I figured it was something to do with sand being light enough to be carried by wind, but that wouldn’t explain why the rest of the world lacks sand.
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Plants and trees grow and then die. These dead plants decompose into dirt and build up over time. Deserts are too hot and dry for plants to grow in the quantities necessary to create dirt.
Edit: Desserts vs desert
This isn’t true. Lived in a desert in New Mexico for 3 years. For the most part it was hard packed dirt above a layer of clay
There are areas that have sand and are not desert. Nebraska Sandhills. Covered in grass, used for cattle.
I’ll find plenty of sand on the coast, i have to think far more beaches are sandy than non sandy beaches.
Ever been to a beach? Pretty sure those are usually sand everywhere in the world. There is absolutely sand all over. Michigan and Indiana have giant sand dunes along the shore of Lake Michigan.
Only a small portion of dirt is sand. The bulk of the material is decomposed organic matter, mostly from plants and a bit from animals. In areas with little of either, all that’s left is the sand.
Seriously, have you ever been in a desert? I spent years in the American southwest, and rocks and dirt were super common. Very very very rare to see accumulations of sand, especially rare to see dunes.
The Fraser Island in Australia is made up entirely by sand and it has a dense forest, even freshwater lakes!
Sand is broken down rock with bits that are “sand” size but rocks can also break down to smaller bits, clay and silt, in a desert the processes that make clay and silt aren’t present, specifically water erosion. Dirt is made up of sand, silt, clay and “natural” fertilizer. In some deserts especially dry ones many of those components will be missing so you are just left with sand.
A large portion of the worlds sands are created by parrot fish. I THINK deserts were often ocean beds at one point before everything moved around? Someone can feel free to correct me here. I’m not a geologist or anything.
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