Carcross Desert, Yukon Territory, Canada
This area of the southern Yukon is not a true desert, not even a cold desert. The climate of the region is too moist. In prehistoric times lake water here receded, revealing a sandy bottom. Constant winds have continually caused the sand to shift, preventing the establishment of most plants, with the notable exception of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), here at the northern limit of its range. The Carcross Desert is affectionately known as the smallest desert in the world, measuring only 2.6 km². From a Kodachrome slide.
220917 001DN
Carcross Desert, Yukon Territory, Canada
This area of the southern Yukon is not a true desert, not even a cold desert. The climate of the region is too moist. In prehistoric times lake water here receded, revealing a sandy bottom. Constant winds have continually caused the sand to shift, preventing the establishment of most plants, with the notable exception of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta), here at the northern limit of its range. The Carcross Desert is affectionately known as the smallest desert in the world, measuring only 2.6 km². From a Kodachrome slide.
220917 001DN