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Coordinates: 35°N 116°W / 35°N 116°W / 35; -116
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{{Short description|Desert in the southwestern United States}}
{{About||the indigenous American tribe|Mojave people|other uses|Mohave (disambiguation)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Geobox|Desert
{{Use American English|date=December 2024}}
| name =Mojave Desert| native_name = Hayikwiir Mat'aar <small><ref>Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary'' Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992</ref></small> in [[Mojave language|Mojave]]
{{Infobox ecoregion
| other_name =
|name = Mojave Desert<br />{{small|{{native name|mov|Hayyikwiir Mat'aar}}}}<br />{{small|{{native name|es|Desierto de Mojave}}}}
| category =
| image = JT17M.jpg
|image = Mesquite Sand Dunes in Death Valley.jpg
|image_size =
| image_caption = Mojave Desert scene in [[Joshua Tree National Park]]
|image_alt =
| official_name =
|caption = Sand dunes in Death Valley
| etymology =
|map = Mojave Desert map.svg
| motto =
|map_size = 200px
| nickname =
|map_alt =
| flag =
|map_caption = Location within North America
| symbol =
|biogeographic_realm = [[Nearctic realm|Nearctic]]
| country = United States
|biome = [[Deserts and xeric shrublands]]
| state = [[California]]
|animals =
| state1 = [[Nevada]]
|bird_species = 230<ref name=Atlas>{{Cite web |title=The Atlas of Global Conservation |url=http://maps.tnc.org/globalmaps.html |access-date=November 20, 2020 |publisher=maps.tnc.org |archive-date=March 5, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305201312/http://maps.tnc.org/globalmaps.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
| state2 = [[Utah]]
|mammal_species = 98<ref name=Atlas/>
| state3 = [[Arizona]]
|border1 = [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]]
| region =
|border2 = [[Colorado Plateau shrublands]]
| district1 =
|border3 = [[Great Basin Desert]]
| district2 =
|border4 = [[Sonoran Desert]]
| district3 =
|border5 = [[Sierra Nevada]]
| municipality =
|border6 =
| parent = [[North American Desert]] ecoregion<ref>[http://www.epa.gov/wed/pages/ecoregions/na_eco.htm#Level%20I Western Ecology Division], US Environmental Protection Agency</ref>
|area = 81000
| range =
|country = United States
| border = [[Great Basin Desert]] (north)<br>[[Sonoran Desert]] (south)<br>[[Colorado Plateau]] (east)<br>[[Colorado Desert]] (south)
|state1 = [[Arizona]]
| part =
|state2 = California
| river = [[Mojave River]]
|state3 = [[Nevada]]
| tributary_left =
|state4 = [[Utah]]
| tributary_right =
|region_type =
| child_left =
|elevation =
| child_right =
|coordinates = {{coord|35|N|116|W|scale:2500000|display=it}}
| city =
|geology =
| landmark =
|seas =
| building =
|rivers = [[Colorado River]], [[Mojave River]]
| elevation_imperial =
|climate = [[Cold desert climate|Cold desert]] (''BWk'') and [[Hot desert climate|hot desert]] (''BWh'')
| prominence =
|soil =
| location = <!--previous coord syntax:{{coord|35|0.5|N|115|28.5|W|scale:5000000|display=title}}-->
|conservation = Relatively Stable/Intact<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Mojave desert|url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/ecoregions/na1308|access-date=November 20, 2020|website=World Wildlife Fund|language=en}}</ref>
| coordinates_type = scale:2500000
|global200 =
| lat_d = 35
|embedded =
| lat_m = 0.5
| lat_s =
| lat_NS = N
| long_d = 115
| long_m = 28.5
| long_s =
| long_EW = W
| highest =[[Charleston Peak]] {{convert|11918|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm|title=[[Bryophytes]] From the Northern Mojave Desert|first1=Lloyd R.|last1=Stark|first2=Alan T.|last2=Whittemore|date=|work=Bryophytes of Nevada On-line|publisher=State of Nevada|accessdate=2010-04-26}}</ref>
| highest_location = [[Death Valley]]<ref name="biogucsb">{{cite web|url=http://www.biogeog.ucsb.edu/projects/gap/report/moj_rep.html |title=Appendix MOJ. The Mojave Desert Region |last=Thomas|first=Kathryn|coauthors=Stoms, David; Davis, Frank|date= |work= biogeog.ucsb.edu|publisher= Bio-Geography Lab at Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at University of California Santa Barbara|accessdate=2012-04-08}}</ref>| highest_region = | highest_state =
| highest_elevation_imperial =
| highest_lat_d =36 | highest_lat_m =10 | highest_lat_s =11 | highest_lat_NS =N
| highest_long_d =117 | highest_long_m =05 | highest_long_s =21 | highest_long_EW =W
| lowest = [[Badwater Basin]] {{convert|-282|ft|abbr=on}}
| lowest_note =
| lowest_location = [[Death Valley]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geology.com/below-sea-level/ |title=Land Below Sea Level| first= David K. |last=Lynch |date= |work= Geology.com|publisher= |accessdate=2010-04-26}}</ref>
| lowest_lat_d = 36
| lowest_lat_m = 51
| lowest_lat_s =
| lowest_lat_NS = N
| lowest_long_d = 117
| lowest_long_m = 17
| lowest_long_s =
| lowest_long_EW = W
| lowest_elevation_imperial = | watershed_imperial
| length_imperial = | length_orientation =
| width_imperial = | width_orientation =
| height_imperial =
| depth_imperial =
| volume_imperial =
| weight_imperial =
| area = 124000
| area_land_imperial =
| area_water_imperial =
| area_urban_imperial =
| area_metro_imperial =
| population = | population_date =
| population_urban =
| population_metro =
| population_density_imperial =
| population_density_urban_imperial =
| population_density_metro_imperial =
| geology = [[Basin and Range Province]]
| orogeny =
| period =
| biome = [[Desert]]
| plant =
| animal =
| author =
| style =
| material =
| established =
| date =
| management =
| management_location = | management_region = | management_country =
| management_elevation_imperial =
| management_lat_d = | management_lat_m = | management_lat_s = | management_lat_NS =
| management_long_d = | management_long_m = | management_long_s = | management_long_EW =
| government =
| government_location = | government_region = | government_country =
| government_elevation_imperial =
| government_lat_d = | government_lat_m = | government_lat_s = | government_lat_NS =
| government_long_d = | government_long_m = | government_long_s = | government_long_EW =
| owner =
| mayor =
| leader =
| public = [[Mojave National Preserve]], National Parks ([[Death Valley National Park|Death Valley]], [[Joshua Tree National Park|Joshua Tree]], [[Zion National Park|Zion]], and [[Grand Canyon National Park|Grand Canyon]])
| visitation = | visitation_date =
| access =
| ascent = | ascent_date =
| discovery = | discovery_date =
| postal_code =
| area_code =
| code =
| free = | free_type =
| map = Mojave Desert map.svg
| map_caption =
| map_background =
| map_locator =
| commons =
| statistics =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
The '''Mojave Desert''' ({{IPAc-en|m|oʊ|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i|,_|m|ə|-|audio=En-us-Mojave.oga}};{{refn|{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title=English Pronouncing Dictionary |editor1=Peter Roach |editor2=James Hartmann |editor3=Jane Setter |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |orig-year=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=978-3-12-539683-8 }}}}{{refn|{{cite Dictionary.com|Mojave}}}}<ref>{{cite OED|Mojave|id=120733}}</ref> {{langx|mov|Hayikwiir Mat'aar}};<ref>Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary''. Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992</ref> {{langx|es|Desierto de Mojave}}) is a [[desert]] in the [[rain shadow]] of the southern [[Sierra Nevada]] mountains and [[Transverse Ranges]] in the Southwestern United States.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Mojave Desert |url=https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.php |publisher=Blue Planet Biomes}}</ref><ref name=":0"/> Named for the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] [[Mohave people]], it is located primarily in southeastern California and southwestern [[Nevada]], with small portions extending into [[Arizona]] and [[Utah]].<ref name=":1">{{cite encyclopedia|title=Mojave Desert|encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica|date=March 25, 2021|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Mojave-Desert|access-date=July 22, 2021}}</ref><ref name=":0" />


The Mojave Desert, together with the [[Sonoran Desert|Sonoran]], [[Chihuahuan Desert|Chihuahuan]], and [[Great Basin Desert|Great Basin]] deserts, form a larger [[List of North American deserts|North American desert]]. Of these, the Mojave is the smallest and driest. It displays typical [[basin and range topography]], generally having a pattern of a series of parallel mountain ranges and valleys. It is also the site of [[Death Valley]], which is the lowest elevation in North America. The Mojave Desert is often colloquially called the "high desert", as most of it lies between {{convert|2000|and|4,000|ft|m|-1}}. It supports a diversity of flora and fauna.
The '''Mojave Desert''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|m|oʊ|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i}} or {{IPAc-en|m|ə|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i}}; '''High Desert''') occupies a significant portion of southeastern [[California]] and smaller parts of [[central California]], southern [[Nevada]], southwestern [[Utah]] and northwestern [[Arizona]], in the United States.<!--evident from the map--> Named after the [[Mohave people|Mohave]] tribe of [[Native Americans of the United States|Native Americans]], it displays typical [[basin and range]] topography.


The {{cvt|54,000|sqmi|km2}} desert supports a number of human activities, including recreation, ranching, and military training.<ref name=":2"/> The Mojave Desert also contains various silver, [[tungsten]], iron and gold deposits.<ref name=Dibblee/>{{rp|124}}
The Mojave Desert's boundaries are generally defined by the presence of ''[[Yucca brevifolia]]'' (Joshua trees); considered an [[indicator species]] for this desert. The topographical boundaries include the [[Tehachapi Mountains|Tehachapi]] together with the [[San Gabriel Mountains|San Gabriel]] and [[San Bernardino Mountains|San Bernardino]] mountain ranges. The mountain boundaries are quite distinct since they are outlined by the two largest faults in California: the [[San Andreas Fault|San Andreas]] and the [[Garlock Fault|Garlock]]. The [[Great Basin shrub steppe]] lies to the north; the warmer [[Sonoran Desert]] (the [[Low Desert]]) lies to the south and east. The desert is believed to support between 1,750 and 2,000 species of plants.<ref>Mazzucchelli, Vincent G., "The Southern Limits of the Mohave Desert, California," ''The California Geographer'', 1967, VIII: 127-133. This study provides original maps of the Mohave and adjacent deserts in the southwestern states.</ref>


The spelling ''Mojave'' originates from the Spanish language, while the spelling ''Mohave'' comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the Mojave Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling ''Mojave'', which is a shortened form of {{lang|mov|Hamakhaave}}, an [[Endonym and exonym|endonym]] in their native language, meaning "beside the water".<ref>{{cite web |title=Mojave Indian Fact Sheet |publisher=bigorrin.org |url=http://www.bigorrin.org/mojave_kids.htm |access-date=March 9, 2022}}</ref>
While most of the Mojave desert is sparsely populated, several large cities can be found there, including [[Lancaster, California]] and [[Victorville, California]], with the largest being [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]] and [[Henderson, Nevada]].


==Climate==
==Geography==
[[File:Joshua Tree NP - Joshua Tree 2.jpg|thumb|upright|The Joshua tree (''[[Yucca brevifolia]]'') is [[endemism|endemic]] and exclusive to the Mojave Desert.<ref>{{cite web |title=Mojave Desert Biome |url=https://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/mojave_desert.php#:~:text=The%20Mojave%20Desert%20lies%20in,cold%20air%20in%20the%20mountains. |access-date=July 23, 2021 |website=Blue Planet Biomes}}</ref>]]
The Mojave Desert receives less than {{convert|13|in|mm|abbr=on}} of rain a year and is generally between {{convert|2000|and|5000|ft}} in elevation. The Mojave Desert also contains the [[Mojave National Preserve]], as well as the lowest and hottest place in [[North America]]: [[Death Valley National Park|Death Valley]], at 300 feet below sea level, where the temperature often surpasses {{convert|120|F|C|abbr=on|lk=on}} in late July and early August. [[Zion National Park]], in [[Utah]], lies at the junction of the Mojave, the [[Great Basin Desert]], and the [[Colorado Plateau]]. Despite its aridity, the Mojave (and particularly the [[Antelope Valley]] in its southwest) has long been a center of alfalfa production, fed by irrigation coming from [[groundwater]] and (in the 20th century) from the [[California Aqueduct]].
The Mojave Desert is a desert bordered to the west by the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the [[California montane chaparral and woodlands]], and to the south and east by the Sonoran Desert. The boundaries to the east of the Mojave Desert are less distinctive than the other boundaries because there is no presence of an indicator species, such as the [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua tree]] (''Yucca brevifolia''),<ref name=":3">{{cite book|last1=Rundel|first1=Philip W|first2=Arthur C|last2=Gibson|title=Ecological communities and processes in a Mojave Desert ecosystem|publisher=Cambridge University Press|year=2005}}</ref> which is endemic to the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert is distinguished from the Sonoran Desert and other deserts adjacent to it by its warm temperate climate, as well as [[flora and fauna]] such as [[Olneya|ironwood]] (''Olneya'' ''tesota''), [[Parkinsonia florida|blue Palo Verde]] (''Parkinsonia florida''), [[Justicia californica|chuparosa]] (''Justicia californica''), [[Menodora spinescens|spiny menodora]] (''Menodora spinescens''), [[desert senna]] (''Cassia armata''), [[Psorothamnus arborescens|California dalea]] (''Psorothamnus arborescens''), [[Washingtonia filifera|California fan palm]] (Washingtonia filifera) and [[Acamptopappus|goldenhead]] (''Acamptopappus shockleyi''). Along with these other factors, these plants differentiate the Mojave from the nearby Sonoran Desert.<ref name=":0" />
[[File:Mustard Blue Sunset.jpg|thumb|left|Mustard Blue [[Summer]] Sunset at [[Landers, California]]]]


The Mojave Desert is bordered by the [[San Andreas Fault]] to the southwest and the [[Garlock Fault|Garlock]] fault to the north. The mountains elevated along the length of the San Andreas fault provide a clear border between the Mojave Desert and the coastal regions to the west.<ref name=Dibblee /> The Garlock fault separates the Mojave Desert from the Sierra Nevada and [[Tehachapi Mountains|Tehachapi]] mountains, which provide a natural border to the Mojave Desert. There are also abundant [[alluvial fan]]s, which are called [[Bajada (geography)|bajadas]], that form around the mountains within the Mojave Desert and extend down toward the low altitude basins,<ref name=":3" /> which contain dried lake beds called playas, where water generally collects and evaporates, leaving large volumes of salt. These playas include [[Rogers Dry Lake]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake|China Lake]]. Dry lakes are a noted feature of the Mojave landscape.<ref name=":0" /> The Mojave Desert is also home to the [[Devils Playground]], about {{convert|40|mi|km}} of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devil's Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of [[Baker, California]] and the [[Providence Mountains]]. The [[Cronese Mountains]] are within the Devil's Playground.
The Mojave is a desert of temperature extremes and two distinct seasons. Winter months bring temperatures dipping to around {{convert|20|F|C|abbr=on}} on valley floors, and below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} at higher elevations. Storms moving from the [[Pacific Northwest]] can bring rain and in some places even snow — more often, the [[rain shadow]] created by the tokyo japan as well as mountain ranges within the desert such as the [[Spring Mountains]] bring only clouds and wind. In longer periods between storm systems, winter temperatures in valleys can approach {{convert|80|F|C|abbr=on}}.


There are very few surface rivers in the Mojave Desert, but two major rivers generally flow underground. One is the intermittent [[Mojave River]], which begins in the San Bernardino mountains and disappears underground in the Mojave Desert.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.westernrivers.org/discover/river-of-the-month/mojave-river|title=Mojave River|publisher=Western Rivers Conservancy|date=February 2020}}</ref> The other is the [[Amargosa River]], which flows partly underground through the Mojave Desert along a southward path.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/life-on-the-amargosaa-desert-river-faced-with-drought|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210611163844/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/life-on-the-amargosaa-desert-river-faced-with-drought|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 11, 2021|title=Life on the Amargosa—a desert river faced with drought|magazine=National Geographic|first=Stefan|last=Lovgren|date=June 11, 2021}}</ref> The Manix, Mojave, and the Little Mojave lakes are all large but shallow.<ref name=":3"/>{{rp|7}} [[Soda Lake (San Bernardino County)|Soda Lake]] is the principal saline basin of the Mojave Desert. [[Spring (hydrology)|Natural springs]] are typically rare throughout the Mojave Desert,<ref name=":3"/>{{rp|19}} but there are two notable springs, [[Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge|Ash Meadows]] and [[Oasis Valley]]. Ash Meadows is formed from several other springs, which all draw from deep underground. Oasis Valley draws from the nearby Amargosa River.
Spring weather continues to be influenced by Pacific storms, but rainfall is more widespread and occurs less frequently after April. By early June, it is rare for another Pacific storm to have a significant impact on the region's weather, and temperatures after mid-May are normally above {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} and frequently above {{convert|100|F|C|abbr=on}}.
[[Image:KelsoSand.JPG|thumb|left|Sand blowing off a crest in the [[Kelso Dunes]] of the Mojave Desert]]


=== Climate ===
Summer weather is dominated by heat — temperatures on valley floors can soar above {{convert|120|F|C|abbr=on}} and above {{convert|130|F|C|abbr=on}} at the lowest elevations — and the presence of the [[North_American_Monsoon|North American monsoon]]. Low humidity, high temperatures and low pressure draw in moisture from the [[Gulf of Mexico]], creating thunderstorms across the desert southwest. While the Mojave does not get nearly the amount of rainfall that the [[Sonoran desert]] to the south receives, monsoonal moisture will create thunderstorms as far west as California's [[Central Valley (California)|Central Valley]] from mid-June through early September.
Extremes in temperatures throughout the seasons characterize the climate of the Mojave Desert. Freezing temperatures and strong winds are not uncommon in the winter, as well as precipitation such as rain and snow in the mountains. In contrast, temperatures above {{Convert|100|F}} are not uncommon during the summer months.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Weather – Mojave National Park Reserve|url=https://www.nps.gov/moja/planyourvisit/weather.htm|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref> There is an annual average precipitation of {{Convert|2 to 6|in}}, although regions at high altitudes such as the portion of the Mojave Desert in the [[San Gabriel Mountains|San Gabriel mountains]] may receive more rain.<ref name=Dibblee /><ref name=":1" /> Most of the precipitation in the Mojave comes from the Pacific Cyclonic storms that are generally present passing eastward in November to April.<ref name=Dibblee/> Such storms generally bring rain and snow only in the mountainous regions, as a result of the effect of the mountains, which [[Rain shadow|creates a drying effect on its leeward slopes]].<ref name=Dibblee />


During the late summer months, there is also the possibility of strong thunderstorms, which bring heavy showers or cloudbursts. These storms can result in [[flash flood]]ing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Precipitation History of the Mojave Desert Region, 1893–2001|first1=Richard|last1=Hereford|first2=Robert H|last2=Webb|first3=Claire I|last3=Longpre|url=https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/fs117-03/|publisher=United States Geological Survey|id=Fact Sheet 117-03|year=2004}}</ref>
Autumns are generally pleasant, with one to two Pacific storm systems creating regional rain events. October is one of the driest and sunniest months in the Mojave, and temperatures usually remain between {{convert|70|F|C|abbr=on}} and {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} on the valley floors.


[[File:Desert_Electric.jpg|thumb|left|A powerful High Desert summer storm sweeps rapidly across the Mojave Desert.]]
After temperature, wind is the most significant weather phenomenon in the Mojave. Across the region, windy days are common, and in areas near the transition between the Mojave and the California low valleys, including near [[Cajon Pass]], [[Soledad Canyon]] and the [[Tehachapi, California|Tehachapi]] areas. During the [[June Gloom]], cooler air can be pushed out into the desert from Southern California; in [[Santa Ana wind]] events, hot air from the desert blows out into the [[Los Angeles basin]] and other coastal areas. [[Wind farm]]s in these areas generate power from these winds.


The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants such as some within the genera ''[[Bromus]]'', ''[[Schismus]]'' and ''[[Brassica]]'' have facilitated fires by serving as a fuel bed. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert. At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Brooks|first1=Matthew L|first2=JR|last2=Matchett|title=Spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires in the Mojave Desert, 1980–2004|journal=Journal of Arid Environments|volume=67|year=2006|pages=148–164|doi=10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.09.027|bibcode=2006JArEn..67..148B}}</ref>
The other major weather factor in the region is elevation. The highest peak within the Mojave is [[Charleston Peak]] at {{convert|11918|ft}},<ref>{{cite web|url=http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm|title=[[Bryophytes]] From the Northern Mojave Desert|first1=Lloyd R.|last1=Stark|first2=Alan T.|last2=Whittemore|date=|work=Bryophytes of Nevada On-line|publisher=State of Nevada|accessdate=2010-04-26}}</ref> while the [[Badwater Basin]] in Death Valley is {{convert|282|ft}} below sea level. Accordingly, temperatures and precipitation ranges wildly, in all seasons, across the region.


{{Weather box
The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants (e.g., ''[[Bromus]]'' spp., ''Schismus'' spp., ''[[Brassica]]'' spp.) have facilitated fire, which has significantly altered many areas of the desert. At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.
| collapsed = Y
| width = auto
| location = [[Furnace Creek, California|Furnace Creek]], [[Death Valley]], California (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1911–present). Elevation {{convert|-190|ft|abbr=on}}.
| single line = Y
| Jan record high F = 90
| Feb record high F = 102
| Mar record high F = 108
| Apr record high F = 113
| May record high F = 122
| Jun record high F = 131
| Jul record high F = 134.1
| Aug record high F = 131
| Sep record high F = 125
| Oct record high F = 118
| Nov record high F = 98
| Dec record high F = 89
| year record high F =
| Jan avg record high F = 78.4
| Feb avg record high F = 85.1
| Mar avg record high F = 95.4
| Apr avg record high F = 106.0
| May avg record high F = 113.6
| Jun avg record high F = 122.0
| Jul avg record high F = 125.9
| Aug avg record high F = 123.4
| Sep avg record high F = 118.1
| Oct avg record high F = 106.2
| Nov avg record high F = 90.0
| Dec avg record high F = 77.8
| year avg record high F = 126.7
| Jan high F = 67.2
| Feb high F = 73.7
| Mar high F = 82.6
| Apr high F = 91.0
| May high F = 100.7
| Jun high F = 111.1
| Jul high F = 117.4
| Aug high F = 115.9
| Sep high F = 107.7
| Oct high F = 93.3
| Nov high F = 77.4
| Dec high F = 65.6
| year high F = 92.0
| Jan mean F = 54.9
| Feb mean F = 61.3
| Mar mean F = 69.8
| Apr mean F = 77.9
| May mean F = 87.8
| Jun mean F = 97.5
| Jul mean F = 104.2
| Aug mean F = 102.3
| Sep mean F = 93.4
| Oct mean F = 78.9
| Nov mean F = 64.0
| Dec mean F = 53.4
| year mean F = 78.8
| Jan low F = 42.5
| Feb low F = 49.0
| Mar low F = 57.1
| Apr low F = 64.8
| May low F = 75.0
| Jun low F = 84.0
| Jul low F = 91.0
| Aug low F = 88.7
| Sep low F = 79.1
| Oct low F = 64.4
| Nov low F = 50.5
| Dec low F = 41.1
| year low F = 65.6
| Jan avg record low F = 30.5
| Feb avg record low F = 36.1
| Mar avg record low F = 42.8
| Apr avg record low F = 49.8
| May avg record low F = 58.5
| Jun avg record low F = 67.9
| Jul avg record low F = 78.3
| Aug avg record low F = 75.3
| Sep avg record low F = 65.4
| Oct avg record low F = 49.5
| Nov avg record low F = 35.9
| Dec avg record low F = 29.0
| year avg record low F = 28.0
| Jan record low F = 15
| Feb record low F = 20
| Mar record low F = 26
| Apr record low F = 35
| May record low F = 42
| Jun record low F = 49
| Jul record low F = 62
| Aug record low F = 65
| Sep record low F = 41
| Oct record low F = 32
| Nov record low F = 24
| Dec record low F = 19
| year record low F =
| precipitation color = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.37
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.52
| Mar precipitation inch = 0.25
| Apr precipitation inch = 0.10
| May precipitation inch = 0.03
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.05
| Jul precipitation inch = 0.10
| Aug precipitation inch = 0.10
| Sep precipitation inch = 0.20
| Oct precipitation inch = 0.12
| Nov precipitation inch = 0.10
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.26
| year precipitation inch = 2.20
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 2.4
| Feb precipitation days = 2.9
| Mar precipitation days = 2.0
| Apr precipitation days = 1.1
| May precipitation days = 0.9
| Jun precipitation days = 0.3
| Jul precipitation days = 1.1
| Aug precipitation days = 0.9
| Sep precipitation days = 0.8
| Oct precipitation days = 1.1
| Nov precipitation days = 0.9
| Dec precipitation days = 1.6
| year precipitation days = 16.0
| Jan snow inch =
| Feb snow inch =
| Mar snow inch =
| Apr snow inch =
| May snow inch =
| Jun snow inch =
| Jul snow inch =
| Aug snow inch =
| Sep snow inch =
| Oct snow inch =
| Nov snow inch =
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| year snow inch =
| unit snow days = 0.1 in
| Jan snow days =
| Feb snow days =
| Mar snow days =
| Apr snow days =
| May snow days =
| Jun snow days =
| Jul snow days =
| Aug snow days =
| Sep snow days =
| Oct snow days =
| Nov snow days =
| Dec snow days =
| year snow days =
|Jan sun = 217
|Feb sun = 226
|Mar sun = 279
|Apr sun = 330
|May sun = 372
|Jun sun = 390
|Jul sun = 403
|Aug sun = 372
|Sep sun = 330
|Oct sun = 310
|Nov sun = 210
|Dec sun = 186
|year sun = 3625
| source 1 = NOAA<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=vef
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = October 11, 2021
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00042319&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = June 12, 2021
}}</ref>
| source =
}}


{{Weather box
{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location=Needles, CA
|location = [[Las Vegas]], Nevada (1991–2020 normals,{{efn|Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.}} extremes 1937–present)
|single line=yes
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F=85
|collapsed = Y
|Feb record high F=92
|Mar record high F=99
|Jan record high F = 77
|Apr record high F=107
|Feb record high F = 87
|May record high F=115
|Mar record high F = 92
|Jun record high F=121
|Apr record high F = 99
|Jul record high F=125
|May record high F = 109
|Aug record high F=121
|Jun record high F = 117
|Sep record high F=120
|Jul record high F = 117
|Oct record high F=109
|Aug record high F = 116
|Nov record high F=92
|Sep record high F = 114
|Dec record high F=83
|Oct record high F = 103
|year record high F=125
|Nov record high F = 87
|Jan high F=65.0
|Dec record high F = 78
|Feb high F=69.8
|Jan avg record high F = 68.7
|Mar high F=77.2
|Feb avg record high F = 74.2
|Apr high F=85.2
|Mar avg record high F = 84.3
|May high F=95.0
|Apr avg record high F = 93.6
|Jun high F=104.2
|May avg record high F =101.8
|Jul high F=108.8
|Jun avg record high F =110.1
|Aug high F=106.9
|Jul avg record high F =112.9
|Sep high F=100.4
|Aug avg record high F =110.3
|Oct high F=87.5
|Sep avg record high F =105.0
|Nov high F=73.4
|Oct avg record high F = 94.6
|Dec high F=63.3
|Nov avg record high F = 80.5
|year high F=86.5
|Dec avg record high F = 67.9
|Jan low F=43.5
|year avg record high F=113.6
|Feb low F=46.7
|Jan high F = 58.5
|Mar low F=51.5
|Feb high F = 62.9
|Apr low F=58.6
|Mar high F = 71.1
|May low F=68.3
|Apr high F = 78.5
|Jun low F=77.2
|May high F = 88.5
|Jul low F=84.3
|Jun high F = 99.4
|Aug low F=82.8
|Jul high F = 104.5
|Sep low F=74.5
|Aug high F = 102.8
|Oct low F=62.0
|Sep high F = 94.9
|Nov low F=50.3
|Oct high F = 81.2
|Dec low F=42.5
|Nov high F = 67.1
|year low F=61.9
|Dec high F = 56.9
|year high F= 80.5
|Jan record low F=21
|Feb record low F=24
|Jan mean F = 49.5
|Mar record low F=30
|Feb mean F = 53.5
|Apr record low F=39
|Mar mean F = 60.8
|May record low F=44
|Apr mean F = 67.7
|Jun record low F=53
|May mean F = 77.3
|Jul record low F=57
|Jun mean F = 87.6
|Aug record low F=62
|Jul mean F = 93.2
|Sep record low F=52
|Aug mean F = 91.7
|Oct record low F=34
|Sep mean F = 83.6
|Nov record low F=30
|Oct mean F = 70.4
|Dec record low F=20
|Nov mean F = 57.2
|Dec mean F = 48.2
|year record low F=20
|year mean F = 70.1
|Jan precipitation inch=0.72
|Jan low F = 40.5
|Feb precipitation inch=0.78
|Feb low F = 44.1
|Mar precipitation inch=0.54
|Mar low F = 50.5
|Apr precipitation inch=0.22
|Apr low F = 56.9
|May precipitation inch=0.09
|May low F = 66.1
|Jun precipitation inch=0.03
|Jun low F = 75.8
|Jul precipitation inch=0.16
|Jul low F = 82.0
|Aug precipitation inch=0.48
|Aug low F = 80.6
|Sep precipitation inch=0.43
|Sep low F = 72.4
|Oct precipitation inch=0.26
|Oct low F = 59.6
|Nov precipitation inch=0.40
|Nov low F = 47.3
|Dec precipitation inch=0.51
|Dec low F = 39.6
|year precipitation inch=4.62
|year low F= 59.6
|source 1=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca6118 <ref>{{cite web|author=WRCC|title=Western U.S. Climate Historical Summaries Weather|url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca6118|publisher=Desert Research Institute|date=|accessdate=2011-07-02}}</ref>
|Jan avg record low F = 29.8
|date=July 2011
|Feb avg record low F = 32.9
|Mar avg record low F = 38.7
|Apr avg record low F = 45.2
|May avg record low F = 52.8
|Jun avg record low F = 62.2
|Jul avg record low F = 72.9
|Aug avg record low F = 70.8
|Sep avg record low F = 60.8
|Oct avg record low F = 47.4
|Nov avg record low F = 35.2
|Dec avg record low F = 29.0
|year avg record low F= 27.4
|Jan record low F = 8
|Feb record low F = 16
|Mar record low F = 19
|Apr record low F = 31
|May record low F = 38
|Jun record low F = 48
|Jul record low F = 56
|Aug record low F = 54
|Sep record low F = 43
|Oct record low F = 26
|Nov record low F = 15
|Dec record low F = 11
|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.56
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.80
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.42
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.20
|May precipitation inch = 0.07
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.04
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.38
|Aug precipitation inch = 0.32
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.32
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.32
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.30
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.45
|year precipitation inch= 4.18
|Jan snow inch = 0.0
|Feb snow inch = 0.0
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.2
|year snow inch = 0.2
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 3.1
|Feb precipitation days = 4.1
|Mar precipitation days = 2.8
|Apr precipitation days = 1.6
|May precipitation days = 1.1
|Jun precipitation days = 0.4
|Jul precipitation days = 2.5
|Aug precipitation days = 2.2
|Sep precipitation days = 1.8
|Oct precipitation days = 1.7
|Nov precipitation days = 1.5
|Dec precipitation days = 3.0
|year precipitation days=25.8
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.0
|Feb snow days = 0.1
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.1
|year snow days = 0.2
|Jan sun = 245.2 |Jan percentsun = 79
|Feb sun = 246.7 |Feb percentsun = 81
|Mar sun = 314.6 |Mar percentsun = 85
|Apr sun = 346.1 |Apr percentsun = 88
|May sun = 388.1 |May percentsun = 89
|Jun sun = 401.7 |Jun percentsun = 92
|Jul sun = 390.9 |Jul percentsun = 88
|Aug sun = 368.5 |Aug percentsun = 88
|Sep sun = 337.1 |Sep percentsun = 91
|Oct sun = 304.4 |Oct percentsun = 87
|Nov sun = 246.0 |Nov percentsun = 80
|Dec sun = 236.0 |Dec percentsun = 78
|year percentsun = 86
|humidity color =
|Jan humidity = 45.1
|Feb humidity = 39.6
|Mar humidity = 33.1
|Apr humidity = 25.0
|May humidity = 21.3
|Jun humidity = 16.5
|Jul humidity = 21.1
|Aug humidity = 25.6
|Sep humidity = 25.0
|Oct humidity = 28.8
|Nov humidity = 37.2
|Dec humidity = 45.0
|year humidity= 30.3
| Jan dew point C = −5.5
| Feb dew point C = −4.6
| Mar dew point C = −4.5
| Apr dew point C = −4.4
| May dew point C = −2.1
| Jun dew point C = −0.6
| Jul dew point C = 4.8
| Aug dew point C = 6.7
| Sep dew point C = 2.8
| Oct dew point C = −0.9
| Nov dew point C = −3.7
| Dec dew point C = −5.4
|source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)<ref name = "NOWData NWS Las Vegas, NV (VEF) – LASthr">{{cite web |url=https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=vef |title=NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=October 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name="NCEI Summary of Monthly Normals – 1991-2020">{{cite web|url=https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00023169&format=pdf |title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020 |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date =October 11, 2021}}</ref><ref name= noaasun >{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72386.TXT |title=WMO Climate Normals for LAS VEGAS/MCCARRAN, NV 1961–1990 |access-date=October 11, 2021 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration}}</ref>
}}
}}


{{Weather box
[[File:Kill.Bill.Church.Location.Lancaster.JPG|thumb|Church near [[Lancaster, California]] used as a [[filming location]] for [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Kill Bill]]'' films, Vol. I & II (2003, 2004)]]
|width = auto
|location = Searchlight, Nevada. (Elevation {{convert|3550|ft|abbr=on}})
|collapsed = yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high F = 77
|Feb record high F = 81
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 94
|May record high F = 102
|Jun record high F = 110
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 110
|Sep record high F = 107
|Oct record high F = 98
|Nov record high F = 86
|Dec record high F = 75
|year record high F = 111
|Jan high F = 53.7
|Feb high F = 58.4
|Mar high F = 65.0
|Apr high F = 73.1
|May high F = 82.5
|Jun high F = 92.7
|Jul high F = 97.6
|Aug high F = 95.4
|Sep high F = 89.0
|Oct high F = 77.0
|Nov high F = 63.6
|Dec high F = 54.4
|year high F = 75.2
|Jan low F = 35.6
|Feb low F = 38.3
|Mar low F = 41.8
|Apr low F = 48.0
|May low F = 55.9
|Jun low F = 64.8
|Jul low F = 71.4
|Aug low F = 69.6
|Sep low F = 63.9
|Oct low F = 53.9
|Nov low F = 43.0
|Dec low F = 36.4
|year low F = 51.9
|Jan record low F = 7
|Feb record low F = 11
|Mar record low F = 20
|Apr record low F = 27
|May record low F = 30
|Jun record low F = 40
|Jul record low F = 52
|Aug record low F = 51
|Sep record low F = 41
|Oct record low F = 23
|Nov record low F = 15
|Dec record low F = 8
|year record low F = 7
| precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.92
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.96
|Mar precipitation inch = 0.77
|Apr precipitation inch = 0.40
|May precipitation inch = 0.20
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.11
|Jul precipitation inch = 0.91
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.08
|Sep precipitation inch = 0.61
|Oct precipitation inch = 0.52
|Nov precipitation inch = 0.43
|Dec precipitation inch = 0.79
|year precipitation inch = 7.70
|source 1 = The Western Regional Climate Center<ref name="WRCC 1">{{cite web
| url =http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?nv7369| title =Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information | access-date =March 24, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center }}</ref>
|date=March 2013
}}


{{Weather box
==Geography==
|width = auto
{{category see also|Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert|Valleys of the Mojave Desert|Lakes of the Mojave Desert}}
|collapsed = Y

|location = Mount Charleston Lodge, Nevada. (Elevation {{convert|7420|ft|abbr=on}})
[[File:LakeBadwater.JPG|thumb|left|An [[ephemeral]] lake in [[Badwater Basin]], [[Death Valley National Park]]]]
|single line = Y

|Jan record high F = 70
The Mojave Desert is defined by the mountain ranges creating its xeric conditions, and it also has numerous [[mountain range]]s within it. They often create valleys, [[endorheic basin]]s, [[salt pan (geology)|salt pans]], and seasonal [[saline lake]]s when precipitation is high enough. These mountain ranges and valleys are part of the [[Basin and Range province]] and the [[Great Basin]], a geologic area of crustal thining which pulls open valleys over millions of years. Most of the valleys are internally drained, so all precipitation that falls within the valley does not eventually flow to the ocean. Some of the Mojave (toward the east, in and around the [[Colorado River]]/[[Virgin River Gorge]]) is within a different geographic domain, the [[Colorado Plateau]]. This area is known for its incised canyons, high mesas and plateaus, and flat strata, a unique geographic locality found nowhere else on earth.
|Feb record high F = 69
|Mar record high F = 73
|Apr record high F = 79
|May record high F = 86
|Jun record high F = 93
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 93
|Sep record high F = 90
|Oct record high F = 83
|Nov record high F = 79
|Dec record high F = 69
|year record high F = 98
|Jan high F = 44.0
|Feb high F = 43.4
|Mar high F = 48.8
|Apr high F = 54.8
|May high F = 64.4
|Jun high F = 74.1
|Jul high F = 79.4
|Aug high F = 78.2
|Sep high F = 71.7
|Oct high F = 61.4
|Nov high F = 51.6
|Dec high F = 44.3
|year high F = 59.7
|Jan low F = 19.2
|Feb low F = 19.8
|Mar low F = 23.5
|Apr low F = 28.2
|May low F = 36.4
|Jun low F = 44.1
|Jul low F = 52.0
|Aug low F = 50.6
|Sep low F = 43.5
|Oct low F = 34.5
|Nov low F = 26.0
|Dec low F = 19.4
|year low F = 33.1
|Jan record low F = -11
|Feb record low F = -15
|Mar record low F = 1
|Apr record low F = 7
|May record low F = 16
|Jun record low F = 17
|Jul record low F = 31
|Aug record low F = 30
|Sep record low F = 17
|Oct record low F = 9
|Nov record low F = 1
|Dec record low F = -18
|year record low F = -18
|precipitation color = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 2.83
|Feb precipitation inch = 3.51
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.92
|Apr precipitation inch = 1.23
|May precipitation inch = 0.70
|Jun precipitation inch = 0.29
|Jul precipitation inch = 2.13
|Aug precipitation inch = 1.89
|Sep precipitation inch = 1.69
|Oct precipitation inch = 1.96
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.31
|Dec precipitation inch = 3.61
|year precipitation inch = 23.09
|Jan snow inch = 18.2
|Feb snow inch = 29.3
|Mar snow inch = 13.2
|Apr snow inch = 8.3
|May snow inch = 1.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.2
|Jul snow inch = 0
|Aug snow inch = 0
|Sep snow inch = 0
|Oct snow inch = 1.6
|Nov snow inch = 5.2
|Dec snow inch = 20.0
|year snow inch = 97.1
|source 1 = The Western Regional Climate Center<ref name="WRCC 2">{{cite web
| url =http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca5890| title =Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information | access-date =March 29, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center }}</ref>
|date=March 2013}}


==Cities and regions==
===Cities and regions ===
{{Main|List of cities in the Mojave Desert}}
{{Main|List of cities in the Mojave Desert}}
{{For|a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave|High Desert (California)}}
{{For|a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave|High Desert (California)}}
[[File:Las Vegas (Nevada, USA), The Strip -- 2012 -- 6232.jpg|thumb|right|Las Vegas is in the Mojave Desert.]]
[[File:RidgecrestCA.JPG|thumb|left|A typical Mojave desert valley and city: [[Indian Wells Valley]] and [[Ridgecrest, California]]]]


While the Mojave Desert itself is sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years. [[Las Vegas, Nevada]] is the largest city in the Mojave, with a metropolitan population of around 1.9 million in 2006. [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] is the largest California city in the desert, and over 850,000 people live in areas of the Mojave attached to the [[Greater Los Angeles area|Greater Los Angeles]] metropolitan area, including Palmdale and [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]] (referred to as the [[Antelope Valley]]); and [[Victorville, California|Victorville]], [[Apple Valley, California|Apple Valley]] and [[Hesperia, California|Hesperia]] (referred to as the [[Victor Valley, California|Victor Valley]]) attached to the [[Inland Empire (CA)|Inland Empire]] metropolitan area, the 14th largest in the nation. Smaller cities in the Mojave include [[St. George, Utah|St. George]]; [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona|Lake Havasu City]]; [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]]; [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]]; [[Bullhead City, Arizona|Bullhead City]]; and [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]]. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990.
While the Mojave Desert is generally sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> The metropolitan areas include [[Las Vegas]], the largest urban area in the Mojave and the largest urban area in Nevada with a population of about 2.3 million.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Las Vegas City, Nevada|url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/lasvegascitynevada|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=United States Census Bureau}}</ref> [[St. George, Utah]], is the northeasternmost metropolitan area in the Mojave, with a population of around 180,000 in 2020, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau. The Los Angeles exurban area of [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]]-[[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]] has more than 400,000 residents, and the [[Victorville, California|Victorville]] area to its east has more than 300,000 residents.<ref name=":1" /> Smaller cities or [[micropolitan]] areas in the Mojave Desert include [[Helendale, California|Helendale]], [[Lake Havasu City, Arizona|Lake Havasu City]], [[Kingman, Arizona|Kingman]], [[Laughlin, Nevada|Laughlin]], [[Bullhead City, Arizona|Bullhead City]] and [[Pahrump, Nevada|Pahrump]]. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990. The California portion of the desert also contains [[Edwards Air Force Base]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]], noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects.<ref name="AFSCHIST">{{cite web|url=http://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/afhistory/AFFTC1961Opt.pdf|volume=1|year=1961|title=History of the Air Force Flight Test Center|id=K286.69-37, IRIS Number 489391}}</ref><ref name="China Lake">{{cite web|url=http://www.militarymuseum.org/NAFInyokern.html|title=Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake|publisher=The California State Military Museum|access-date=17 August 2013}}</ref>


The Mojave Desert has several [[ghost town]]s. The most significant are the silver and copper-mining town of [[Calico, San Bernardino County, California|Calico, California]], and the old railroad depot of [[Kelso, California]]. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when [[U.S. Route 66]] (and the lesser-known [[U.S. Route 91]]) was abandoned in favor of the construction of [[Interstate highway|Interstates]]. [[California State Route 14|CA SR 14]], [[Interstate 15]], [[Interstate 40]], [[California State Route 58|CA SR 58]], [[California State Route 138|CA SR 138]], [[US Route 95]], and [[US Route 395]] are the main highways that traverse the Mojave Desert.<ref>{{cite web|title=Freeways and Highways|url=https://digital-desert.com/road-trail/freeways-highways.html|website=Digital-Desert.com|access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref>
[[Image:San Bernardino Mountains, Mojave Desert.jpg|thumb|Where the [[San Bernardino Mountains]] meet the Mojave Desert]]


== Geology ==
<!-- TOWNS FEWER THAN 30K: "Includes" is a non-exclusive list, meant to give an idea of the thousands of towns in the Mojave Desert. Not all of them are listed and is done so on purpose. Please don't add more to this list unless the city is particularly notable. -->
{{main|Geology of the Death Valley area}}
Towns with fewer than 30,000 people in the Mojave include [[Barstow, California]]; [[Rosamond, California]]; [[Needles, California]]; [[Nipton, California]]; [[Ridgecrest, California]]; [[Mesquite, Nevada]]; [[Hurricane, Utah]]; [[Moapa Valley, Nevada]]; [[California City, California]]; [[Twentynine Palms, California]]; [[Joshua Tree, California]]; [[Pioneertown, California]]; [[Lone Pine, California]]; [[Boron, California]] and [[Mojave, California]]. The California portion of the desert also contains [[Edwards Air Force Base]] and [[Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake]], noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects, and the [[Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms|largest Marine Corps base]] in the world at Twentynine Palms. Mojave airport is also home to a long term storage facility for large airplanes due to extremely dry non-corrosive weather conditions and a hard ground ideal for parking aircraft.
[[File:Giant Marbles in Joshua Tree National Park.jpg|thumb|right|Rock formations in [[Joshua Tree National Park]]]]
The exposed geology of the Death Valley presents a diverse and complex set of at least 23 [[Formation (stratigraphy)|formations]] of sedimentary units, two major gaps in the geologic record called [[unconformity (geology)|unconformities]], and at least one distinct set of related formations geologists call a [[group (geology)|group]]. The oldest rocks in the area that now includes [[Death Valley National Park]] are extensively [[Metamorphism (geology)|metamorphosed]] by intense heat and pressure and are at least [[Mesoproterozoic|1700 million years]] old. These rocks were intruded by a mass of granite 1400 [[Year#Abbreviations yr and ya|Ma]] (million years ago) and later uplifted and exposed to nearly 500 million years of erosion.<ref name=Harris>{{cite book| title = Geology of National Parks| edition = 5th| last = Harris| first = Ann G.| author2 = Tuttle, Esther|author3=Tuttle, Sherwood D.| location = Iowa| publisher = Kendall/Hunt Publishing| year = 1997| isbn = 978-0-7872-5353-0}}</ref>{{rp|631}}


The rock that forms the Mojave Desert was created under shallow water in the [[Precambrian]],<ref name=":3"/>{{rp|21}}<ref name=Dibblee/>{{rp|115}} forming thick sequences of [[conglomerate (geology)|conglomerate]], [[mudstone]], and [[carbonate rock]] topped by [[stromatolite]]s, and possibly glacial deposits from the hypothesized [[Snowball Earth]] event.<ref name=Collier>{{cite book| title = An Introduction to the Geology of Death Valley| last = Collier| first = Michael| location = Death Valley, California| year = 1990| publisher = Death Valley Natural History Association| id = LCN 90-081612}}</ref>{{rp|44}} [[Rift]]ing thinned huge roughly linear parts of the supercontinent [[Rodinia]] enough to allow sea water to invade and divide its landmass into component continents separated by narrow straits.<ref name=Harris/>{{rp|632}} A [[passive margin]] developed on the edges of these new seas in the Death Valley region.<ref name=Harris/>{{rp|634}} Carbonate banks formed on this part of the two [[plate tectonics|margins]] only to be subsided as the [[continental crust]] thinned until it broke, giving birth to a new ocean basin. An [[Accretion (geology)|accretion]] wedge of [[clastic]] sediment then started to accumulate at the base of the submerged precipice, entombing the region's first known fossils of complex life.
The Mojave Desert contains a number of [[ghost town]]s, the most significant of these being the gold-mining town of [[Oatman, Arizona]], the silver-mining town of [[Calico, California]], and the old railroad depot of [[Kelso, California|Kelso]]. Some of the other ghost towns are of the more modern variety, created when [[U.S. Route 66]] (and the lesser-known [[United States Highway 91|US Highway 91]]) were abandoned in favor of the [[Interstate highway|Interstates]]. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways [[Interstate 15]], [[Interstate 40]], [[Highway 58]], [[US Highway 395]] and [[US Highway 95]].


During the [[Paleozoic]] era, the area that is now the Mojave was again likely submerged under a greater sea.<ref name=Dibblee>{{cite book|last=Dibblee|first=TW Jr|year=1967|title=Areal geology of the western Mojave Desert, California|id=Professional Paper 522|url=https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp522|publisher=United States Geological Survey|doi=10.3133/pp522 }}</ref>{{rp|116}} The passive margin switched to [[active margin]] in the early-to-mid [[Mesozoic]] when the [[Farallon Plate]] under the [[Pacific Ocean]] started to dive below the [[North American Plate]], initiating a [[subduction zone]]; [[volcano]]es and uplifting mountains were produced as a result.<ref name=Harris/>{{rp|635}} Erosion over many millions of years formed a relatively featureless plain.
Other than the [[Colorado River (U.S.)|Colorado River]] on the eastern half of the Mojave, few long streams cross the desert. The [[Mojave River]] is an important source of water for the southern parts of the desert. The [[Amargosa River]] flows from the [[Great Basin Desert]] south to near [[Beatty, Nevada]], then underground through [[Ash Meadows]] before returning to the surface near [[Shoshone, California]] and ending in Death Valley.


Stretching of the crust under western North America started around [[miocene|16 Ma]] and is thought to be caused by upwelling from the subducted [[divergent boundary|spreading-zone]] of the Farallon Plate. This process continues into the present and is thought to be responsible for producing the [[Basin and Range province]]. By [[pliocene|2 to 3 million years ago]] this province had spread to the Death Valley area, ripping it apart and giving birth to [[Death Valley]], [[Panamint Valley]] and surrounding ranges. These valleys partially filled with sediment and, during colder periods during the current [[ice age]], with lakes. [[Lake Manly]] was the largest of these lakes; it filled Death Valley during each [[glacial period]] from 240,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago. By [[holocene|10,500 years ago]] these lakes were increasingly cut off from glacial melt from the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]], starving them of water and concentrating salts and minerals. The desert environment seen today developed after these lakes dried up.
The Mojave Desert is also home to the [[Devils Playground]], about {{convert|40|mi|km}} of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devils Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is located between the town of [[Baker, California]] and [[Providence Mountains]]. The [[Cronese Mountains]] are found within the Devils Playground.


The Mojave Desert is a source of various minerals and metallic materials. Due to the climate, there is an accumulation of weathered bedrock, fine sand and silt, both sand and silt sediments becoming converted into [[colluvium]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Persico |first1=L.P. |last2=McFadden |first2=L.D. |last3=McAuliffe |first3=J.R. |last4=Rittenour |first4=T.M. |last5=Stahlecker |first5=T.E. |last6=Dunn |first6=S.B. |last7=Brody |first7=S.A.T. |date=September 30, 2021 |title=Late Quaternary geochronologic record of soil formation and erosion: Effects of climate change on Mojave Desert hillslopes (Nevada, USA) |url=https://doi.org/10.1130/G49270.1 |journal=Geology |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=54–59 |doi=10.1130/G49270.1 |s2cid=244264071 |issn=0091-7613}}</ref> The deposits of gold, tungsten, and silver have been mined frequently prior to the [[Second World War]].<ref name=Dibblee/>{{rp|124}} Additionally, there have been deposits of copper, [[tin]], [[Lead zirconate titanate|lead-zinc]], [[manganese]], iron, and various [[Radioactive decay|radioactive substances]] but they have not been mined for [[Economy|commercial]] use.<ref name=Dibblee />{{rp|124}}
==Parks and tourism==
[[Image:Lakemeadnevada.jpg|thumb|[[Lake Mead]] provides water for cities in Arizona, California, and Nevada]]


==Ecology==
The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular tourism spots in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of [[Las Vegas, Nevada]]. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, with three national parks – [[Death Valley National Park]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]], and the [[Mojave National Preserve]]. Lakes [[Lake Mead|Mead]], [[Lake Mohave|Mohave]], and [[Lake Havasu|Havasu]] provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. [[Hoover Dam]] is a popular tourist destination. Visitors get a chance to see the structure, the [[hydroelectric power]] plant, and hear the history of the dam's construction during the [[Great Depression]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.constructioncompany.com/historic-construction-projects/hoover-dam/|title=Hoover Dam|author=|date=|work=General Contractor Bob Moore Construction Company|publisher=|accessdate=2010-04-26}}</ref>


===Flora===
Besides the major national parks there are other areas of identified significance and tourist interest in the desert such as the [[Big Morongo Canyon Preserve]], which [[Colorado Desert]], and the [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]], {{convert|17|mi}} west of Las Vegas, both of which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
The flora of the Mojave Desert consists of various [[Endemism|endemic]] plant species, notably the [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua Tree]], which is a notable endemic and [[indicator species]] of the desert. There is more endemic flora in the Mojave Desert than almost anywhere in the world.<ref name=":0" /> Mojave Desert flora is not a [[vegetation type]], although the plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of the physical barriers of the Sierra Nevadas and the Colorado Plateau. Predominant plants of the Mojave Desert include [[Atriplex polycarpa|all-scale]] (''Atriplex polycarpa''), [[Larrea tridentata|creosote bush]] (''Larrea tridentata''), [[Encelia farinosa|brittlebush]] (''Encelia farinosa''), [[Atriplex hymenelytra|desert holly]] (''Atriplex hymenelytra''), [[Ambrosia salsola|white burrobush]] (Hymenoclea salsola), and most notably, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Additionally, the Mojave Desert is also home to various species of cacti, such as [[Cylindropuntia echinocarpa|silver cholla]] (''Cylindropuntia echinocarpa''), [[Opuntia erinacea|Mojave prickly pear]] (''O. erinacea''), [[Opuntia basilaris|beavertail cactus]] (''O. basilaris''), and [[Echinocactus polycephalus|many-headed barrel cactus]] (''Echinocactus polycephalus''). Less common but distinctive plants of the Mojave Desert include [[Olneya|ironwood]] (''Olneya'' ''tesota''), [[Parkinsonia florida|blue Palo Verde]] (''Parkinsonia Florida''), [[Justicia californica|chuparosa]] (''Justicia californica''), [[Menodora spinescens|spiny menodora]] (''Menodora spinescens''), [[desert senna]] (''Cassia armata''), [[Psorothamnus arborescens|California dalea]] (''Psorothamnus arborescens''), and [[Acamptopappus|goldenhead]] (''Acamptopappus shockleyi''). The Mojave Desert is generally abundant in winter annuals.<ref name=":3"/>{{rp|11}} The plants of the Mojave Desert each generally correspond to an individual geographic feature. As such, there are distinctive flora communities within the desert.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://digital-desert.com/ecosections/322a.htm|title=Section 322A Mojave Desert|website=Digital-Desert.com|access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref>


<gallery>
[[File:RedRockCanyonsky.JPG|thumb|[[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]]]]
File:Cassia armata by Margaret Neilson Armstrong.jpg|A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave
File:California indigo bush (Psorothamnus arborescens var. simplicifolius) (16768840710).jpg|California Dalea, an [[indicator species]] of the Mojave Desert
File:Acamptopappus shockleyi 7.jpg|Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi) an [[indicator species]] of the Mojave
File:Opuntia echinocarpa-extracted.jpg|Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa), a common species of cacti in the Mojave
File:Creosote-Bush (4485551500).jpg|A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave
</gallery>


===Fauna===
Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in the Mojave is the self described [[world's tallest thermometer]] at {{convert|134|ft}} high, which is located along [[Interstate 15 in California|Interstate 15]] in [[Baker, California]]. The newly-renovated [[Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel|Kelso Depot]] is the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Preserve. Nearby the massive [[Kelso Dunes]] are a popular recreation spot. [[Nipton, California]], located on the northern entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, is a restored ghost town founded in 1885.
[[File:Desert tortoise (G. agassizii) - Flickr - smashtonlee05.jpg|thumb|A desert tortoise, which can be found in the Mojave Desert]]
Notable species of the Mojave Desert include [[bighorn sheep]] (''Ovis canadensis''), [[mountain lion]]s (''Puma concolor''), [[black-tailed jackrabbit]]s (''Lepus californicus''), and [[desert tortoise]]s (''Gopherus agassizii'').<ref name=":0"/> Various other species are particularly common in the Mojave Desert, such as the [[LeConte's thrasher]] (''Toxostoma lecontei''), [[Western banded gecko|banded gecko]] (''Coleonyx variegatus''), [[desert iguana]] (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), [[chuckwalla]] (''Sauromalus obesus''), and [[regal horned lizard]] (''Phrynosoma solare'').<ref name=":0"/> Species of snake include the [[rosy boa]] (''Lichanura trivirgata''), [[Salvadora hexalepis|Western patch-nosed snake]] (''Salvadora hexalepis''), and [[Crotalus scutulatus|Mojave rattlesnake]] (''Crotalus scutulatus'').<ref name=":0"/> These species can also occur in the neighboring Sonoran and Great Basin deserts.


The animal species of the Mojave Desert have generally fewer endemics than its flora. However, endemic fauna of the Mojave Desert include [[Ammopelmatus kelsoensis|Kelso Dunes jerusalem cricket]] (''Ammopelmatus kelsoensis),'' the [[Eremopedes kelsoensis|Kelso Dunes shieldback katydid]] (''Eremopedes kelsoensis''), the [[Mohave ground squirrel]] (''Spermophilus Mohavensis'') and [[Amargosa vole]] (''Microtus californicus scirpensis'').<ref>{{cite journal|last=Neuwald|first=JL|year=2010|title=Population isolation exacerbates conservation genetic concerns in the endangered Amargosa vole, ''Microtus californicus scirpensis''|journal=Biological Conservation|volume=143|issue=9|pages=2028–2038|doi=10.1016/j.biocon.2010.05.007|bibcode=2010BCons.143.2028N }}</ref> The [[Mojave fringe-toed lizard]] (''Uma Scopari''a) is not endemic, but almost completely limited to the Mojave Desert. There are also aquatic species that are found nowhere else,<ref name=":4"/> such as the [[Devils Hole pupfish]], limited to one hot spring near Death Valley.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ecos.fws.gov/docs/recovery_plan/DevilsHolePupfish%20Not%20Practicable.pdf|title=Supplemental Finding for the Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis), within the Recovery Plan for the Endangered and Threatened Species of Ash Meadows, Nevada|publisher=US Fish and Wildlife Service|date=December 2019}}</ref>
Several attractions and natural features are located in the [[Calico Mountains (California)|Calico Mountains]]. [[Calico Ghost Town]], in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The [[ghost town]] has several shops and attractions, and inspired [[Walter Knott]] to build [[Knott's Berry Farm]]. The [[Bureau of Land Management|BLM]] also administers [[Rainbow Basin]] and Owl Canyon, two "off-the-beaten-path" scenic attractions together north of Barstow in the Calicos. The [[Calico Early Man Site]], in the Calico Hills east of [[Yermo, California|Yermo]], is believed by some archaeologists, including the late [[Louis Leakey]], to show the earliest evidence with [[Lithic analysis|lithic]] [[stone tools]] found here of human activity in North America. The [[Calico Peaks]] scenically rise above all the destinations.


== In society ==
A tour of the Mojave Desert inspired American songwriter [[Carrie Jacobs-Bond]] to compose the [[parlor song]] "[[A Perfect Day (song)|A Perfect Day]]" in 1909.<ref>Reublein, Rick. [http://parlorsongs.com/bios/cjbond/cjbond.php "America's first great woman popular song composer"] site.</ref>


===Museums===
=== History ===
Before the European colonization of North America, tribes of Native Americans, such as the [[Mohave people|Mohave]], were [[hunter-gatherer]]s living in the Mojave Desert.<ref name=MojaveNPS>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/moja/historyculture/index.htm|title=History & Culture|work=Mojave National Preserve|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>
[[Image:MaturangoMuseum.JPG|thumb|Maturango Museum, in Ridgecrest]]
* [[Antelope Valley Indian Museum State Historic Park]]
* [[Amargosa Opera House and Hotel]]
* [http://www.route66museum.org/ Barstow Route 66 "Mother Road" Museum]
* [[California Route 66 Museum]]
* [[Desert Discovery Center]]
* [[Harvey House Railroad Depot]]
* [[Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel]]
* [[Maturango Museum]]
* [http://mojaverivervalleymuseum.org/ Mojave River Valley Museum]
* [[Western America Railroad Museum]]


European explorers started exploring the deserts beginning in the 18th century. [[Francisco Garcés]], a [[Franciscan]] friar, was the first explorer of the Mojave Desert in 1776.<ref name=MojaveNet>{{cite web|url=http://mojavedesert.net/people/garces.html|title=Fr. Francisco Garces|work=Profiles in Mojave Desert History|publisher=Digital-Desert}}</ref> Garcés recorded information about the original inhabitants of the deserts.
===Parks and protected areas===
[[Image:SkullRock.JPG|thumb|Skull Rock, a rock formation in Joshua Tree NP]]
{{Main|:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert|:Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert}}
* [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]]
* [[Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park]]
* [[Death Valley National Park]]
* [[Desert National Wildlife Refuge]] (Nevada)
* [[Joshua Tree National Park]]
* [[Mojave National Preserve]]
* [[Providence Mountains State Recreation Area]]
* [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]]
* [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]] (Nevada)
* [[Saddleback Butte State Park]]


Later, as American interests expanded into California, American explorers started probing the California deserts. [[Jedediah Smith]] traveled through the Mojave Desert in 1826, finally reaching the [[San Gabriel Mission]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Bil|last=Gilbert|title=The Trailblazers|url=https://archive.org/details/trailblazers00time|url-access=registration|publisher=Time-Life Books|year=1973|pages=[https://archive.org/details/trailblazers00time/page/96 96]–100, 107}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|first=Alson J.|last=Smith|title=Men Against the Mountains: Jedediah Smith and the South West Expedition of 1826–1829|url=https://archive.org/details/menagainstmounta00smit|url-access=registration|location=New York|publisher=John Day Co.|year=1965}}</ref>
==Native Mojave plants and animals==
[[File:Chollainbloom.jpg|thumb|[[Cholla cactus]] in bloom at night]]


===Flora===
=== Human development ===
[[File:Endeavour_after_STS-126_on_SCA_over_Mojave_from_above.jpg|alt=STS-126 The Space Shuttle Endeavour mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft flies over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 10, 2008.|thumb|[[STS-126]] The Space Shuttle Endeavour mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft flies over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 10, 2008.]]
[[File:Cfanplamswarmsprings.jpg|thumb|[[Warm Springs Natural Area]] is a natural [[oasis]] about 50 miles northeast of [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]]]
In recent years, human development in the Mojave Desert has become increasingly present. Human development at the major urban and suburban centers of [[Las Vegas]] and Los Angeles has had an increasingly damaging effect on the wildlife of the Mojave Desert.<ref name=":0" /> An added demand for landfill space as a result of the large metropolitan centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles also has the real potential to drastically affect flora and fauna of the Mojave Desert. Agricultural development along the [[Colorado River|Colorado river]], close to the Eastern boundary of the Mojave Desert, also causes habitat loss and degradation.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":0" /> Areas that are particularly affected by human development include [[Ward Valley (California)|Ward Valley]] and Riverside county. The [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] also maintains installations in the Mojave Desert, making the Mojave a critical training location for the United States Department of Defense.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Mojave Desert|url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/mojave-desert/|access-date=July 24, 2021|website=Nature}}</ref> The Mojave Desert has long been a valuable resource for people, and as its human population grows, its importance will only grow. Miners, ranchers, and farmers rely on the desert for a living.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Mojave Desert |url=https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/places-we-protect/mojave-desert/ |access-date=October 25, 2022 |website=The Nature Conservancy |language=en-US}}</ref> The Mojave is also used by the state of California to meet renewable energy objectives. Large tracts of the desert are owned by federal agencies and are leased at low cost by wind and [[Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert|solar energy]] companies, although these renewable developments can cause their own environmental impact and disturb cultural landscapes and visual resources.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2021-11-03/the-mojave-desert-is-prime-real-estate-for-solar-power|title='Is this really green?' The fight over solar farms in the Mojave Desert|first=Meg|last=Bernhard|date=November 3, 2021|newspaper=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> [[Desert Sunlight Solar Farm]], one of the largest solar farms in the world, was built approximately five miles from [[Joshua Tree National Park]]. An endangered [[Clapper rail|Yuma clapper rail]] was found dead at the site in 2014, spurring efforts from conservation groups to protect birds from the so-called lake effect, a phenomenon in which birds can mistake the reflective glare of solar panels for a body of water.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Roth |first=Sammy |date=August 14, 2014 |title=Lawsuit over desert solar plants' bird deaths |url=https://www.desertsun.com/story/news/environment/2014/08/22/solar-plant-agencies-lawsuit/14426871/ |website=The Desert Sun |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{See also|:Category:Flora of the California desert regions|l1=Category: Flora of the California desert regions}}


=== Tourism ===
{{Div col|2}}
{{wide image|File:Zbriskie Point South Panorama 2012.jpg|x160px|Panorama of Zabriskie point|65%|center}}
* [[White fir]] (''Abies concolor'')
The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular spots for tourism in North America, primarily because of the international destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenery, playing host to [[Death Valley National Park]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]], and the [[Mojave National Preserve]]. Lakes [[Lake Mead|Mead]], [[Lake Mohave|Mohave]], and [[Lake Havasu|Havasu]] provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. The Mojave Desert also includes three [[California State Parks]], the [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]], in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], [[Saddleback Butte State Park]], in [[Hi Vista, California|Hi Vista]] and [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]]. [[Mojave Narrows Park]], operated by San Bernardino County, is a former ranch along the Mojave River.<ref>{{cite news|title=Statue Dedicated to Kemper Campbell Ranch owner, former mayor Jean DeBlasis|newspaper=Victorville Press Dispatch|date=22 July 2012|last=Aaker|first=Therese|url=https://www.vvdailypress.com/story/news/2012/07/22/honoring-victorville-pioneer/37132905007/}}</ref>
* [[Newberry's milkvetch]] (''Astragalus newberryi'')
* [[California barrel cactus]] (''Ferocactus cylindraceus'')
* [[Banana yucca]] (''Yucca baccata'')
* [[Beavertail prickly pear]] (''Opuntia basilaris'')
* [[California fan palm]] (''Washingtonia filifera'')
* [[Mojave suncup]] (''Camissonia campestris'')
* [[Cooper's dyssodia]] (or dogweed) (''Adenophyllum cooperi'')
* [[Death Valley monkeyflower]] (''Mimulus rupicola'')
* [[Desert candle]] (''Caulanthus inflatus'')
* [[Desert five-spot]]
* [[Desert larkspur]]
* [[Desert Lily]]
* [[Desert rock pea]]
* [[Desert star]]
* ''[[Erigeron concinnus]]''
* ''[[Ipomopsis arizonica]]''
* [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua Tree]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Barbour|first=Michael G.|last2=Billings|first2=William Dwight|year=2000|title=North American Terrestrial Vegetation|location=|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=0-521-55986-3}}</ref>
* [[Jumping Cholla]]
* ''[[Larrea tridentata]]''
* ''[[Linanthus demissus]]''
* ''[[Lupinus arizonicus]]''
* [[Mojave prickly poppy]]
* [[Salvia mohavensis|Mojave sage]]<ref name="Annerino">{{cite book|first=John|last=Annerino|year=1999|title=Canyoneering: How to Explore the Canyons of the Great Southwest|location=|publisher=Stackpole Books|isbn=0-8117-2700-9}}</ref>
* [[Mojave yucca]]<ref name="Annerino"/>
* [[Mormon Tea]]
* [[Cylindropuntia ramosissima|Branched Pencil Cholla]]
* ''[[Phacelia calthifolia]]''
* ''[[Phacelia crenulata]]''
* ''[[Pinus monophylla]]''
* [[Prairie clover]]
* [[Saltugilia latimeri|Latimer's woodland gilia]] (''Saltugilia latimeri'')
* ''[[Senna covesii]]''
* [[Teddy-bear Cholla]]<ref name="Annerino"/>
* [[Utah Juniper]]
* [[Western poison oak]]<ref>Hogan, C. Michael (2008) [http://globaltwitcher.auderis.se/artspec_information.asp?thingid=82914 "Western poison-oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum"], GlobalTwitcher, ed. Nicklas Strömberg</ref>
* [[White woolly daisy]]
* [[Wide-bannered lupine]]
{{Div col end}}


Several attractions and natural features are in the [[Calico Mountains (California)|Calico Mountains]]. [[Calico Ghost Town]], in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and attractions and inspired [[Walter Knott]] to build [[Knott's Berry Farm]]. The [[Bureau of Land Management]] also administers [[Rainbow Basin]] and Owl Canyon.
===Fauna===
[[File:Archvirginrivergorge.jpg|thumb|Animals live among the various formations and canyons in the Mojave. [[Virgin River Gorge]], [[Arizona]]]]
* ''See also: [[:Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert|Category: Fauna of the Mojave Desert]]''


=== Conservation status ===
{{Div col|2}}
[[File:California Poppies1.jpg|thumb|right|A field of [[Eschscholzia californica|California poppies]] in the California Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley]]
* [[Bobcat]]
The Mojave Desert has a relatively stable and intact conservation status. The Mojave Desert is one of the best protected distinct ecoregions in the United States,<ref name=":0" /> as a result of the [[California Desert Protection Act of 1994|California Desert Protection Act]], which designated 69 wilderness areas and established [[Death Valley National Park]], [[Joshua Tree National Park]], and the [[Mojave National Preserve]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Wheat | first=Frank | title=California desert miracle : the fight for desert parks and wilderness | publisher=Sunbelt Publications | publication-place=San Diego, Calif. | date=1999 | isbn=0-932653-27-8 | oclc=39677747}}</ref> However, the southwest and central east portions of the Mojave Desert are particularly threatened as a result of off-road vehicles, increasing recreational use, human development, and agricultural [[grazing]].<ref name=":0" /> The World Wildlife Fund lists the Mojave Desert as relatively "stable/intact".<ref name=":0" />
* [[Burrowing Owl]]
* [[California Kingsnake]]
* [[Chuckwalla]]
* [[Common Raven]]
* [[Common Side-blotched Lizard]]
* [[Cottontail rabbit]]
* [[Cougar]]
* [[Coyote]]
* [[Desert Bighorn Sheep]]
* [[Ammospermophilus leucurus|Desert Chipmunk]]
* [[Desert Horned Lizard]]
* [[Desert Iguana]]
* [[Desert kit fox]]
* [[Desert night lizard]]
* [[Desert tortoise]]
* [[Elf Owl]]
* [[Fringe-toed lizard]]
* [[Gila Monster]]
* [[Glossy Snake]]
* [[Gopher Snake]]
* [[Crotaphytus bicinctores|Great Basin Collared Lizard]]
* [[Hummingbird]]
* [[Hare|Jackrabbit]]
* [[Kangaroo Rat]]
* [[Gambelia wislizenii|Long-nosed Leopard Lizard]]
* [[Long-tailed Brush Lizard]]
* [[Crotalus scutulatus|Mojave Green Rattlesnake]]
* [[Mohave Ground Squirrel|Mojave ground squirrel]]
* [[Mohave tui chub]]
* [[Mule Deer]]
* [[Pronghorn]]
* [[Red-spotted Toad]]
* [[Red-tailed Hawk]]
* [[Rosy boa]]
* [[Tarantula]]
* [[Western Diamondback Rattlesnake]]
* [[Zebra-tailed lizard]]
{{Div col end}}


Various habitats and regions of the Mojave Desert have been protected by statute. Notably, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. ([[Public Law (United States)|<abbr>Pub.L.</abbr>]] 103–433). Various other federal and state land agencies have protected regions within the Mojave Desert. These include [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]], which protects the fields of California poppies, [[Mojave Trails National Monument]], [[Desert Tortoise Natural Area]], [[Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park]], [[Desert National Wildlife Refuge]], [[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]], [[Providence Mountains State Recreation Area]], [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]], [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]], [[Saddleback Butte State Park]], [[Snow Canyon State Park]] and [[Valley of Fire State Park]]. In 2013, the Mojave Desert was further protected from development by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), in which the [[Bureau of Land Management]] designated 4.2 million acres of [[public land]] as protected wilderness as part of the [[National Conservation Lands]] of the California Desert.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bureau of Land Management |title=National Conservation Lands of the California Desert |url=https://www.blm.gov/programs/national-conservation-lands/national-conservation-lands-of-the-california-desert}}</ref>
==West Mojave Plan litigation==
The U.S. [[Bureau of Land Management]] (BLM) manages public lands in the Mojave Desert as part of its "crown jewels of the [[Western United States|American West]]" [[National Landscape Conservation System]]. It has designated numerous large [[off-road vehicle]] open use areas on public lands in the western Mojave Desert, including El Mirage, [[Jawbone Canyon]], [[Rasor Off-Highway Vehicle Area|Rasor]], Spangler Hills, Stoddard Valley, Dove Spring Canyon, [[Dumont Dunes]], and the world's largest open off-road vehicle use area, [[Johnson Valley, California|Johnson Valley]]. Open areas designated for unrestricted vehicle travel in the western Mojave Desert total {{convert|363480|acre|km2}}. Several additional open areas dedicated to unrestricted vehicle travel on public lands have been designated in the northern and eastern Colorado (NECO) Desert. In 2002, BLM designated all washes in the southeastern third of the NECO planning area as also open to unrestricted vehicle travel. This was followed in 2003 by BLM expanding the off-road vehicle network in the western Mojave Desert to enhance off-road vehicle recreation opportunity. In 2004, relative to the case of ''[[Center for Biological Diversity]], et al., Plaintiffs, v. Bureau of Land Management, et al., Defendants''; the United States District court enjoined "all off-road vehicle use in the washes of the NECO Desert planning area pending issuance of a new biological opinion."<ref>{{cite web|date=April 27, 2007|title=Desert Lawsuit Settlement|url=http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/lawsuit.html|work=California Desert District|publisher=[[Bureau of Land Management]]|accessdate=2010-01-12}}<br>
a. {{cite web|date=December 20, 2004|title=Order Re: Defendants' motion to alter or amend the judgment and plaintiffs' motion for injunctive relief|url=http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib//blm/ca/pdf/pdfs/caso_pdfs.Par.ba8f28ba.File.pdf/Ilston.ruling.12.30.04.pdf|format=PDF|publisher=[[United States District Court for the Northern District of California]]|accessdate=2010-01-12}}</ref>{{Rp|a}}. A new biological opinion was subsequently issued and BLM's open wash designation in the NECO planning area was reinstated. In 2006, several environmental groups protested an additional route network expansion designated under the West Mojave Desert (WEMO) plan.


=== Cultural significance ===
In 2009, U.S. District Judge [[Susan Illston]] ruled against the BLM's proposed designation of additional off-road vehicle use allowance in the western Mojave Desert. According to the ruling, the BLM violated its own regulations<ref name=wil>[http://wilderness.org/content/road-routes-mojave-desert-found-illegal Mojave’s Off-Highway Roads Found Illegal]</ref> when it designated approximately {{convert|5000|mi|km}} of [[off-roading]] routes in 2006.<ref name=merc>[http://www.sddt.com/News/article.cfm?SourceCode=20090930cg Judge rejects federal plan for SoCal desert routes]</ref> According to Judge Ilston, the BLM's designation was significantly "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat.<ref name=lat>[http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mojave30-2009sep30,0,6696095.story Judge rejects U.S. management plan for California desert], ''Los Angeles Times'', 30 September 2009.</ref> Judge Illston found that the bureau had inadequately analyzed the routes' impacts on air quality, soils, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered [[Uma scoparia|Mojave fringe-toed lizard]], pointing out that the desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed."<ref name=lat/>
The Mojave Desert has served as a backdrop for a [[:Category:Films shot in the Mojave Desert|number of films]]. The 2010 video game ''[[Fallout: New Vegas]]'' takes place in the Mojave Desert, or "Mojave Wasteland" as it is known in its post-apocalyptic future. At least eight [[music videos]] were recorded in the Mojave Desert:
* "[[Say You'll Be There]]" by the [[Spice Girls]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/spice-girls-shoot-kicked-girl-8903765|title=EXCLUSIVE: The Spice Girls shoot that kicked off 'girl power' and the S&M secret that nearly scuppered it all|work=Daily Mirror|first1=James|last1=Desborough|first2=Emma|last2=Patterson|date=September 24, 2016|accessdate=January 27, 2023}}</ref>
* "[[Goodbye (Mimi Webb song)|Goodbye]]" by [[Mimi Webb]]<ref>{{cite tweet|user=mimiwebb|number=1529858560909189121|title=outside LA, isn't it cool?|date=May 27, 2022|accessdate=January 27, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TLUKSXEneU|title=Mimi Webb – Goodbye (Official Music Video)|via=YouTube|author=[[Mimi Webb]]|date=May 26, 2022|accessdate=January 27, 2023}}</ref>
* "[[Bodies (Robbie Williams song)|Bodies]]" by [[Robbie Williams]]
* "[[Burden in My Hand]]" by [[Soundgarden]]
* “[[Breathless (The Corrs song)|Breathless]]” by [[The Corrs]]
* "[[What Took You So Long?]]" by [[Emma Bunton]]
* "[[Desert Rose (Sting song)|Desert Rose]]" by [[Sting (musician)|Sting]]
* "[[That Don't Impress Me Much]]" by [[Shania Twain]]


Photographs related to [[U2]]'s 1987 album ''[[The Joshua Tree]]'' were taken in the Mojave Desert.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.desertusa.com/dusablog/love-u2-album-joshua-tree-u2-lets-krek-accross-mojave/|title=I Love The U2 Album "The Joshua Tree", Do U2?|date=July 7, 2014 |publisher=Desert USA|accessdate=April 10, 2023}}</ref>
The court also found that the BLM failed to follow route designation procedures established in the agency’s own California Desert Conservation Area Plan, which allowed visitors to create hundreds of illegal OHV routes during the past three decades. The plan normally requires the BLM to consider the impacts to private property, non-motorized recreation opportunity, and natural resources before establishing off road areas.<ref name=wil/> The adopted West Mojave plan amendment was found to have violated the BLM's own manual of regulations, the [[Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976]] (FLPMA) and the [[National Environmental Policy Act of 1969]] (NEPA).<ref name=merc/> The ruling was considered a success for a coalition of conservation groups, including the [http://www.cnps.org/ California Native Plant Society], Friends of Juniper Flats, the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, [http://www.orvwatch.com/ Community Off Road Vehicle Watch], The Center for Biological Diversity, [[Sierra Club]], and [[The Wilderness Society (United States)|The Wilderness Society]], who together initiated the legal challenge in late 2006.<ref name=lat/>


==Notes==
In 2011, Judge Illston ruled on a remedy request submitted by the ten involved environmental organizations. BLM in this ruling was directed to complete a revised WEMO route designation complying with all laws and regulations by March, 2014. The agency is also required per this ruling to place signs on all off-road vehicle routes which are legal to use, create a monitoring plan to determine if illegal vehicle use is occurring, and provide additional enforcement to prevent illegal use.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.pe.com/localnews/stories/PE_News_Local_D_offroad01.283e22a.html|title=Judge: Redo off-roading routes in Mojave Desert|newspaper=Press-Enterprise|first=David|last=Danelski|date=31 January 2011}}</ref>
{{reflist|group=lower-alpha}}

==See also==
* [[Amboy Crater]]
* [[Bullhead City, Arizona]]
* [[Coso Rock Art District]]
* [[Desert Region of California]]
* [[Fossil Falls]]
* [[List of regions of California|List of California regions]]
* [[Mitchell Caverns]]
* [[Mojave Road]]
* [[Needles, California]]
* [[Pisgah Crater]]
* [[Shrub-steppe]] [[ecoregion]]
* [[Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert]]
* [[Trona Pinnacles]]
* [[Zzyzx, California]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==Further reading==
* Miller, D.M. and Amoroso, L. (2007). ''Preliminary surficial geology of the Dove Spring off-highway vehicle open area, Mojave Desert, California'' [U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2006-1265]. Reston, VA: U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey.
* ''Mojave Desert Wildflowers'', Jon Mark Stewart, 1998, pg. iv


==External links==
==External links==
{{commons}}
{{AttachedKML}}
* [http://www.thenatureexplorers.com/mojave.html The Nature Explorers Mojave Desert Expedition] 1 Hour 27 minute ecosystem video in July.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20120322123145/http://www.thenatureexplorers.com/mojave.html The Nature Explorers Mojave Desert Expedition] – 1 hour 27 minute ecosystem video in July
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/51308frame.htm Mojave Desert images] at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
* [http://www.cas.vanderbilt.edu/bioimages/ecoregions/51308frame.htm Mojave Desert images] at bioimages.vanderbilt.edu
* [http://www.mojavedesertblog.com/ Mojave Desert Blog]
* [http://digital-desert.com/ Mojave Desert Catalog Project]
* [http://digital-desert.com/ Mojave Desert Catalog Project]
{{sister bar|auto=1}}

{{Deserts}}
{{Deserts}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Colorado River system}}
{{AttachedKML}}


[[Category:Mojave Desert| ]]
[[Category:Deserts and xeric shrublands in the United States]]
[[Category:Deserts of Arizona]]
[[Category:Deserts of Arizona]]
[[Category:Deserts of California]]
[[Category:Deserts of California]]
[[Category:Deserts of Nevada]]
[[Category:Deserts of Nevada]]
[[Category:Deserts of North America]]
[[Category:Deserts of the Lower Colorado River Valley]]
[[Category:Deserts of Utah]]
[[Category:Deserts of Utah]]
[[Category:Deserts of the Lower Colorado River Valley]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of California]]
[[Category:Deserts and xeric shrublands]]
[[Category:Ecoregions of the United States]]
[[Category:Geography of Clark County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Clark County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Inyo County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Inyo County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Kern County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Lincoln County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Lincoln County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Los Angeles County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Mohave County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Geography of Mohave County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Geography of Nye County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Nye County, Nevada]]
[[Category:Geography of Riverside County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of San Bernardino County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of San Bernardino County, California]]
[[Category:Geography of Southern California]]
[[Category:Geography of Washington County, Utah]]
[[Category:Geography of Washington County, Utah]]
[[Category:Mojave Desert|Mojave Desert]]
[[Category:Natural history of the Mojave Desert| ]]
[[Category:North American desert flora]]
[[Category:Southwestern United States]]
[[Category:Southwestern United States]]

[[ar:صحراء موهافي]]
[[bn:মোহাভি মরুভূমি]]
[[bg:Мохаве (пустиня)]]
[[ca:Desert de Mojave]]
[[cs:Mohavská poušť]]
[[da:Mojaveørkenen]]
[[de:Mojave-Wüste]]
[[et:Mojave kõrb]]
[[es:Desierto de Mojave]]
[[eo:Mojave-Dezerto]]
[[eu:Mojave]]
[[fa:بیابان موهاوی]]
[[fr:Désert des Mojaves]]
[[gd:Fàsach Mhojave]]
[[ko:모하비 사막]]
[[id:Gurun Mojave]]
[[it:Deserto del Mojave]]
[[he:מדבר מוהאבי]]
[[ka:მოჰავეს უდაბნო]]
[[kk:Мохаве шөлі]]
[[lt:Mohavės dykuma]]
[[ms:Gurun Mojave]]
[[nl:Mojavewoestijn]]
[[ja:モハーヴェ砂漠]]
[[no:Mojaveørkenen]]
[[pl:Mojave]]
[[pt:Deserto de Mojave]]
[[ro:Deșertul Mojave]]
[[ru:Мохаве (пустыня)]]
[[sk:Mohavská púšť]]
[[fi:Mojaven aavikko]]
[[sv:Mojaveöknen]]
[[th:ทะเลทรายโมฮาวี]]
[[uk:Мохаве (пустеля)]]
[[ur:صحرائے موجاو]]
[[vi:Hoang mạc Mojave]]
[[yo:Mojave Desert]]
[[zh:莫哈韦沙漠]]

Latest revision as of 07:47, 10 January 2025

Mojave Desert
Hayyikwiir Mat'aar (Mohave)
Desierto de Mojave (Spanish)
Sand dunes in Death Valley
Location within North America
Ecology
RealmNearctic
BiomeDeserts and xeric shrublands
Borders
List
Bird species230[1]
Mammal species98[1]
Geography
Area81,000 km2 (31,000 sq mi)
CountryUnited States
States
Coordinates35°N 116°W / 35°N 116°W / 35; -116
RiversColorado River, Mojave River
Climate typeCold desert (BWk) and hot desert (BWh)
Conservation
Conservation statusRelatively Stable/Intact[2]

The Mojave Desert (/moʊˈhɑːvi, mə-/ ⓘ;[3][4][5] Mohave: Hayikwiir Mat'aar;[6] Spanish: Desierto de Mojave) is a desert in the rain shadow of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains and Transverse Ranges in the Southwestern United States.[7][2] Named for the indigenous Mohave people, it is located primarily in southeastern California and southwestern Nevada, with small portions extending into Arizona and Utah.[8][2]

The Mojave Desert, together with the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Great Basin deserts, form a larger North American desert. Of these, the Mojave is the smallest and driest. It displays typical basin and range topography, generally having a pattern of a series of parallel mountain ranges and valleys. It is also the site of Death Valley, which is the lowest elevation in North America. The Mojave Desert is often colloquially called the "high desert", as most of it lies between 2,000 and 4,000 feet (610 and 1,220 m). It supports a diversity of flora and fauna.

The 54,000 sq mi (140,000 km2) desert supports a number of human activities, including recreation, ranching, and military training.[9] The Mojave Desert also contains various silver, tungsten, iron and gold deposits.[10]: 124 

The spelling Mojave originates from the Spanish language, while the spelling Mohave comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the Mojave Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling Mojave, which is a shortened form of Hamakhaave, an endonym in their native language, meaning "beside the water".[11]

Geography

[edit]
The Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is endemic and exclusive to the Mojave Desert.[12]

The Mojave Desert is a desert bordered to the west by the Sierra Nevada mountain range and the California montane chaparral and woodlands, and to the south and east by the Sonoran Desert. The boundaries to the east of the Mojave Desert are less distinctive than the other boundaries because there is no presence of an indicator species, such as the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia),[13] which is endemic to the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert is distinguished from the Sonoran Desert and other deserts adjacent to it by its warm temperate climate, as well as flora and fauna such as ironwood (Olneya tesota), blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), chuparosa (Justicia californica), spiny menodora (Menodora spinescens), desert senna (Cassia armata), California dalea (Psorothamnus arborescens), California fan palm (Washingtonia filifera) and goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi). Along with these other factors, these plants differentiate the Mojave from the nearby Sonoran Desert.[2]

The Mojave Desert is bordered by the San Andreas Fault to the southwest and the Garlock fault to the north. The mountains elevated along the length of the San Andreas fault provide a clear border between the Mojave Desert and the coastal regions to the west.[10] The Garlock fault separates the Mojave Desert from the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi mountains, which provide a natural border to the Mojave Desert. There are also abundant alluvial fans, which are called bajadas, that form around the mountains within the Mojave Desert and extend down toward the low altitude basins,[13] which contain dried lake beds called playas, where water generally collects and evaporates, leaving large volumes of salt. These playas include Rogers Dry Lake and China Lake. Dry lakes are a noted feature of the Mojave landscape.[2] The Mojave Desert is also home to the Devils Playground, about 40 miles (64 km) of dunes and salt flats going in a northwest-southeasterly direction. The Devil's Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of Baker, California and the Providence Mountains. The Cronese Mountains are within the Devil's Playground.

There are very few surface rivers in the Mojave Desert, but two major rivers generally flow underground. One is the intermittent Mojave River, which begins in the San Bernardino mountains and disappears underground in the Mojave Desert.[14] The other is the Amargosa River, which flows partly underground through the Mojave Desert along a southward path.[15] The Manix, Mojave, and the Little Mojave lakes are all large but shallow.[13]: 7  Soda Lake is the principal saline basin of the Mojave Desert. Natural springs are typically rare throughout the Mojave Desert,[13]: 19  but there are two notable springs, Ash Meadows and Oasis Valley. Ash Meadows is formed from several other springs, which all draw from deep underground. Oasis Valley draws from the nearby Amargosa River.

Climate

[edit]

Extremes in temperatures throughout the seasons characterize the climate of the Mojave Desert. Freezing temperatures and strong winds are not uncommon in the winter, as well as precipitation such as rain and snow in the mountains. In contrast, temperatures above 100 °F (38 °C) are not uncommon during the summer months.[16] There is an annual average precipitation of 2 to 6 inches (51 to 152 mm), although regions at high altitudes such as the portion of the Mojave Desert in the San Gabriel mountains may receive more rain.[10][8] Most of the precipitation in the Mojave comes from the Pacific Cyclonic storms that are generally present passing eastward in November to April.[10] Such storms generally bring rain and snow only in the mountainous regions, as a result of the effect of the mountains, which creates a drying effect on its leeward slopes.[10]

During the late summer months, there is also the possibility of strong thunderstorms, which bring heavy showers or cloudbursts. These storms can result in flash flooding.[17]

A powerful High Desert summer storm sweeps rapidly across the Mojave Desert.

The Mojave Desert has not historically supported a fire regime because of low fuel loads and connectivity. However, in the last few decades, invasive annual plants such as some within the genera Bromus, Schismus and Brassica have facilitated fires by serving as a fuel bed. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert. At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.[18]

Climate data for Furnace Creek, Death Valley, California (1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1911–present). Elevation −190 ft (−58 m).
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 90
(32) 		102
(39) 		108
(42) 		113
(45) 		122
(50) 		131
(55) 		134.1
(56.7) 		131
(55) 		125
(52) 		118
(48) 		98
(37) 		89
(32) 		134.1
(56.7)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 78.4
(25.8) 		85.1
(29.5) 		95.4
(35.2) 		106.0
(41.1) 		113.6
(45.3) 		122.0
(50.0) 		125.9
(52.2) 		123.4
(50.8) 		118.1
(47.8) 		106.2
(41.2) 		90.0
(32.2) 		77.8
(25.4) 		126.7
(52.6)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 67.2
(19.6) 		73.7
(23.2) 		82.6
(28.1) 		91.0
(32.8) 		100.7
(38.2) 		111.1
(43.9) 		117.4
(47.4) 		115.9
(46.6) 		107.7
(42.1) 		93.3
(34.1) 		77.4
(25.2) 		65.6
(18.7) 		92.0
(33.3)
Daily mean °F (°C) 54.9
(12.7) 		61.3
(16.3) 		69.8
(21.0) 		77.9
(25.5) 		87.8
(31.0) 		97.5
(36.4) 		104.2
(40.1) 		102.3
(39.1) 		93.4
(34.1) 		78.9
(26.1) 		64.0
(17.8) 		53.4
(11.9) 		78.8
(26.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 42.5
(5.8) 		49.0
(9.4) 		57.1
(13.9) 		64.8
(18.2) 		75.0
(23.9) 		84.0
(28.9) 		91.0
(32.8) 		88.7
(31.5) 		79.1
(26.2) 		64.4
(18.0) 		50.5
(10.3) 		41.1
(5.1) 		65.6
(18.7)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 30.5
(−0.8) 		36.1
(2.3) 		42.8
(6.0) 		49.8
(9.9) 		58.5
(14.7) 		67.9
(19.9) 		78.3
(25.7) 		75.3
(24.1) 		65.4
(18.6) 		49.5
(9.7) 		35.9
(2.2) 		29.0
(−1.7) 		28.0
(−2.2)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9) 		20
(−7) 		26
(−3) 		35
(2) 		42
(6) 		49
(9) 		62
(17) 		65
(18) 		41
(5) 		32
(0) 		24
(−4) 		19
(−7) 		15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.37
(9.4) 		0.52
(13) 		0.25
(6.4) 		0.10
(2.5) 		0.03
(0.76) 		0.05
(1.3) 		0.10
(2.5) 		0.10
(2.5) 		0.20
(5.1) 		0.12
(3.0) 		0.10
(2.5) 		0.26
(6.6) 		2.20
(56)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 2.4 2.9 2.0 1.1 0.9 0.3 1.1 0.9 0.8 1.1 0.9 1.6 16.0
Mean monthly sunshine hours 217 226 279 330 372 390 403 372 330 310 210 186 3,625
Source: NOAA[19][20]
Climate data for Las Vegas, Nevada (1991–2020 normals,[b] extremes 1937–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25) 		87
(31) 		92
(33) 		99
(37) 		109
(43) 		117
(47) 		117
(47) 		116
(47) 		114
(46) 		103
(39) 		87
(31) 		78
(26) 		117
(47)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 68.7
(20.4) 		74.2
(23.4) 		84.3
(29.1) 		93.6
(34.2) 		101.8
(38.8) 		110.1
(43.4) 		112.9
(44.9) 		110.3
(43.5) 		105.0
(40.6) 		94.6
(34.8) 		80.5
(26.9) 		67.9
(19.9) 		113.6
(45.3)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 58.5
(14.7) 		62.9
(17.2) 		71.1
(21.7) 		78.5
(25.8) 		88.5
(31.4) 		99.4
(37.4) 		104.5
(40.3) 		102.8
(39.3) 		94.9
(34.9) 		81.2
(27.3) 		67.1
(19.5) 		56.9
(13.8) 		80.5
(26.9)
Daily mean °F (°C) 49.5
(9.7) 		53.5
(11.9) 		60.8
(16.0) 		67.7
(19.8) 		77.3
(25.2) 		87.6
(30.9) 		93.2
(34.0) 		91.7
(33.2) 		83.6
(28.7) 		70.4
(21.3) 		57.2
(14.0) 		48.2
(9.0) 		70.1
(21.2)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 40.5
(4.7) 		44.1
(6.7) 		50.5
(10.3) 		56.9
(13.8) 		66.1
(18.9) 		75.8
(24.3) 		82.0
(27.8) 		80.6
(27.0) 		72.4
(22.4) 		59.6
(15.3) 		47.3
(8.5) 		39.6
(4.2) 		59.6
(15.3)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 29.8
(−1.2) 		32.9
(0.5) 		38.7
(3.7) 		45.2
(7.3) 		52.8
(11.6) 		62.2
(16.8) 		72.9
(22.7) 		70.8
(21.6) 		60.8
(16.0) 		47.4
(8.6) 		35.2
(1.8) 		29.0
(−1.7) 		27.4
(−2.6)
Record low °F (°C) 8
(−13) 		16
(−9) 		19
(−7) 		31
(−1) 		38
(3) 		48
(9) 		56
(13) 		54
(12) 		43
(6) 		26
(−3) 		15
(−9) 		11
(−12) 		8
(−13)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.56
(14) 		0.80
(20) 		0.42
(11) 		0.20
(5.1) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.04
(1.0) 		0.38
(9.7) 		0.32
(8.1) 		0.32
(8.1) 		0.32
(8.1) 		0.30
(7.6) 		0.45
(11) 		4.18
(106)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0.2
(0.51)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 3.1 4.1 2.8 1.6 1.1 0.4 2.5 2.2 1.8 1.7 1.5 3.0 25.8
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.2
Average relative humidity (%) 45.1 39.6 33.1 25.0 21.3 16.5 21.1 25.6 25.0 28.8 37.2 45.0 30.3
Average dew point °F (°C) 22.1
(−5.5) 		23.7
(−4.6) 		23.9
(−4.5) 		24.1
(−4.4) 		28.2
(−2.1) 		30.9
(−0.6) 		40.6
(4.8) 		44.1
(6.7) 		37.0
(2.8) 		30.4
(−0.9) 		25.3
(−3.7) 		22.3
(−5.4) 		29.4
(−1.5)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 245.2 246.7 314.6 346.1 388.1 401.7 390.9 368.5 337.1 304.4 246.0 236.0 3,825.3
Percent possible sunshine 79 81 85 88 89 92 88 88 91 87 80 78 86
Source: NOAA (relative humidity, dew point and sun 1961–1990)[21][22][23]
Climate data for Searchlight, Nevada. (Elevation 3,550 ft (1,080 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 77
(25) 		81
(27) 		90
(32) 		94
(34) 		102
(39) 		110
(43) 		111
(44) 		110
(43) 		107
(42) 		98
(37) 		86
(30) 		75
(24) 		111
(44)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 53.7
(12.1) 		58.4
(14.7) 		65.0
(18.3) 		73.1
(22.8) 		82.5
(28.1) 		92.7
(33.7) 		97.6
(36.4) 		95.4
(35.2) 		89.0
(31.7) 		77.0
(25.0) 		63.6
(17.6) 		54.4
(12.4) 		75.2
(24.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 35.6
(2.0) 		38.3
(3.5) 		41.8
(5.4) 		48.0
(8.9) 		55.9
(13.3) 		64.8
(18.2) 		71.4
(21.9) 		69.6
(20.9) 		63.9
(17.7) 		53.9
(12.2) 		43.0
(6.1) 		36.4
(2.4) 		51.9
(11.1)
Record low °F (°C) 7
(−14) 		11
(−12) 		20
(−7) 		27
(−3) 		30
(−1) 		40
(4) 		52
(11) 		51
(11) 		41
(5) 		23
(−5) 		15
(−9) 		8
(−13) 		7
(−14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.92
(23) 		0.96
(24) 		0.77
(20) 		0.40
(10) 		0.20
(5.1) 		0.11
(2.8) 		0.91
(23) 		1.08
(27) 		0.61
(15) 		0.52
(13) 		0.43
(11) 		0.79
(20) 		7.70
(196)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[24]
Climate data for Mount Charleston Lodge, Nevada. (Elevation 7,420 ft (2,260 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 70
(21) 		69
(21) 		73
(23) 		79
(26) 		86
(30) 		93
(34) 		98
(37) 		93
(34) 		90
(32) 		83
(28) 		79
(26) 		69
(21) 		98
(37)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 44.0
(6.7) 		43.4
(6.3) 		48.8
(9.3) 		54.8
(12.7) 		64.4
(18.0) 		74.1
(23.4) 		79.4
(26.3) 		78.2
(25.7) 		71.7
(22.1) 		61.4
(16.3) 		51.6
(10.9) 		44.3
(6.8) 		59.7
(15.4)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 19.2
(−7.1) 		19.8
(−6.8) 		23.5
(−4.7) 		28.2
(−2.1) 		36.4
(2.4) 		44.1
(6.7) 		52.0
(11.1) 		50.6
(10.3) 		43.5
(6.4) 		34.5
(1.4) 		26.0
(−3.3) 		19.4
(−7.0) 		33.1
(0.6)
Record low °F (°C) −11
(−24) 		−15
(−26) 		1
(−17) 		7
(−14) 		16
(−9) 		17
(−8) 		31
(−1) 		30
(−1) 		17
(−8) 		9
(−13) 		1
(−17) 		−18
(−28) 		−18
(−28)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.83
(72) 		3.51
(89) 		1.92
(49) 		1.23
(31) 		0.70
(18) 		0.29
(7.4) 		2.13
(54) 		1.89
(48) 		1.69
(43) 		1.96
(50) 		1.31
(33) 		3.61
(92) 		23.09
(586)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 18.2
(46) 		29.3
(74) 		13.2
(34) 		8.3
(21) 		1.0
(2.5) 		0.2
(0.51) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		1.6
(4.1) 		5.2
(13) 		20.0
(51) 		97.1
(247)
Source: The Western Regional Climate Center[25]

Cities and regions

[edit]
Main article: List of cities in the Mojave Desert
For a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave, see High Desert (California).
Las Vegas is in the Mojave Desert.

While the Mojave Desert is generally sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years.[8][2] The metropolitan areas include Las Vegas, the largest urban area in the Mojave and the largest urban area in Nevada with a population of about 2.3 million.[26] St. George, Utah, is the northeasternmost metropolitan area in the Mojave, with a population of around 180,000 in 2020, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau. The Los Angeles exurban area of Lancaster-Palmdale has more than 400,000 residents, and the Victorville area to its east has more than 300,000 residents.[8] Smaller cities or micropolitan areas in the Mojave Desert include Helendale, Lake Havasu City, Kingman, Laughlin, Bullhead City and Pahrump. All have experienced rapid population growth since 1990. The California portion of the desert also contains Edwards Air Force Base and Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, noted for experimental aviation and weapons projects.[27][28]

The Mojave Desert has several ghost towns. The most significant are the silver and copper-mining town of Calico, California, and the old railroad depot of Kelso, California. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when U.S. Route 66 (and the lesser-known U.S. Route 91) was abandoned in favor of the construction of Interstates. CA SR 14, Interstate 15, Interstate 40, CA SR 58, CA SR 138, US Route 95, and US Route 395 are the main highways that traverse the Mojave Desert.[29]

Geology

[edit]
Main article: Geology of the Death Valley area
Rock formations in Joshua Tree National Park

The exposed geology of the Death Valley presents a diverse and complex set of at least 23 formations of sedimentary units, two major gaps in the geologic record called unconformities, and at least one distinct set of related formations geologists call a group. The oldest rocks in the area that now includes Death Valley National Park are extensively metamorphosed by intense heat and pressure and are at least 1700 million years old. These rocks were intruded by a mass of granite 1400 Ma (million years ago) and later uplifted and exposed to nearly 500 million years of erosion.[30]: 631 

The rock that forms the Mojave Desert was created under shallow water in the Precambrian,[13]: 21 [10]: 115  forming thick sequences of conglomerate, mudstone, and carbonate rock topped by stromatolites, and possibly glacial deposits from the hypothesized Snowball Earth event.[31]: 44  Rifting thinned huge roughly linear parts of the supercontinent Rodinia enough to allow sea water to invade and divide its landmass into component continents separated by narrow straits.[30]: 632  A passive margin developed on the edges of these new seas in the Death Valley region.[30]: 634  Carbonate banks formed on this part of the two margins only to be subsided as the continental crust thinned until it broke, giving birth to a new ocean basin. An accretion wedge of clastic sediment then started to accumulate at the base of the submerged precipice, entombing the region's first known fossils of complex life.

During the Paleozoic era, the area that is now the Mojave was again likely submerged under a greater sea.[10]: 116  The passive margin switched to active margin in the early-to-mid Mesozoic when the Farallon Plate under the Pacific Ocean started to dive below the North American Plate, initiating a subduction zone; volcanoes and uplifting mountains were produced as a result.[30]: 635  Erosion over many millions of years formed a relatively featureless plain.

Stretching of the crust under western North America started around 16 Ma and is thought to be caused by upwelling from the subducted spreading-zone of the Farallon Plate. This process continues into the present and is thought to be responsible for producing the Basin and Range province. By 2 to 3 million years ago this province had spread to the Death Valley area, ripping it apart and giving birth to Death Valley, Panamint Valley and surrounding ranges. These valleys partially filled with sediment and, during colder periods during the current ice age, with lakes. Lake Manly was the largest of these lakes; it filled Death Valley during each glacial period from 240,000 years ago to 10,000 years ago. By 10,500 years ago these lakes were increasingly cut off from glacial melt from the Sierra Nevada, starving them of water and concentrating salts and minerals. The desert environment seen today developed after these lakes dried up.

The Mojave Desert is a source of various minerals and metallic materials. Due to the climate, there is an accumulation of weathered bedrock, fine sand and silt, both sand and silt sediments becoming converted into colluvium.[32] The deposits of gold, tungsten, and silver have been mined frequently prior to the Second World War.[10]: 124  Additionally, there have been deposits of copper, tin, lead-zinc, manganese, iron, and various radioactive substances but they have not been mined for commercial use.[10]: 124 

Ecology

[edit]

Flora

[edit]

The flora of the Mojave Desert consists of various endemic plant species, notably the Joshua Tree, which is a notable endemic and indicator species of the desert. There is more endemic flora in the Mojave Desert than almost anywhere in the world.[2] Mojave Desert flora is not a vegetation type, although the plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of the physical barriers of the Sierra Nevadas and the Colorado Plateau. Predominant plants of the Mojave Desert include all-scale (Atriplex polycarpa), creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), brittlebush (Encelia farinosa), desert holly (Atriplex hymenelytra), white burrobush (Hymenoclea salsola), and most notably, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Additionally, the Mojave Desert is also home to various species of cacti, such as silver cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa), Mojave prickly pear (O. erinacea), beavertail cactus (O. basilaris), and many-headed barrel cactus (Echinocactus polycephalus). Less common but distinctive plants of the Mojave Desert include ironwood (Olneya tesota), blue Palo Verde (Parkinsonia Florida), chuparosa (Justicia californica), spiny menodora (Menodora spinescens), desert senna (Cassia armata), California dalea (Psorothamnus arborescens), and goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi). The Mojave Desert is generally abundant in winter annuals.[13]: 11  The plants of the Mojave Desert each generally correspond to an individual geographic feature. As such, there are distinctive flora communities within the desert.[33]

  • A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave
    A depiction of cassia armata, which is particularly characteristic of the Mojave
  • California Dalea, an indicator species of the Mojave Desert
    California Dalea, an indicator species of the Mojave Desert
  • Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi) an indicator species of the Mojave
    Goldenhead (Acamptopappus shockleyi) an indicator species of the Mojave
  • Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa), a common species of cacti in the Mojave
    Silver cholla (Opuntia echinocarpa), a common species of cacti in the Mojave
  • A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave
    A creosote bush, which is common in the Mojave

Fauna

[edit]
A desert tortoise, which can be found in the Mojave Desert

Notable species of the Mojave Desert include bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), mountain lions (Puma concolor), black-tailed jackrabbits (Lepus californicus), and desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii).[2] Various other species are particularly common in the Mojave Desert, such as the LeConte's thrasher (Toxostoma lecontei), banded gecko (Coleonyx variegatus), desert iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis), chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus), and regal horned lizard (Phrynosoma solare).[2] Species of snake include the rosy boa (Lichanura trivirgata), Western patch-nosed snake (Salvadora hexalepis), and Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus).[2] These species can also occur in the neighboring Sonoran and Great Basin deserts.

The animal species of the Mojave Desert have generally fewer endemics than its flora. However, endemic fauna of the Mojave Desert include Kelso Dunes jerusalem cricket (Ammopelmatus kelsoensis), the Kelso Dunes shieldback katydid (Eremopedes kelsoensis), the Mohave ground squirrel (Spermophilus Mohavensis) and Amargosa vole (Microtus californicus scirpensis).[34] The Mojave fringe-toed lizard (Uma Scoparia) is not endemic, but almost completely limited to the Mojave Desert. There are also aquatic species that are found nowhere else,[35] such as the Devils Hole pupfish, limited to one hot spring near Death Valley.[36]

In society

[edit]

History

[edit]

Before the European colonization of North America, tribes of Native Americans, such as the Mohave, were hunter-gatherers living in the Mojave Desert.[37]

European explorers started exploring the deserts beginning in the 18th century. Francisco Garcés, a Franciscan friar, was the first explorer of the Mojave Desert in 1776.[38] Garcés recorded information about the original inhabitants of the deserts.

Later, as American interests expanded into California, American explorers started probing the California deserts. Jedediah Smith traveled through the Mojave Desert in 1826, finally reaching the San Gabriel Mission.[39][40]

Human development

[edit]
STS-126 The Space Shuttle Endeavour mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft flies over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 10, 2008.
STS-126 The Space Shuttle Endeavour mounted atop its modified Boeing 747 carrier aircraft flies over California's Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on December 10, 2008.

In recent years, human development in the Mojave Desert has become increasingly present. Human development at the major urban and suburban centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles has had an increasingly damaging effect on the wildlife of the Mojave Desert.[2] An added demand for landfill space as a result of the large metropolitan centers of Las Vegas and Los Angeles also has the real potential to drastically affect flora and fauna of the Mojave Desert. Agricultural development along the Colorado river, close to the Eastern boundary of the Mojave Desert, also causes habitat loss and degradation.[8][2] Areas that are particularly affected by human development include Ward Valley and Riverside county. The United States military also maintains installations in the Mojave Desert, making the Mojave a critical training location for the United States Department of Defense.[9] The Mojave Desert has long been a valuable resource for people, and as its human population grows, its importance will only grow. Miners, ranchers, and farmers rely on the desert for a living.[35] The Mojave is also used by the state of California to meet renewable energy objectives. Large tracts of the desert are owned by federal agencies and are leased at low cost by wind and solar energy companies, although these renewable developments can cause their own environmental impact and disturb cultural landscapes and visual resources.[41] Desert Sunlight Solar Farm, one of the largest solar farms in the world, was built approximately five miles from Joshua Tree National Park. An endangered Yuma clapper rail was found dead at the site in 2014, spurring efforts from conservation groups to protect birds from the so-called lake effect, a phenomenon in which birds can mistake the reflective glare of solar panels for a body of water.[42]

Tourism

[edit]
Panorama of Zabriskie point

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular spots for tourism in North America, primarily because of the international destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenery, playing host to Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve. Lakes Mead, Mohave, and Havasu provide water sports recreation, and vast off-road areas entice off-road enthusiasts. The Mojave Desert also includes three California State Parks, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, in Lancaster, Saddleback Butte State Park, in Hi Vista and Red Rock Canyon State Park. Mojave Narrows Park, operated by San Bernardino County, is a former ranch along the Mojave River.[43]

Several attractions and natural features are in the Calico Mountains. Calico Ghost Town, in Yermo, is administered by San Bernardino County. The ghost town has several shops and attractions and inspired Walter Knott to build Knott's Berry Farm. The Bureau of Land Management also administers Rainbow Basin and Owl Canyon.

Conservation status

[edit]
A field of California poppies in the California Poppy Reserve in Antelope Valley

The Mojave Desert has a relatively stable and intact conservation status. The Mojave Desert is one of the best protected distinct ecoregions in the United States,[2] as a result of the California Desert Protection Act, which designated 69 wilderness areas and established Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve.[44] However, the southwest and central east portions of the Mojave Desert are particularly threatened as a result of off-road vehicles, increasing recreational use, human development, and agricultural grazing.[2] The World Wildlife Fund lists the Mojave Desert as relatively "stable/intact".[2]

Various habitats and regions of the Mojave Desert have been protected by statute. Notably, Joshua Tree National Park, Death Valley National Park, and the Mojave National Preserve by the California Desert Protection Act of 1994. (Pub.L. 103–433). Various other federal and state land agencies have protected regions within the Mojave Desert. These include Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, which protects the fields of California poppies, Mojave Trails National Monument, Desert Tortoise Natural Area, Arthur B. Ripley Desert Woodland State Park, Desert National Wildlife Refuge, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Providence Mountains State Recreation Area, Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, Red Rock Canyon State Park, Saddleback Butte State Park, Snow Canyon State Park and Valley of Fire State Park. In 2013, the Mojave Desert was further protected from development by the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), in which the Bureau of Land Management designated 4.2 million acres of public land as protected wilderness as part of the National Conservation Lands of the California Desert.[45]

Cultural significance

[edit]

The Mojave Desert has served as a backdrop for a number of films. The 2010 video game Fallout: New Vegas takes place in the Mojave Desert, or "Mojave Wasteland" as it is known in its post-apocalyptic future. At least eight music videos were recorded in the Mojave Desert:

Photographs related to U2's 1987 album The Joshua Tree were taken in the Mojave Desert.[49]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Mean maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the highest and lowest temperature readings during an entire month or year) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "The Atlas of Global Conservation". maps.tnc.org. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o "Mojave desert". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  3. ^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917]. Peter Roach; James Hartmann; Jane Setter (eds.). English Pronouncing Dictionary. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-3-12-539683-8.
  4. ^ "Mojave". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  5. ^ "Mojave". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  6. ^ Munro, P., et al. A Mojave Dictionary. Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992
  7. ^ "The Mojave Desert". Blue Planet Biomes.
  8. ^ a b c d e "Mojave Desert". Encyclopædia Britannica. March 25, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Mojave Desert". Nature. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i Dibblee, TW Jr (1967). Areal geology of the western Mojave Desert, California. United States Geological Survey. doi:10.3133/pp522. Professional Paper 522.
  11. ^ "Mojave Indian Fact Sheet". bigorrin.org. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
  12. ^ "Mojave Desert Biome". Blue Planet Biomes. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d e f Rundel, Philip W; Gibson, Arthur C (2005). Ecological communities and processes in a Mojave Desert ecosystem. Cambridge University Press.
  14. ^ "Mojave River". Western Rivers Conservancy. February 2020.
  15. ^ Lovgren, Stefan (June 11, 2021). "Life on the Amargosa—a desert river faced with drought". National Geographic. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021.
  16. ^ "Weather – Mojave National Park Reserve". National Park Service.
  17. ^ Hereford, Richard; Webb, Robert H; Longpre, Claire I (2004). "Precipitation History of the Mojave Desert Region, 1893–2001". United States Geological Survey. Fact Sheet 117-03.
  18. ^ Brooks, Matthew L; Matchett, JR (2006). "Spatial and temporal patterns of wildfires in the Mojave Desert, 1980–2004". Journal of Arid Environments. 67: 148–164. Bibcode:2006JArEn..67..148B. doi:10.1016/j.jaridenv.2006.09.027.
  19. ^ "NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 12, 2021.
  21. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  22. ^ "Summary of Monthly Normals 1991-2020". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  23. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for LAS VEGAS/MCCARRAN, NV 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  24. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  25. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  26. ^ "Las Vegas City, Nevada". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  27. ^ "History of the Air Force Flight Test Center" (PDF). 1961. K286.69-37, IRIS Number 489391.
  28. ^ "Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake". The California State Military Museum. Retrieved August 17, 2013.
  29. ^ "Freeways and Highways". Digital-Desert.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  30. ^ a b c d Harris, Ann G.; Tuttle, Esther; Tuttle, Sherwood D. (1997). Geology of National Parks (5th ed.). Iowa: Kendall/Hunt Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7872-5353-0.
  31. ^ Collier, Michael (1990). An Introduction to the Geology of Death Valley. Death Valley, California: Death Valley Natural History Association. LCN 90-081612.
  32. ^ Persico, L.P.; McFadden, L.D.; McAuliffe, J.R.; Rittenour, T.M.; Stahlecker, T.E.; Dunn, S.B.; Brody, S.A.T. (September 30, 2021). "Late Quaternary geochronologic record of soil formation and erosion: Effects of climate change on Mojave Desert hillslopes (Nevada, USA)". Geology. 50 (1): 54–59. doi:10.1130/G49270.1. ISSN 0091-7613. S2CID 244264071.
  33. ^ "Section 322A Mojave Desert". Digital-Desert.com. Retrieved December 31, 2024.
  34. ^ Neuwald, JL (2010). "Population isolation exacerbates conservation genetic concerns in the endangered Amargosa vole, Microtus californicus scirpensis". Biological Conservation. 143 (9): 2028–2038. Bibcode:2010BCons.143.2028N. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2010.05.007.
  35. ^ a b "Mojave Desert". The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  36. ^ "Supplemental Finding for the Devils Hole Pupfish (Cyprinodon diabolis), within the Recovery Plan for the Endangered and Threatened Species of Ash Meadows, Nevada" (PDF). US Fish and Wildlife Service. December 2019.
  37. ^ "History & Culture". Mojave National Preserve. National Park Service.
  38. ^ "Fr. Francisco Garces". Profiles in Mojave Desert History. Digital-Desert.
  39. ^ Gilbert, Bil (1973). The Trailblazers. Time-Life Books. pp. 96–100, 107.
  40. ^ Smith, Alson J. (1965). Men Against the Mountains: Jedediah Smith and the South West Expedition of 1826–1829. New York: John Day Co.
  41. ^ Bernhard, Meg (November 3, 2021). "'Is this really green?' The fight over solar farms in the Mojave Desert". Los Angeles Times.
  42. ^ Roth, Sammy (August 14, 2014). "Lawsuit over desert solar plants' bird deaths". The Desert Sun.
  43. ^ Aaker, Therese (July 22, 2012). "Statue Dedicated to Kemper Campbell Ranch owner, former mayor Jean DeBlasis". Victorville Press Dispatch.
  44. ^ Wheat, Frank (1999). California desert miracle : the fight for desert parks and wilderness. San Diego, Calif.: Sunbelt Publications. ISBN 0-932653-27-8. OCLC 39677747.
  45. ^ Bureau of Land Management. "National Conservation Lands of the California Desert".
  46. ^ Desborough, James; Patterson, Emma (September 24, 2016). "EXCLUSIVE: The Spice Girls shoot that kicked off 'girl power' and the S&M secret that nearly scuppered it all". Daily Mirror. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  47. ^ @mimiwebb (May 27, 2022). "outside LA, isn't it cool?" (Tweet). Retrieved January 27, 2023 – via Twitter.
  48. ^ Mimi Webb (May 26, 2022). "Mimi Webb – Goodbye (Official Music Video)". Retrieved January 27, 2023 – via YouTube.
  49. ^ "I Love The U2 Album "The Joshua Tree", Do U2?". Desert USA. July 7, 2014. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
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