Consider the following statements regarding major world deserts and their formation mechanisms: 1. The Sahara Desert is primarily maintained by the persistent sinking air of the subtropical high-pressure belt. 2. The Atacama Desert owes its hyper-arid conditions to the rain-shadow effect of the Andes combined with the cold Humboldt Current offshore. 3. The Gobi Desert is a coastal desert formed along the western margin of the Pacific Ocean due to cold upwelling currents. Which of the statements given above are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Sahara Desert is sustained by descending dry air masses associated with the subtropical high-pressure system. The Atacama Desert is one of the driest places on Earth, caused by the combined influence of Andean rain shadowing and the cooling effect of the Humboldt Current which inhibits convection. The Gobi Desert is a cold mid-latitude interior desert situated deep within the Asian continent far from maritime moisture sources, not a coastal desert. Continental position and mountain barriers strongly influence global arid zones.