Landforms

Deserts often appear harsh, not just because of the lack of vegetation, but because the landforms there are stark - steep cliffs, deep canyons. That´s because of the type of weathering that occurs there. In human climates, rocks disintegrate (break into smaller pieces) but also "decompose" (called chemical weathering, it´s most often due to chemical actions with rain). In the desert, on the other hand, only mechanical weathering occurs - in other words, rocks just break into smaller rocks. Like being hit with a hammer, mechanical weathering produces angular, sharp breaks.