Subtropical Dry desert

In Africa, subtropical dry deserts prevail, they are also called trade wind desert or tropical desert. They are located between 30° northern and southern latitude. On both hemispheres, air masses coming from the trade winds are forced to ascend. The air masses warm up and their relative air humidity decreases with increasing temperature. This leads to a cloudless climate. In Africa, the Sahara and the Kalahari are such examples.

Coastal or Nebula desert

Coastal deserts also rate among the trade wind deserts. Nebula deserts are mainly located in the subtropics at the west coasts. In Africa, the Namib is a coastal or a nebula desert.

The cold currents of the Benguela stream and the uplift waters of the Atlantic Ocean cause fog at the Atlantic shore of southwest Africa. Over the sea, there is a belt of fog that is about 600 m high. Every day, a wind is blowing from southwest, transporting the fog into the desert.