30 Strangest Things Spotted In The Desert

Art installations

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Deserts are known for their vast and desolate landscapes, which can sometimes include some strange and unusual sightings. For example, many deserts (like the Nevada) are home to bizarre art installations, such as the famous (annual) 'Burning Man' festival.

Shipwrecks

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Surprisingly, shipwrecks can be found in certain deserts, such as the Atacama Desert in Chile. Within this desert, you can find abandoned ships laying in the middle of the arid landscape. People seem to forget that the majority of deserts used to be bodies of water, before they dried up completely.

Ghost towns

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Within some deserts, there are ghosts towns, which consist of abandoned buildings/areas. The abandoned town of Bodie, located in California, is a great example of this. These kind of areas offer an eerie glimpse into the past, and are actually more common than people realize.

Mirages

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Mirages are one of the most common sightings within deserts worldwide. This from of optical illusion, can make distant objects appear to be floating or distorted. Mirages will often distort any vegetation within a desert, as well as sand dunes and the general horizon.

Sand dunes

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Enormous sand dunes, like those in the Sahara or Namib Desert, create otherworldly landscape. Sand dunes are all unique, and will vary from desert-to-desert. Some sand dunes are relatively easy to navigate and overcome, whereas other have dangerously sheer drops, and should be approached with caution.

Geoglyphs

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The Nazca Lines in Peru, and other geoglyphs around the world, are massive drawings etched into the desert floor. These designs vary in detail, with some of them holding religious or cultural meanings. They are often protected areas of certain deserts around the world.

Rock formations

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Unusual rock formations are present within some deserts around the world, such as 'The Wave' in Arizona, and the 'Moeraki Boulders' in New Zealand. These rock formations are visually captivating, and are a great example of how beautiful nature can be.

Meteorite craters

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Perhaps one of the most unusual parts of certain deserts, is the presence of meteorite craters. Impact craters, such as 'Meteor Crater' in Arizona, are evidence of historical cosmic events. Again, this gives a great glimpse into the past, and the way in which nature occurs.

Sand art

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Artists create intricate sand sculptures that can be found (temporarily) in desert locations. These sculptures are located all around the world, and can vary in theme, size and duration of time within their specific location. They take a lot of skill and artistic flair to create.

Petroglyphs

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Ancient rock carvings and drawings are found within a range of deserts, and provide a great glimpse into the past. The carvings and drawings serve as a reminder of past events, and how civilization/beliefs has progressed through different centuries.

Flora and fauna

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Unique dessert plants and animals are adapted for the extreme weather conditions, and are actually present in a range of deserts worldwide. Some examples of desert flora and fauna, are the Joshua Tree and the Gila Monster. Their presence will typically be sparse, due to the extreme conditions they exist within.

Fossils

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Within some desert regions, prehistoric fossils can be found, and will range in size and age. These fossils are often beneath layers of sand/surrounding landscape, or they appear within rock formations/etchings on the desert floor. They give a great glimpse into how the landscape used to look.

Oddities

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Some natural oddities are present within certain desert landscapes, and will often be in the form of rock formations/natural anomalies. An example of this, is the Racetrack Playa's moving rocks. No one knows what has caused this mystery, and it adds to the unique element of nature.

Ruins

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Ancient ruins, like Petra in Jordan, are nestled within desert landscapes. These ruins are typically located somewhat nearby the edge of a desert, within the proximity of a village, town or city. Ruins are a great way of exploring an area's history, and really helps you connect to certain cultures.

Caves

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Hidden caves, such as the Kartchner Caverns in Arizona, hold an array of natural underground wonders. This style of cave will often be home to rich water and mineral sources, as well as fossils, crystals, gemstones and historical carvings. It takes quite a lot of exploring to find them.

Oases

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Desert oases are often depicted within movies and media, as some form of hallucination for people trekking through the desert. However, they are very much a real occurrence, although they are pretty rare. These lush pockets of greenery and water, are the strangest sight within these barren landscapes.

Sandstorms

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Desert sandstorms can be equally dangerous, as they are mesmerizing. It is important to know the best safety protocol, if you ever find yourself stuck within the midsts of a sandstorm. Massive dust storms can engulf entire regions, creating surreal scenes.

Fata Morgana

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Desert Fata Morgana is another form of mirage, that can create optical illusions of distant structures or objects. This is one of the more common form of mirage, and it is often an individual's mind playing tricks on them (rooted in their desire to see a destination/civilization).

Artefacts

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Desert artefacts are a result of archaeological discovery, and the objects can vary greatly. For example, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in desert caves, which throws you completely off track. That is, until you remember that all deserts used to be large bodies of water.

Mummies

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Mummies have been discovered in desert regions, like the Tarim Basin mummies in China. This seems to be a more plausible discovery, as many mummies have been discovered within the hotter regions of the world e.g. Egypt. These mummies all vary in levels of preservation.

Sculptures

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Similarly to sand art, artist use desert materials to create sculptures. An example of this is the Spiral Jetty in Utah. These sculptures are often temporary, unless they have been commissioned to be a permanent part of the landscape, so they can only be seen for a limited time.

Temples

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Ancient temples, like those in the Egyptian desert, are steeped in history. These temples are typically a popular tourist attraction, and will include a guided tour around them (as well as the surrounding area). They provide an important glimpse into a country's history.

Ghost lights

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Desert ghost lights are mysterious lights that appear within a desert's night sky. A great example of this, is the Marfa Lights in Texas. It is unknown what causes these lights, but it is believed to be a result of reflections and air pressure within the atmosphere.

Sand castles

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Intricate sand castles, built by enthusiasts, can be found along desert shorelines. These sand castles can only be found within certain areas, as not all deserts have a shoreline. The sand castles will vary in detail, theme and size, and will typically take several days to complete.

Underground cities

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Some desert regions, like Cappadocia in Turkey, have underground cities carved into the rock. These cities are typically hidden beneath layers of the surrounding landscape, and take some exploring to find. The underground cities are an example of history being buried, and sometimes forgotten about.

Skate parks

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Skate parks within deserts typically consist of unconventional skateboarding spots, located within abandoned desert homes. These unconventional spots will usually be in the form of a swimming pool, hallway, garden or bathroom. The majority of these abandoned desert homes, have a plethora of space.

Star parties

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Stargazing events in remote desert locations, offer breathtaking views of the night sky, and give people a break away from the busy lifestyle within the city. As deserts have some of the lowest levels of air pollution, they are able to provide a clear view of the moon and stars within a night sky.

Stone circles

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Mysterious stone circles, similar to Stonehenge, have been found in deserts like the Sahara. It is unknown if these circles are natural or man-made, as they seem to just appear from thin air. It is possible that they are natural, and just haven't been discovered before.

Sea mammal graveyard

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As mentioned previously, the majority of desert landscapes used to be large bodies of water, so it is not uncommon for certain fossils to be found within them. For some desert regions, there have been a plethora of sea mammal fossils and bones found, within their landscape (causing them to be dubbed 'sea mammal graveyards').

Patterns

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Across some desert regions, there have been precise patterns found in the dense areas of sand. These patterns are similar to crop-fields, and it is unknown how they came to be in the landscape. The precision of these patterns is the most confusing aspect of them, as well as the fact that they haven't been blown away etc.