re: Sub-Saharan African Civilizations

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it has to do with how the air circulates globally. deserts are usually in the mid-latitudes where the air is dry because it dumped all its precipitation in the equatorial regions, where you tend to find rainforests.

other deserts can be created by being on the leeward side of mountain ranges. same idea, smaller scale.

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The first paragraph explains more about the Sahara. It sits in a high pressure area that limits rainfall. The horse latitudes.

The second explains more about the Mojave. Death Valley, which is one of the hottest places in the world by peak summer temperatures, is protected from the Pacific’s moisture by California’s mountains. DV also sits below sea level.

There’s really three conditions that allow an area to consistently reach temperatures of 120+ year after year:

1. Low latitude. Typically 35 degrees (subtopics) or lower.

2. Low elevation. Every 1,000’ of elevation gain lowers the temperature about 3-5 degrees due to less air pressure.

3. A lack of moisture and vegetation. An arid environment with clear skies and low humidity.

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I'm pretty unimpressed by them, especially the ones on the left side of the continent rather than the right side.

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Sending grief and sadness across the ocean to the gulf states for a very long time, damn hurricanes.