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desert soil
noun
: a soil that develops under sparse shrub vegetation in warm to cool arid climates with a light-colored surface soil usually underlain by calcareous material and a hardpan layer
Examples of desert soil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
While some of the largest installations do take 500 or more acres of desert soil, a more typical size in Arizona is about 262 acres, according to LandGate, a data provider for renewables projects.
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Joan Meiners, The Arizona Republic, 18 Sep. 2024
The cyanobacteria form sticky filaments that act like glue in sandy desert soil, creating a clumpy, crusty surface where fungi and other bacteria take hold.
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Jude Coleman, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2024
Globe According to the city's website, there's a local legend about the origin of the name that, once more, revolves around precious metals hiding beneath the desert soil.
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Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 8 Aug. 2024
After a fire, cheatgrass sprouts quickly, hoarding the small amount of water available in the desert soil and preventing slower-growing native plants from getting the hydration needed to sprout.
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Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 23 May 2024
The parched desert soil couldn’t absorb the excessive rainfall fast enough, which triggered flash flooding.
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Mary Gilbert, CNN, 25 Oct. 2023
Arizona’s highways funnel rainfall into ditches and thus soften desert soils for pocket gophers, whose tunnels parallel the shoulder like subway lines.
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Ben Goldfarb, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Sep. 2023
In fact, desert soil will be added to the concrete mix used for construction so that the structures mimic the color and texture of a traditional abode.
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Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2023
Biocrust restoration recovers and accelerates the growth of microbial communities that are naturally present in desert soils, and creates a living layer that protects soil from wind erosion.
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The Arizona Republic, 17 Mar. 2023
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Word History
First Known Use
circa 1938, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near desert soil
Cite this Entry
“Desert soil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert%20soil. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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