Why specifically does the Northern part of Africa have desert land? I’m assuming it’s on the same geographical level as other countries that have no desert at all?

Question

Why specifically does the Northern part of Africa have desert land? I’m assuming it’s on the same geographical level as other countries that have no desert at all?

In: Physics

Answer 1

The horse latitudes/Hadley Cell typically result in dry climates around °30N and °30S (e.g. the Sahara, Atacama, Kalahari, Sonora, Australia, etc.). Some places around these latitudes on eastern coasts get warm, humid air brought to them from the tropics by ocean currents, however, resulting in lusher, humid climates (e.g. Southeastern USA, Southern China and Japan, Eastern South America, etc.).