Answer:
Major Deserts:
- Great Basin: Largest cold, intermontane desert of North America.
- Mojave: Extremely arid subtropical desert; contains the lowest point, Death Valley.
- Sonoran: Cactus-dominated warm desert across the US-Mexico border.
- Chihuahuan: High-elevation plateau desert; the largest warm desert in North America.
Primary Factors of Formation:
- Rain-Shadow Effect: Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges block moist westerlies.
- Subtropical High-Pressure Belt : Atmospheric subsidence causing anticyclonic desiccation.
- Cold California Current: Reduces evaporation and coastal moisture advection.
