Habitats -- Threats to Desert Pictures, Wallpapers, Downloads -- National Geographic

Lake Powell, Utah
Photograph by Peter Essick
The cracked bed of Utah's drought-plagued Lake Powell bakes under the desert sun. The rate of evaporation in deserts can be 20 times higher than the rate of precipitation.
Antarctic Ice Sheet
Photograph courtesy Ben Holt, Sr./NASA
An enormous iceberg nestles into an ice shelf in Antarctica. Disintegrating ice shelves in Antarctica have caused alarm among scientists who warn that ice loss here could mean a disastrous rise in sea levels worldwide.
Alaskan Glaciers
Photograph by Peter Essick
Pools of water fill crevices in Alaska's Columbia Glacier. This ice field has been melting rapidly over the past 20 years, sending millions of gallons of water and miles of ice into Prince William Sound every year.
Jeep in African Desert
Photograph by George Steinmetz
With temperatures reaching 136˚ F (58˚ C) in the shade, an African desert is a bad place to get stranded. So along with plenty of water and a spare tire, travelers may also want to bring a spare ATV.

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