The Karakum Desert

The Karakum Desert, also known as the Kara-Kum Desert, Turkmen Garagum or Gara Gum (“Black Sand”), and Russian Karakumy, is a large sandy desert in Central Asia. It covers over 70% of Turkmenistan’s land area. The Aral Karakum is a minor desert in Kazakhstan close to the Aral Sea.

Physical characteristics

Physiography

The Turkmen Karakum covers an area of around 135,000 square miles (350,000 square kilometres), stretching 500 miles (800 kilometres) west to east and 300 miles (500 kilometres) north to south. The Sarykamysh Basin borders it on the north, the Amu Darya (ancient Oxus River) basin on the northeast and east, and the Garabil uplands and Badkhyz steppe region on the southeast.

Geology

The sea covered the whole Karakum area around 30 million years ago. Orogenic (mountain-building) activities in the Turan Plain’s southern reaches resulted in the sea’s slow dwindling and eventual extinction. The Amu Darya then flowed through the Karakum, shifting its bed and depositing vast volumes of alluvial silt along the way (mostly sand and clay).

The Karakum Desert has a unique climate.

The Turkmen Karakum has a continental climate, with long, hot, dry summers and variable but mild winters. In July, the average temperature in the north and along the Caspian Sea’s beach is 79 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit (26 to 28 degrees Celsius), while in the centre section of the Central Karakum is 86 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit (30 to 34 degrees Celsius).

 The average temperature in January is 25 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in the north and 39 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in the south, however, temperatures can range from 4 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius) to 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 degrees Celsius) in 24 hours.

Animal and plant life

The vegetation is diverse, with grass, tiny shrubs, bushes, and trees dominating. The early spring’s humid conditions encourage the extensive growth of ephemeral plants, which are the primary source of animal food, while grasses, wormwood shrubs, and trees of the Ammodendron conollyi species dominate the barchan dune flora. 

Astragalus, Calligonum, and saltwort are the most prevalent shrubs (Salsola richteri). The white saxaul (Haloxylon persicum) is the most common plant in areas with deep underground water, but the black saxaul (Haloxylon aphyllum) is found in areas with shallower water.

Karakum Desert Facts

1. The Turkic name “Karakum,” or “Garage” as it is spelt by locals, means “black sand.”
2. Its enormous 350,000 km2 (135 sq mi) body spans almost 70% of Turkmenistan’s land area.
3. The region of the desert was fully covered by the sea about 30 million years ago.
4. The Karakum desert was crossed by the Great Silk Road, a network of historic trading routes.
5. In the past, travellers travelling through the Karakum desert could calculate their distances by looking at the locations of desert wells. Those wells were also a vital supply of water for travellers and their camels.
6. The wells in the Karakum desert are thought to be the world’s deepest hand-dug wells. Some of them reach a depth of roughly 650 feet (200 metres).
7. Dervaza Gas Crater is located in the Karakum desert and is also nicknamed as “Door to Hell” by tourists.
8. The desert environment is noted for its long, dry summers. Annual rainfall is 2.75 inches (70 mm) in the north and 6 inches (150 mm) in the south. Spring and winter are the most common times for perception.
9. The desert’s arid circumstances prompted several policymakers to devise new inventive solutions that may aid agricultural progress. The Karakum canal was built by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to draw water from the Amu-Derya river and use it to irrigate agricultural lands. The Karakum Canal is one of the world’s largest desert irrigation projects.
10. The Karakum desert has a small population. The desert’s overall population density is one person every 2.5 square miles.
11. In the 1940s and 1950s, Soviet archaeologists discovered Stone and Bronze Age relics in the Karakum desert. Historians are continuously uncovering relics that show the Karakum desert was once home to the world’s greatest civilizations.
12. Natural gas deposits in the Kakarakum desert are huge. According to assessments, the Karakum desert has the world’s fourth-biggest gas reserves, estimated to be 27 trillion cubic metres. That is not, however, a conclusive report. 

Conclusion:

The Karakum Desert is also known as Kara-Kum and Garagum or Gara Gum in Turkmen. The Karakum desert, which translates to “Black Sand,” is one of Central Asia’s and the world’s biggest deserts. The sand in the region is not literally black, but the soil beneath it is. The Karakum desert, which covers over 3/4 of Turkmenistan’s area, is Central Asia’s warmest sandy region. The Turkmen Karakum covers around 350 000 square kilometres, reaching 800 kilometres west to east and 500 kilometres north to south.