- Area: 460,000 sq.km.
- Temperature: 13.4 ... 17.5 ° C
- Annual precipitation: 80-300 mm
In Argentina, on the eastern side of the Andes, between 23 and 38 degrees south latitude, there is a rather large and hot desert Monte (Monte).
Interesting facts about attractions
Get acquainted with the general information about the desert:
- The area of Monte is 460 thousand square meters. km and in its southern part, without clear boundaries, it goes to the Patagonian desert. Conditionally they are separated by continental dunes "medanos", and their height varies from 50 cm to 20 m.
- Monte is represented by sandy-stony piedmont plains and is located at an altitude from 0 to 2800 m above sea level. Due to the fact that in the immediate vicinity are the ancient volcanoes, there are piles of boulders. The soil here is stony, in the valley it is gravelly or sandy, and the surface is covered with all kinds of cracks.
- About 60% of the desert area is occupied by arid semiarid and arid zones. From the lee of the Andes, there is practically no rain, this effect is considered the main cause of dryness. Also, Monte does not depend on the flows of underground currents, although they are available here in sufficient quantities. These are the main sources of water for the nearest cities: Tucumana , San Juan , Mendoza . True, they are very deep, and some of them are saline.
The climate in the desert
The weather in Monte depends on the sea air masses moving from the Atlantic Ocean and passing through the Andes. The climate here is hot and dry, with cold winters and an average annual temperature of + 15 ° C (in the desert there are strong drops at different times of the year from + 13.4 ° C to + 17.5 ° C).
The distribution of rainfall is not uniform and depends on the area of the desert: in the western part, rainfall is more frequent (300 mm), and in the eastern part, respectively, less often (80 mm).
Vegetation in Monte
The name of the desert came from the local flora represented by xerophytic-succulent shrubs (montea lepidoptera, cassia, picrys). It looks like a desolate steppe. There are 163 plant species:
- Creosote bush (Larrea cuneifolia, Larrea divaricata);
- Cardon (Trichocereus terschekii) - the largest cactus;
- mesquite trees - occur in dry valleys;
- halophytes (from the genus Salikornia, Atriplex, Suaeda) - are in saline depressions;
- Cereals grow in the temperate zone, for example, feather grass, fescue, bluegrass, bonfire;
- pillow-like plants: azorella and mulinum.
Animal World of the Desert
The fauna of Monte is represented by such mammals:
- predators (puma and jaguars);
- cloven-hoofed animals (lama guanaco);
- reptiles (lizards and geckos, and iguanas are more than 15 varieties);
- rodents (kavii, tuko-tuko, mumps, mice).
Especially a lot of different types of hamsters: alpine, field and evening. Also here you can find a small platoschennogo (Chlamyphorus truncates) and a large Patagonian long-haired armadillo (Chaetophractus), on which Aborigines are hunting because of its delicious meat. Of birds in the desert of Monte live mainly owls, feed for which there is enough.
How can I get there?
The desert can be reached from the nearest cities by car (follow the signs or coordinates of GPS navigators on the road), as well as with an organized excursion , which are quite numerous in the nearest settlements.
The Monte Desert is very beautiful and diverse, you can not only admire the beautiful scenery and observe the wildlife, but also just have a good time in nature.