Arid

For the Belgian rock band, see Arid (band).

An arid environment has a high precipitation deficit, receiving much less precipitation annually than would satisfy the climatological demand for evaporation and transpiration. This is mainly due to the high temperatures and few storms bringing rainfall. Regions are classified as arid if their aridity index falls between 0.05 and 0.20.

Most deserts are semi-arid, arid or hyperarid, with the notable exception of Antarctica.

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