Gallery of desert landscape photographs. These scenes may lack flora, but stunning geology makes up for it.

Deserts really are cool. I like to think of them as potential tropical jungles, but born somewhere windy. Deserts have the heat, they have the sunlight, and they usually have the moisture, too! Really the main difference is often wind (though there are definitely exceptions). Find a map of global average wind-speed on Google, then find a map of the world’s deserts and see how well they compare. While it’s not really that simple, the desiccating power of wind is not to be underestimated. High wind can strip the soil of moisture and turn it into sand, preventing plants from growing in large numbers. And it just snowballs from there, with no plants to provide shade to slow evaporation. I like to think about what these desert landscapes will turn into one day when weather patterns shift. But for now they are deserts, and they are beautiful this way too. Deserts hold a wealth of life adapted to the harsh climate, and they also put nature’s geology on full display. I hope your love for them grows after browsing this gallery!