Tabernas Desert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tabernas Desert is a desert in Spain. It is located in the province of Almería about 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the capital, Almería, in the Tabernas municipality. It is protected as a wilderness area (paraje natural) spanning 280 square kilometers (110 square miles).
[edit] Climate
The Tabernas Desert is situated between the Sierra de los Filabres to the north and the Sierra de Alhamilla to the south-southeast, isolating it from the humid winds of the Mediterranean Sea, in an area with little rainfall known as Levante. The desert receives about 24 cm of rain a year. Together, the high temperatures felt all year long (average temperature of 18°C) and one of the longest levels of sun exposure possible (3000 hours) produce the dry climate that gives rise to this true desert. These characteristics are also aggravated by the foehn effect.
[edit] Geology and biology
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The little rainfall that occurs is usually torrential, so that the ground, consisting marls and sandstone with very little vegetation, is unable to retain humidity. Instead, the rain causes erosion, forming the characteristic landscape of badlands. Arroyos formed by torrential rain harbor the scarce vegetation and fauna such as Swifts, Hedgehogs, Jackdaws, Pin-tailed Sandgrouses, Blue Rock Thrushes, Stone Curlews, Trumpeter Finches, and Crested Larks.
[edit] Popular culture
The Tabernas Desert, because of its similarities with the North American deserts, was used from the 1950s to the 1980s to film many Spaghetti westerns such as For a Few Dollars More and A Fistful of Dollars, featuring directors like Sergio Leone, musicians like Ennio Morricone, and actors like Clint Eastwood.
Kylie Minogue used the Tabernas Desert in her video "Some Kind of Bliss".
