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{{Geobox|Desert
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| name =Mojave Desert<br/>Hayikwiir Mat'aar ([[Mojave language|Mojave]])<ref>Munro, P., et al. ''A Mojave Dictionary'' Los Angeles: UCLA, 1992</ref>
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| other_name = Mohave Desert
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| category =
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| image = File:Calico basin red rock cumulus mediocris.jpg
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| image_caption = Calico Basin in [[Red Rock National Conservation Area]] near [[Las Vegas]]
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| official_name =
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| etymology =
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| motto =
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| nickname =
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| flag =
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| symbol =
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| country = United States
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| state = [[California]]
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| state1 = [[Nevada]]
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| state2 = [[Utah]]
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| state3 = [[Arizona]]
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| region =
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| district1 =
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| district2 =
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| district3 =
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| municipality =
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| 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>
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| range =
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| border = [[Great Basin Desert]] (north)<br/>[[Sonoran Desert]] (south)<br/>[[Colorado Plateau]] (east)<br/>[[Colorado Desert]] (south)
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| part =
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| river = [[Mojave River]]
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| tributary_left =
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| tributary_right =
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| child_left =
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| child_right =
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| city =
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| landmark =
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| building =
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| elevation_imperial =
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| prominence =
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| location = <!--previous coord syntax:{{coord|35|0.5|N|115|28.5|W|scale:5000000|display=title}}-->
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| capital_coordinates =
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| source_coordinates =
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| source1_coordinates =
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| source2_coordinates =
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| source_confluence_coordinates =
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| mouth_coordinates =
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| coordinates = {{coord|35|0.5|N|115|28.5|W|scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}
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| highest = [[Charleston Peak]] {{convert|11918|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="State of Nevada"/>
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| highest_location = [[Spring Mountains]]
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| highest_region = | highest_state =
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| highest_elevation_imperial =
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| highest_coordinates = {{coord|36|10|11|N|117|05|21|W|scale:2500000|display=inline}}
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| lowest = [[Badwater Basin]] {{convert|-279|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name=NED>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/usgs-national-elevation-dataset-ned-1-meter-downloadable-data-collection-from-the-national-map-|title=USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) 1 meter Downloadable Data Collection from The National Map 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) – National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDA) National Elevation Data Set (NED)|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=September 21, 2015|accessdate=September 22, 2015}}</ref>
| lowest_note =
| lowest_location = [[Death Valley]]
| lowest_coordinates = {{coord|36|51|N|117|17|W|scale:2500000|display=inline}}
| 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 =
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| management_location = | management_region = | management_country =
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| government =
| government_location = | government_region = | government_country =
| government_elevation_imperial =
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| 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 =
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| free = | free_type =
| map = Mojave Desert map.svg
| map_caption =
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| commons =
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| footnotes =
}}
The '''Mojave Desert''' ({{IPAc-en|m|oʊ|ˈ|h|ɑː|v|i|,_|m|ə|-}} {{respell|mo|HAH|vee}}){{refn|{{Citation |last=Jones |first=Daniel |author-link=Daniel Jones (phonetician) |title=English Pronouncing Dictionary |editors=Peter Roach, James Hartmann and Jane Setter |place=Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge University Press |orig-year=1917 |year=2003 |isbn=3-12-539683-2 }}}}{{refn|{{Dictionary.com|Mojave}}}}<ref>{{cite OED|Mojave|id=120733}}</ref> is an arid [[Rain shadow|rain-shadow]] desert and the driest [[desert]] in North America.<ref name=MDW/> It is in the southwestern United States, primarily within southeastern [[California]] and southern [[Nevada]], and it occupies {{convert|47877|mi2|abbr=on}}. Very small areas also extend into [[Utah]] and [[Arizona]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Mojave desert Map|url=http://digital-desert.com/regions/ }}</ref> Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of [[Yucca brevifolia|Joshua trees]], which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an [[indicator species]], and it is believed to support an additional 1,750 to 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 central part of the desert is sparsely populated, while its peripheries support large communities such as [[Las Vegas]], [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]], [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], [[Palmdale, California|Palmdale]], [[Victorville, California|Victorville]], and [[St. George, Utah|St. George]].

The Mojave Desert is bordered by the [[Great Basin Desert]] to its north<ref name=MDW>Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd Ed. 2013, p. 1</ref> and the [[Sonoran Desert]] to its south and east.<ref name=MDW/> Topographical boundaries include the [[Tehachapi Mountains]] to the west, and the [[San Gabriel Mountains]] and [[San Bernardino Mountains]] to the south. The mountain boundaries are distinct because they are outlined by the two largest faults in California – the [[San Andreas Fault|San Andreas]] and [[Garlock Fault|Garlock]] faults. The Mojave Desert displays typical [[basin and range]] topography. Higher elevations above {{convert|2000|ft|abbr=on}}) in the Mojave are commonly referred to as the High Desert; however, [[Death Valley]] is the lowest elevation in North America at {{convert|280|ft|abbr=on}} below sea level and is one of the Mojave Desert's more notorious places. The Mojave Desert occupies less than {{convert|50000|mi2|abbr=on}}, making it the smallest of the North American deserts.<ref name=MDW/>

The Mojave Desert is often referred to as the "high desert", in contrast to the "low desert", the Sonoran Desert to the south. However, the Mojave Desert is generally lower than the Great Basin Desert to the north.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}} The spelling ''Mojave'' originates from the Spanish language while the spelling ''Mohave'' comes from modern English. Both are used today, although the [[Mohave people|Mojave]] Tribal Nation officially uses the spelling ''Mojave''; the word is a shortened form of '''Hamakhaave''', their [[Exonym and endonym|endonym]] in their native language, which means 'beside the water'.<ref>{{cite web|title=American Indian History|url=http://www.bigorrin.org/mojave_kids.htm}}</ref>

==Climate==
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 {{convert|282|ft|abbr=on}} below sea level; where the temperature often surpasses {{convert|120|F|C|abbr=on}} from late June to 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]].
[[File:Mustard Blue Sunset.jpg|thumb|left|Mustard blue summer sunset at [[Landers, California]]]]

The Mojave is a desert of temperature extremes and two distinct seasons. Winter months bring comfortable daytime temperatures, which occasionally drop to around {{convert|25|F|C|abbr=on}} on valley floors, and below {{convert|0|F|C|abbr=on}} at the highest elevations. Storms moving from the [[Pacific Northwest]] can bring rain and in some places even snow. More often, the [[rain shadow]] created by the [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] 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}}.

Spring weather continues to be influenced by Pacific storms, but rainfall is more widespread and occurs less often 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 the middle of May are normally above {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} and frequently above {{convert|100|F|C|abbr=on}}.

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. Low humidity, high temperatures, and low pressure, draw in moisture from the [[Gulf of Mexico]] creating thunderstorms across the desert southwest known as the [[North American Monsoon|North American monsoon]]. While the Mojave does not get nearly the amount of rainfall 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.
[[File:Desert Diablo.jpg|thumb|right|Clouds reflecting high wind conditions from [[orographic lift]] in the Mojave Desert]]

Autumn is 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 average high temperatures usually remain between {{convert|70|F|C|abbr=on}} and {{convert|90|F|C|abbr=on}} on the valley floors.

After temperature, wind is the most significant weather phenomenon in the Mojave. Across the region windy days are common; and also common 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 into the desert from Southern California. In [[Santa Ana wind]] events, hot air from the desert blows into the [[Los Angeles basin]] and other coastal areas. [[Wind farm]]s in these areas generate power from these winds.

The other major weather factor in the region is elevation. The highest peak within the Mojave is [[Charleston Peak]] at {{convert|11918|ft}};<ref name="State of Nevada"/> while the [[Badwater Basin]] in Death Valley is {{convert|279|ft}} below sea level.<ref name=NED/> Accordingly, temperature and precipitation ranges wildly in all seasons across the region.

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 ''[[Bromus]]'', ''[[Schismus]]'' and ''[[Brassica]]'' have facilitated fire. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Brooks|first=Matthew L.|date=2002-08-01|title=Peak Fire Temperatures and Effects on Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert|url=http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[1088:PFTAEO]2.0.CO;2/abstract|journal=Ecological Applications|language=en|volume=12|issue=4|pages=1088–1102|doi=10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[1088:PFTAEO]2.0.CO;2|issn=1939-5582}}{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.

{{Weather box
| location = Furnace Creek, Death Valley (Elevation {{convert|-190|ft|abbr=on}})
| single line = yes
| Jan record high F = 88
| Feb record high F = 97
| Mar record high F = 102
| Apr record high F = 113
| May record high F = 122
| Jun record high F = 128
| Jul record high F = 134
| Aug record high F = 127
| Sep record high F = 123
| Oct record high F = 113
| Nov record high F = 98
| Dec record high F = 88
| year record high F = 134
| Jan high F = 66.9
| Feb high F = 73.3
| Mar high F = 82.1
| Apr high F = 90.5
| May high F = 100.5
| Jun high F = 109.9
| Jul high F = 116.5
| Aug high F = 114.7
| Sep high F = 106.5
| Oct high F = 92.8
| Nov high F = 77.1
| Dec high F = 65.2
| year high F = 91.4
| Jan low F = 40.0
| Feb low F = 46.3
| Mar low F = 54.8
| Apr low F = 62.1
| May low F = 72.7
| Jun low F = 81.2
| Jul low F = 88.0
| Aug low F = 85.7
| Sep low F = 75.6
| Oct low F = 61.5
| Nov low F = 48.1
| Dec low F = 38.3
| year low F = 62.9
| Jan record low F = 15
| Feb record low F = 26
| Mar record low F = 26
| Apr record low F = 39
| May record low F = 46
| Jun record low F = 54
| Jul record low F = 67
| Aug record low F = 65
| Sep record low F = 55
| Oct record low F = 37
| Nov record low F = 30
| Dec record low F = 22
| year record low F = 15
| Jan precipitation inch = 0.39
| Feb precipitation inch = 0.51
| Mar precipitation inch = 0.30
| Apr precipitation inch = 0.12
| May precipitation inch = 0.03
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.05
| Jul precipitation inch = 0.07
| Aug precipitation inch = 0.13
| Sep precipitation inch = 0.21
| Oct precipitation inch = 0.07
| Nov precipitation inch = 0.18
| Dec precipitation inch = 0.30
| year precipitation inch = 2.36
| 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 1981–2010 US Climate Normals <ref>{{cite web | author=NOAA | title=1981–2010 US Climate Normals | url=http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?ca2319 | publisher=NOAA | accessdate=2011-07-25}}</ref>
| date = July 2011
| source 2 = {{URL|weather2travel.com}} <ref>{{cite web | author=Weather2travel.com | title= Weather2travel Death Valley Climate | url=http://weather2travel.com/climate-guides/united-states/california/death-valley-ca.php | accessdate=2011-06-16}}</ref>
}}
{{Weather box
|location = Searchlight, Nevada. (Elevation {{convert|3550|ft|abbr=on}})
|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
|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 | accessdate =March 24, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center | language = }}</ref>
|date=March 2013
}}
{{Weather box
|location = Mount Charleston Lodge, Nevada. (Elevation {{convert|7420|ft|abbr=on}})
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 70
|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 colour = 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
|snow colour = green
|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 | accessdate =March 29, 2013 | publisher =Western Regional Climate Center | language = }}</ref>
|date=March 2013}}

==Geography==
{{category see also|Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert|Valleys of the Mojave Desert|Lakes of the Mojave Desert}}
The Mojave Desert is defined by numerous [[mountain range]]s creating its xeric conditions. These ranges 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 thinning which pulls open valleys over millions of years. Most of the valleys are internally drained ([[endorheic]] basins), 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 called 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.

==Cities and regions==
{{Main article|List of cities in the Mojave Desert}}
{{For|a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave|High Desert (California)}}
[[File:RidgecrestCA.JPG|thumb|left|A typical Mojave desert valley and city: [[Indian Wells Valley]] and [[Ridgecrest, California]]]]
[[File:Desert Rim Sunset.jpg|thumb|left|A Mojave desert nautical [[twilight]], in [[Johnson Valley, California]]]]

While the Mojave Desert itself is sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years. The metropolitan areas include: [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], the largest city in the Mojave with a metropolitan population of around 2.3 million in 2015; [[St. George, Utah|St. George]] is the northeastern-most metropolitan area in the Mojave, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]], 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, (referred to as the Antelope Valley), [[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 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.

<!-- 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. -->
Notable towns with fewer than 30,000 people in the Mojave include: [[Barstow, California|Barstow]], [[Boron, California|Boron]],
[[California City, California|California City]], [[Helendale, California|Helendale]], [[Joshua Tree, California|Joshua Tree]], [[Landers, California|Landers]], [[Lone Pine, California|Lone Pine]], [[Lucerne Valley]], [[Mojave, California|Mojave]], [[Needles, California|Needles]], [[Nipton, California|Nipton]], [[Pioneertown, California|Pioneertown]], [[Randsburg, California|Randsburg]], [[Ridgecrest, California|Ridgecrest]], [[Rosamond, California|Rosamond]], [[Yucca Valley, California|Yucca Valley]] and [[Twentynine Palms, California|Twentynine Palms]] in California; [[Mesquite, Nevada|Mesquite]] and [[Moapa Valley, Nevada|Moapa Valley]] in Nevada; and [[Hurricane, Utah|Hurricane]] in Utah.

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. The US Army also maintains [[Fort Irwin National Training Center#Geography|Fort Irwin]] & the National Training Center (NTC) which is another major training area for the United States Military. 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. The airport also houses the Air and Space Port and was one of the test centres for the Virgin Galactic Fleet.

The Mojave Desert has several [[ghost town]]s, the most significant are the gold-mining town of [[Oatman, Arizona]], the silver-mining town of [[Calico, San Bernardino County, California|Calico, California]], and the old railroad depot of [[Kelso, California|Kelso]]. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when [[U.S. Route 66]] (and the lesser-known [[U.S. Route 91]]) were abandoned in favor of the [[Interstate highway|Interstates]]. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways [[Interstate 15]], [[Interstate 40]], [[U.S. Route 95]], [[U.S. Route 395]] and [[California State Route 58]].

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]], disappearing underground again a short while later and has its final outlet into the southern end of Death Valley. The riverbed passes under SR 127 near Dumont Dunes before turning north into Death Valley National Park.

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 between the town of [[Baker, California]] and [[Providence Mountains]]. The [[Cronese Mountains]] are within the Devils Playground.

==Parks and tourism==

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular tourism spots in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, 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 a [[California State Park]], the [[Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve]], in [[Lancaster, California|Lancaster]]. [[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=|work=General Contractor Bob Moore Construction Company|publisher=|accessdate=2010-04-26}}</ref>

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]], within the [[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.

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 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, on the northern entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, is a restored ghost town founded in 1885.

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|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.

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===
[[File: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 (Barstow, California)|Harvey House Railroad Depot]]
* [[Kelso Depot, Restaurant and Employees Hotel]]
* [[Maturango Museum]]
* [http://mojaverivervalleymuseum.org/ Mojave River Valley Museum]
* [[Western America Railroad Museum]]

===Parks and protected areas===
{{Main article|: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]]
* [[Lake Mead National Recreation Area]]
* [[Mojave National Preserve]]
* [[Providence Mountains State Recreation Area]]
* [[Red Cliffs National Conservation Area]] (Utah)
* [[Red Rock Canyon State Park (California)|Red Rock Canyon State Park]]
* [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]] (Nevada)
* [[Saddleback Butte State Park]]
* [[Snow Canyon State Park]] (Utah)

===Flora===
{{Further information|List of flora of the Mojave Desert region}}
The '''flora of the Mojave Desert''' help define what is called the Mojave Desert in that the desert itself is generally considered to be outlined by the extent of growth of one of its plants, the Joshua tree (''[[Yucca brevifolia]]''). Mojave Desert flora is not a [[vegetation type]], although plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of physical barriers. This area includes southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona in the United States. The flora are adapted to extremely hot and dry conditions, but generally not as extreme as the adaptations needed for survival in the [[flora of the Sonoran Desert]], which has an overlap in its major flora, such as the creosote bush (''[[Larrea tridentata]]'').<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mVZSyFhE7wcC&pg=PA3 |title=Vegetation and Flora of the Sonoran Desert|last=Shreve|first=Forrest|last2=Wiggins|first2=Ira Loren|date=1964-01-01|publisher=Stanford University Press|isbn=9780804701631|language=en}}</ref>

===Fauna===

{{see also|Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert}}

{{Div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Arizona bark scorpion]]
* [[Bat]]
Black throated sparrow
* [[Bobcat]]
* [[Burrowing owl]]
* [[California kingsnake]]
* [[Chuckwalla]]
* [[Coachwhip (snake)|Coachwhip]]
* [[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]]
Gambols quail
* [[Gila monster]]
* [[Glossy snake]]
* [[Gopher snake]]
* [[Crotaphytus bicinctores|Great Basin collared lizard]]
Great horned owl
* [[Hummingbird]]
* [[Hare|Jackrabbit]]
* [[Kangaroo rat]]
* [[Gambelia wislizenii|Long-nosed leopard lizard]]
* [[Long-tailed brush lizard]]
* [[Crotalus scutulatus|Mohave green rattlesnake]]
* [[Mohave ground squirrel]]
* [[Mohave tui chub]]
* [[Mule deer]]
* [[Pronghorn]]
* [[Red-spotted toad]]
* [[Red-tailed hawk]]
* [[Rosy boa]]
* [[Sidewinder rattler]]
* [[Tarantula]]
* [[Vole]]
* [[Western diamondback rattlesnake]]
* [[Western patch-nosed snake]]
* [[Zebra-tailed lizard]]
{{div col end}}

== Soil and plants conditions ==
The soil types in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts are mostly derived from volcano, specifically the areas in California. As the topography goes down, particle sizes decreases as you move down the gradient, where you can also find low alkalinity. These erosional gradient is a habitat for many plant communities. As you go up the gradient of the desert, you will find more [[pediment (geology)|pediment]] and [[alluvial fan]] soil. In this areas, the flora is mostly succulents. As you move down the gradient, this area is described to be the upper and lower [[bajada (geography)|bajada]], then you move into playa and salina, and finally you will reach the river. Drought deciduous plants are found in the alluvial fans and upper bajada. Evergreen perennials are found in some parts of the upper bajada, but it is mostly found in lower bajada. Once the salinity increases, you will find more salt-tolerant plants. In the river areas, deep-rooted plants reside. Due to the harsh and dry conditions in the desert, the plants have adapted to have succulent leaves, with CAM photosynthesis, spines, buried bulbs, hairy or waxy leaves, photosynthetic stems, deep tap roots, and ephemerals.

==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|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100410122927/http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/cdd/lawsuit.html|archivedate=April 10, 2010|df=}}<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|deadurl=yes|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612050659/http://www.blm.gov/pgdata/etc/medialib/blm/ca/pdf/pdfs/caso_pdfs.Par.ba8f28ba.File.pdf/Ilston.ruling.12.30.04.pdf|archivedate=June 12, 2009|df=}}</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.

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 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 court also found 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 [[California Native Plant Society]], Friends of Juniper Flats, the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, 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/>

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>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:LakeBadwater.JPG|lake in [[Badwater Basin]], [[Death Valley National Park]]
File:Kill.Bill.Church.Location.Lancaster.JPG|Church near [[Lancaster, California]] used as a [[filming location]] for [[Quentin Tarantino]]'s ''[[Kill Bill]]'' films, Vol. I & II (2003, 2004)
File:San Bernardino Mountains, Mojave Desert.jpg|Where the [[San Bernardino Mountains]] meet the Mojave Desert
File:KelsoSand.JPG|Sand blowing off a crest in the [[Kelso Dunes]] of the Mojave Desert
File:Lakemeadnevada.jpg|[[Lake Mead]] provides water for cities in Arizona, California, and Nevada
File:RedRockCanyonsky.JPG|[[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]]
File:Inside one of the Lava Tube Caves at Pisgah. This one is SPJ.JPG|[[Pisgah Crater]] Lava tube SPJ, Between Barstow and Needles, California
File:SkullRock.JPG|Skull Rock, a rock formation in Joshua Tree NP
File:Cholla in bloom.jpg|[[Cholla cactus]] in bloom at night
File:Palms, Warm Springs, Nevada.jpg|[[Warm Springs Natural Area]] is a natural [[oasis]] about {{convert|50|mi|abbr=on}} northeast of [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]]
File:Late Bloomer.jpg|Orange flowering [[barrel cactus]] is very common in the Mojave Desert.]]
File:Dawn 1.jpg|Moments after Dawn in [[Joshua Tree, California]]
File:Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area view 031513.JPG|Creosote (''[[Larrea tridentata]]'') on [[alluvium]] at [[Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area]], southern Nevada.
File:Sundown at Eastland Ranch.JPG|Mojave desert, {{convert|30|mi|abbr=on}} east of [[San Gorgonio Mountain]], California.
</gallery>

==See also==
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Amboy Crater]]
*[[Bullhead City, Arizona]]
*[[Cima volcanic field]]
*[[Coso Rock Art District]]
*[[Death Valley National Park]]
*[[Deserts of California]]
*[[Fossil Falls]]
*[[Ivanpah Solar Power Facility]]
*[[Kelso Dunes]]
*[[List of regions of California|List of California regions]]
*[[Mitchell Caverns]]
*[[Mohave people|Mohave]] Native Americans
*[[Mojave Air and Space Port]]
*''[[Mojave Desert News]]''
*[[Mojave Road]]
*[[Needles, California]]
*[[Pisgah Crater]]
*[[Shrub-steppe]] [[ecoregion]]
*[[Solar power plants in the Mojave Desert]]
*[[Trona Pinnacles]]
*[[Zzyzx, California]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist |colwidth=30em |refs=
<ref name="State of Nevada">{{cite journal |first1=Lloyd R. |last1=Stark |first2=Alan T. |last2=Whittemore |date=2000<!-- deduced from volume number--> |title=Bryophytes From the Northern Mojave Desert |journal=Southwestern Naturalist |volume=45 |pages=226–232 |via=Mosses of Nevada On-line |url=http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030612171829/http://heritage.nv.gov/mosses/mojavems.htm |archivedate=2003-06-12}}</ref>
}}

==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==
{{commons category|Mojave Desert|<br/>Mojave Desert}}
{{AttachedKML}}
* [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.mojavedesertblog.com/ Mojave Desert Blog]
* [http://digital-desert.com/ Mojave Desert Catalog Project]
* [http://www.orvwatch.com/ Community ORV Watch]
*{{commonscat-inline|Nature of the Mojave Desert}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Mojave Desert}}

{{Deserts}}

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

Revision as of 15:04, 7 June 2018

Template:Geobox

The Mojave Desert (/moʊˈhɑːvi, mə-/ mo-HAH-vee)[1][2][3] is an arid rain-shadow desert and the driest desert in North America.[4] It is in the southwestern United States, primarily within southeastern California and southern Nevada, and it occupies 47,877 sq mi (124,000 km2). Very small areas also extend into Utah and Arizona.[5] Its boundaries are generally noted by the presence of Joshua trees, which are native only to the Mojave Desert and are considered an indicator species, and it is believed to support an additional 1,750 to 2,000 species of plants.[6] The central part of the desert is sparsely populated, while its peripheries support large communities such as Las Vegas, San Bernardino, Lancaster, Palmdale, Victorville, and St. George.

The Mojave Desert is bordered by the Great Basin Desert to its north[4] and the Sonoran Desert to its south and east.[4] Topographical boundaries include the Tehachapi Mountains to the west, and the San Gabriel Mountains and San Bernardino Mountains to the south. The mountain boundaries are distinct because they are outlined by the two largest faults in California – the San Andreas and Garlock faults. The Mojave Desert displays typical basin and range topography. Higher elevations above 2,000 ft (610 m)) in the Mojave are commonly referred to as the High Desert; however, Death Valley is the lowest elevation in North America at 280 ft (85 m) below sea level and is one of the Mojave Desert's more notorious places. The Mojave Desert occupies less than 50,000 sq mi (130,000 km2), making it the smallest of the North American deserts.[4]

The Mojave Desert is often referred to as the "high desert", in contrast to the "low desert", the Sonoran Desert to the south. However, the Mojave Desert is generally lower than the Great Basin Desert to the north.[citation needed] 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; the word is a shortened form of Hamakhaave, their endonym in their native language, which means 'beside the water'.[7]

Climate

The Mojave Desert receives less than 13 in (330 mm) of rain a year and is generally between 2,000 and 5,000 feet (610 and 1,520 m) in elevation. The Mojave Desert also contains the Mojave National Preserve; as well as the lowest and hottest place in North America: Death Valley at 282 ft (86 m) below sea level; where the temperature often surpasses 120 °F (49 °C) from late June to 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.

Mustard blue summer sunset at Landers, California

The Mojave is a desert of temperature extremes and two distinct seasons. Winter months bring comfortable daytime temperatures, which occasionally drop to around 25 °F (−4 °C) on valley floors, and below 0 °F (−18 °C) at the highest elevations. Storms moving from the Pacific Northwest can bring rain and in some places even snow. More often, the rain shadow created by the Sierra Nevada 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 80 °F (27 °C).

Spring weather continues to be influenced by Pacific storms, but rainfall is more widespread and occurs less often 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 the middle of May are normally above 90 °F (32 °C) and frequently above 100 °F (38 °C).

Summer weather is dominated by heat. Temperatures on valley floors can soar above 120 °F (49 °C) and above 130 °F (54 °C) at the lowest elevations. Low humidity, high temperatures, and low pressure, draw in moisture from the Gulf of Mexico creating thunderstorms across the desert southwest known as the North American monsoon. While the Mojave does not get nearly the amount of rainfall the Sonoran desert to the south receives, monsoonal moisture will create thunderstorms as far west as California's Central Valley from mid-June through early September.

Clouds reflecting high wind conditions from orographic lift in the Mojave Desert

Autumn is 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 average high temperatures usually remain between 70 °F (21 °C) and 90 °F (32 °C) on the valley floors.

After temperature, wind is the most significant weather phenomenon in the Mojave. Across the region windy days are common; and also common in areas near the transition between the Mojave and the California low valleys, including near Cajon Pass, Soledad Canyon and the Tehachapi areas. During the June Gloom, cooler air can be pushed into the desert from Southern California. In Santa Ana wind events, hot air from the desert blows into the Los Angeles basin and other coastal areas. Wind farms in these areas generate power from these winds.

The other major weather factor in the region is elevation. The highest peak within the Mojave is Charleston Peak at 11,918 feet (3,633 m);[8] while the Badwater Basin in Death Valley is 279 feet (85 m) below sea level.[9] Accordingly, temperature and precipitation ranges wildly in all seasons across the region.

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 Bromus, Schismus and Brassica have facilitated fire. This has significantly altered many areas of the desert.[10] At higher elevations, fire regimes are regular but infrequent.

Climate data for Furnace Creek, Death Valley (Elevation −190 ft (−58 m))
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 88
(31) 		97
(36) 		102
(39) 		113
(45) 		122
(50) 		128
(53) 		134
(57) 		127
(53) 		123
(51) 		113
(45) 		98
(37) 		88
(31) 		134
(57)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 66.9
(19.4) 		73.3
(22.9) 		82.1
(27.8) 		90.5
(32.5) 		100.5
(38.1) 		109.9
(43.3) 		116.5
(46.9) 		114.7
(45.9) 		106.5
(41.4) 		92.8
(33.8) 		77.1
(25.1) 		65.2
(18.4) 		91.4
(33.0)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 40.0
(4.4) 		46.3
(7.9) 		54.8
(12.7) 		62.1
(16.7) 		72.7
(22.6) 		81.2
(27.3) 		88.0
(31.1) 		85.7
(29.8) 		75.6
(24.2) 		61.5
(16.4) 		48.1
(8.9) 		38.3
(3.5) 		62.9
(17.2)
Record low °F (°C) 15
(−9) 		26
(−3) 		26
(−3) 		39
(4) 		46
(8) 		54
(12) 		67
(19) 		65
(18) 		55
(13) 		37
(3) 		30
(−1) 		22
(−6) 		15
(−9)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.39
(9.9) 		0.51
(13) 		0.30
(7.6) 		0.12
(3.0) 		0.03
(0.76) 		0.05
(1.3) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.13
(3.3) 		0.21
(5.3) 		0.07
(1.8) 		0.18
(4.6) 		0.30
(7.6) 		2.36
(60)
Mean monthly sunshine hours 217 226 279 330 372 390 403 372 330 310 210 186 3,625
Source 1: NOAA 1981–2010 US Climate Normals [11]
Source 2: weather2travel.com [12]
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[13]
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[14]

Geography

See also the categories Mountain ranges of the Mojave Desert, Valleys of the Mojave Desert, and Lakes of the Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert is defined by numerous mountain ranges creating its xeric conditions. These ranges often create valleys, endorheic basins, salt pans, and seasonal saline lakes 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 thinning which pulls open valleys over millions of years. Most of the valleys are internally drained (endorheic basins), 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 called 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.

Cities and regions

Main article: List of cities in the Mojave Desert
For a description of the metropolitan areas of the Mojave, see High Desert (California).
A typical Mojave desert valley and city: Indian Wells Valley and Ridgecrest, California
A Mojave desert nautical twilight, in Johnson Valley, California

While the Mojave Desert itself is sparsely populated, it has increasingly become urbanized in recent years. The metropolitan areas include: Las Vegas, the largest city in the Mojave with a metropolitan population of around 2.3 million in 2015; St. George is the northeastern-most metropolitan area in the Mojave, and is located at the convergence of the Mojave, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Lancaster, the largest California city in the desert; and over 850,000 people live in areas of the Mojave attached to the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, including Palmdale and Lancaster, (referred to as the Antelope Valley), Victorville, Apple Valley and Hesperia (referred to as the Victor Valley) attached to the Inland Empire metropolitan area, the 14th largest in the nation.

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.

Notable towns with fewer than 30,000 people in the Mojave include: Barstow, Boron, California City, Helendale, Joshua Tree, Landers, Lone Pine, Lucerne Valley, Mojave, Needles, Nipton, Pioneertown, Randsburg, Ridgecrest, Rosamond, Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms in California; Mesquite and Moapa Valley in Nevada; and Hurricane in Utah.

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 largest Marine Corps base in the world at Twentynine Palms. The US Army also maintains Fort Irwin & the National Training Center (NTC) which is another major training area for the United States Military. 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. The airport also houses the Air and Space Port and was one of the test centres for the Virgin Galactic Fleet.

The Mojave Desert has several ghost towns, the most significant are the gold-mining town of Oatman, Arizona, the silver-mining town of Calico, California, and the old railroad depot of Kelso. Some of the other ghost towns are more modern, created when U.S. Route 66 (and the lesser-known U.S. Route 91) were abandoned in favor of the Interstates. The Mojave Desert is crossed by major highways Interstate 15, Interstate 40, U.S. Route 95, U.S. Route 395 and California State Route 58.

Other than the 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, disappearing underground again a short while later and has its final outlet into the southern end of Death Valley. The riverbed passes under SR 127 near Dumont Dunes before turning north into Death Valley National Park.

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 Devils Playground is a part of the Mojave National Preserve and is between the town of Baker, California and Providence Mountains. The Cronese Mountains are within the Devils Playground.

Parks and tourism

The Mojave Desert is one of the most popular tourism spots in North America, primarily because of the gambling destination of Las Vegas. The Mojave is also known for its scenic beauty, 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 a California State Park, the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve, in Lancaster. 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.[15]

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, within the Colorado Desert, and the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, 17 miles (27 km) west of Las Vegas, both of which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management.

Among the more popular and unique tourist attractions in the Mojave is the self described world's tallest thermometer at 134 feet (41 m) high, which is along Interstate 15 in Baker, California. The newly renovated Kelso Depot is the Visitor Center for the Mojave National Preserve. Nearby the massive Kelso Dunes are a popular recreation spot. Nipton, California, on the northern entrance to the Mojave National Preserve, is a restored ghost town founded in 1885.

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 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, is believed by some archaeologists, including the late Louis Leakey, to show the earliest evidence with lithic stone tools found here of human activity in North America. The Calico Peaks scenically rise above all the destinations.

A tour of the Mojave Desert inspired American songwriter Carrie Jacobs-Bond to compose the parlor song "A Perfect Day" in 1909.[16]

Museums

Maturango Museum, in Ridgecrest

Parks and protected areas

Main pages: Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert and Category:Protected areas of the Mojave Desert

Flora

Further information: List of flora of the Mojave Desert region

The flora of the Mojave Desert help define what is called the Mojave Desert in that the desert itself is generally considered to be outlined by the extent of growth of one of its plants, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). Mojave Desert flora is not a vegetation type, although plants in the area have evolved in isolation because of physical barriers. This area includes southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona in the United States. The flora are adapted to extremely hot and dry conditions, but generally not as extreme as the adaptations needed for survival in the flora of the Sonoran Desert, which has an overlap in its major flora, such as the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata).[17]

Fauna

See also: Category:Fauna of the Mojave Desert

Black throated sparrow

Gambols quail

Great horned owl

Soil and plants conditions

The soil types in the Mojave and Sonoran deserts are mostly derived from volcano, specifically the areas in California. As the topography goes down, particle sizes decreases as you move down the gradient, where you can also find low alkalinity. These erosional gradient is a habitat for many plant communities. As you go up the gradient of the desert, you will find more pediment and alluvial fan soil. In this areas, the flora is mostly succulents. As you move down the gradient, this area is described to be the upper and lower bajada, then you move into playa and salina, and finally you will reach the river. Drought deciduous plants are found in the alluvial fans and upper bajada. Evergreen perennials are found in some parts of the upper bajada, but it is mostly found in lower bajada. Once the salinity increases, you will find more salt-tolerant plants. In the river areas, deep-rooted plants reside. Due to the harsh and dry conditions in the desert, the plants have adapted to have succulent leaves, with CAM photosynthesis, spines, buried bulbs, hairy or waxy leaves, photosynthetic stems, deep tap roots, and ephemerals.

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 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, Spangler Hills, Stoddard Valley, Dove Spring Canyon, Dumont Dunes, and the world's largest open off-road vehicle use area, Johnson Valley. Open areas designated for unrestricted vehicle travel in the western Mojave Desert total 363,480 acres (1,471.0 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.".[18]: 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.

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[19] when it designated approximately 5,000 miles (8,000 km) of off-roading routes in 2006.[20] 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.[21] Judge Illston found the bureau had inadequately analyzed the routes' impacts on air quality, soils, plant communities, riparian habitats, and sensitive species such as the endangered Mojave fringe-toed lizard, pointing out that the desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed."[21]

The court also found 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.[19] 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).[20] The ruling was considered a success for a coalition of conservation groups, including the California Native Plant Society, Friends of Juniper Flats, the Alliance for Responsible Recreation, Community Off-Road Vehicle Watch, The Center for Biological Diversity, Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society, who together initiated the legal challenge in late 2006.[21]

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.[22]

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ^ Jones, Daniel (2003) [1917], English Pronouncing Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, ISBN 3-12-539683-2 {{citation}}: Unknown parameter |editors= ignored (|editor= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "Mojave". Dictionary.com Unabridged (Online). n.d.
  3. ^ "Mojave". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  4. ^ a b c d Mojave Desert Wildflowers, Pam MacKay, 2nd Ed. 2013, p. 1
  5. ^ "Mojave desert Map".
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "American Indian History".
  8. ^ Stark, Lloyd R.; Whittemore, Alan T. (2000). "Bryophytes From the Northern Mojave Desert". Southwestern Naturalist. 45: 226–232. Archived from the original on 2003-06-12 – via Mosses of Nevada On-line.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference NED was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Brooks, Matthew L. (2002-08-01). "Peak Fire Temperatures and Effects on Annual Plants in the Mojave Desert". Ecological Applications. 12 (4): 1088–1102. doi:10.1890/1051-0761(2002)012[1088:PFTAEO]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 1939-5582.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ NOAA. "1981–2010 US Climate Normals". NOAA. Retrieved 2011-07-25.
  12. ^ Weather2travel.com. "Weather2travel Death Valley Climate". Retrieved 2011-06-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  14. ^ "Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation Information". Western Regional Climate Center. Retrieved March 29, 2013.
  15. ^ "Hoover Dam". General Contractor Bob Moore Construction Company. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
  16. ^ Reublein, Rick. "America's first great woman popular song composer" site.
  17. ^ Shreve, Forrest; Wiggins, Ira Loren (1964-01-01). Vegetation and Flora of the Sonoran Desert. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804701631.
  18. ^ "Desert Lawsuit Settlement". California Desert District. Bureau of Land Management. April 27, 2007. Archived from the original on April 10, 2010. Retrieved 2010-01-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
    a. "Order Re: Defendants' motion to alter or amend the judgment and plaintiffs' motion for injunctive relief" (PDF). United States District Court for the Northern District of California. December 20, 2004. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 12, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  19. ^ a b Mojave’s Off-Highway Roads Found Illegal
  20. ^ a b Judge rejects federal plan for SoCal desert routes
  21. ^ a b c Judge rejects U.S. management plan for California desert, Los Angeles Times, 30 September 2009.
  22. ^ Danelski, David (31 January 2011). "Judge: Redo off-roading routes in Mojave Desert". Press-Enterprise.

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

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