Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Gobi Desert

Map showing the Gobi Desert and surrounding area. Photo by: Kmusser- Wikimedia.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert, with a total land area of nearly 1.3 million square kilometers, is the largest desert in Asia and the fifth largest in the world, occupying both China and Mongolia. In Mongolian, the name simply translates as “Waterless Place,” while Chinese people occasionally refer to it as “Han-hal,” which translates as “Dry Sea.”

The desert became a worldwide sensation in the 1920s when the American Museum of Natural History’s paleontological expedition discovered the world’s first confirmed dinosaur eggs. We’ve included some lesser-known facts about Mother Earth’s unparalleled creation in this article.

1. It is not all sandy

Gobi Desert landscape. Dornogovi Province, Mongolia. Photo by: Marcin Konsek- Wikimedia.

The majority of the Gobi desert’s ground surface is bare rock rather than sandy soil. The Gobi Desert is a rain shadow desert formed by the Himalayan Mountains, which prevent rain-causing monsoon winds from reaching the area.

Only 5% of the desert is covered by sand, with the rest being rock formations or dry savannas.

2. It is both hot and cold depending on the temperature

The Gobi Desert can get as cold as -40°C in the winter, and as hot as 45°C in the summer. During the winter, it snows enough to keep its livestock and wild animals alive.

Sand dunes are frequently covered in snow, making it the only desert in the world with such contrasting landscapes.

3. The land is rich

Solifugae, species undefined Mongolia, Gobi Desert. Photo by: Bogomolov.PL- Wikimedia.

In contrast to our preconceived notions of deserts, the Gobi Desert contains mountains, grasslands, rivers, small lakes, and, most importantly, an oasis, which is vital to the region’s wildlife and plants.

Some oasis has been used for agriculture since the 1960s, primarily for fruits such as mini apple, peach, and watermelon.

The growing season in the Gobi lasts 6-7 months, from April to October, which is twice as long as in the rest of Mongolia.

4. It is Mongolia’s wealthiest part

Stupas in Shambhala complex. Gobi Desert, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia. Photo by: Marcin Konsek- Wikimedia.

The Gobi Desert has received more attention in the last decade for its natural resources than for its dinosaur fossils. Copper, gold, and coal are abundant in the desert.

Massive mining deposits in the Gobi have been operational since the late 2000s, including Oyu Tolgoi, the world’s third-largest copper and gold mine, and Tavan Tolgoi, one of the world’s top ten largest undiscovered coking coal reserves.

The approximate cost of bringing the Oyu Tolgoi mine into production in 2010 was US$4.6 billion, making it the country’s greatest economic project in history. The total amount of mineral wealth discovered there is approximated to be 41 billion pounds of copper and 21 million ounces of gold.

5. It includes 33 mini deserts

The Gobi Desert is a collection of 33 distinct deserts, each with its own unique scenery and characteristics. The largest of them is known as “The Galbiin Gobi,” and it covers an area of 70,000 square kilometers.

Locals are well-known for its Mars-like red soil and reddish camels. It is also noted that there is a sailing stone in the Galbiin Gobi that moves and leaves tracks along a smooth valley floor without the interference of humans or animals.

6. It is not completely empty 

In terms of population, the Gobi Desert is not completely uninhabited and has a sparse population of one person per square kilometer. Nomadic cattle rearing is the major source of income for the locals.

Camel, horse, sheep, and goat herds are kept small and moved on a regular basis. Bactrian camels with two hump are still used for commuting. They are always short on visitors, the Gobi nomads are regarded as the most hospitable people in the country.

The Gobi was first inhabited by ancient people around 100,000 years ago, as evidenced by fragments of stone weapons and tools used by hunting-gathering nomads discovered in its soil.

7. Major development

The Gobi could soon overtake its current position as the world’s fourth largest desert. Due to environmental degradation, the desert region is quickly growing southward.

The process is advancing at an alarming rate, consuming 3,600 square kilometers of grassland each year. Sandstorms have become more common in the last two decades, causing damage to China’s agricultural economy and reducing the number of livestock owned by Mongolian nomads.

8. It was originally located under the sea

According to scientists, the Gobi Desert was once at the bottom of the sea during the prehistoric era. The area has yielded fossilized coral heads, sea lilies, and numerous shells.

9. Conservation initiatives

Stupas and Buddha eyes in Shambhala complex. Gobi Desert, Dornogovi Province, Mongolia. Photo by: Marcin Konsek- Wikimedia.

The Gobi Desert grasslands are under severe threat and may vanish entirely if current practices in the area continue. Overgrazing by goats in the area, whose sheering gets a high price in the form of cashmere, is the primary cause of grassland deterioration.

Overgrazing has become more of a problem in recent years, as more people return to an agricultural lifestyle following the destruction of much of Mongolia’s urban economy.

The increased number of agriculturalists in the area also threatens to detach much of the desert’s sand and topsoil. The loose sand or topsoil could be swept away by the winds under this threat.

This is known as desertification, and it is a common problem for deserts all over the world. On a scientific level, the Gobi Desert has also demonstrated that it is a precious asset that must be preserved for future generations.

The Gobi Desert is home to a wealth of fossil remains, including dinosaur eggs and bones. The Gobi Desert, in particular, has been used to study the phenomenon known as “sand slides,” in which particle matter shifted onto living animals.

This process, which resulted in death and physical preservation of the body, is an important factor in explaining dinosaur extinction.

10. It has a large plant life for a dessert

The Gobi plants withstand all odds, creating a one-of-a-kind scene of survival. Small bush-like plants can be found in the mountains and valleys. The greenery is more diverse in semidesert areas, with herb meadows of wild onions, salt marshes with sparse beds of Caragana bushes, and feather-grass steppes.

The saxaul tree, sandy wormwood, and regular and annual herbs such as the annual Gobi kumarchik and regular timuriya grow in the sands. The saxual tree is possibly the Gobi Desert’s signature plant.

The saxaul, a bush-like tree with spongy bark that can be pressed to extract drinkable water, is an important water source for nomads traveling through the desert.