Earth from Space: Proba image of the Gobi Desert in China (by
europeanspaceagency) This Proba image shows numerous small lakes
in the otherwise arid environment of the Gobi Desert in the
Chinese Autonomous Region of Inner Mongolia, surrounded by some
of the highest and largest sand dunes in the world. This image
was acquired on 29 September 2005 by the Compact High Resolution
Imaging Spectrometer (CHRIS). Credit: ESA. Fuente: Flickr /
europeanspaceagency In westernmost China lies the Tarim Basin,
home to the Taklimakan Desert—the biggest, hottest, driest
desert in China. Sand dunes cover about 85 percent of the
Taklimakan, often feeding massive dust storms. Isolated from the
Asian monsoon and from Arctic storms, the central basin receives
less than 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) of precipitation per year.
In such a parched environment, plants are rare, and yet they
exist. In the summertime, they appear to thrive. Runoff from the
Tien Shan mountains and the Kunlun Shan mountains feed rivers,
which in turn support