigger.
Although it’s technically a desert, Carcross receives too much precipitation each year. Due to its unique location, it’s still dry. According to Jonathan Erdman, a senior meteorologist at weather.com, the area’s unique weather conditions contribute to its dry condition.
The “rain shadow” of the Carcross Desert is located in the mountains of Canada’s Yukon Province. According to Jonathan, the winds from the northeast Pacific that pass through this region often prevent the precipitation from falling in the area. Also, the Arctic air mass that moves into the region from Siberia and Alaska diminishes the chances of precipitation happening.
According to the United States Geological Survey, areas that don’t receive enough rainfall in a year are considered to be desert regions. For instance, the city of Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Province doesn’t meet the criteria. According to Jonathan, the average annual rainfall in the area is around 10 inches.
Contrary to popular belief, the Carcross Desert is made up of sand dunes. According to Environment Yukon, a glacial lake called Watson Lake existed in this area during the last Ice Age. The water that was fed by the glaciers disappeared when temperatures started to warm. All that remained was the silt and sand that formed the foundation of the desert.
The melting of the glaciers led to the Watson River cutting through the area, which eventually transported the silt and sand into Bennet Lake. Due to the strong winds that moved through the mountains, the sand and silt eventually formed and maintained the dunes in Carcross.
Two rare plants that only exist in this area are known to protect the dunes from wind erosion. These are the Siberian Sedge and the Yukon Lupine. The Carcross Desert is a popular recreational area for tourists and locals.
Due to the activities that are commonly conducted in this area, such as sandboarding, hiking, and riding all-terrain vehicles, the government tried to protect the area from potential dune erosion in 1992. However, this effort was rejected by the local community.