Tropical deserts are located between 10° to 30° north and south of the equator on the western margin of the continents, for example, Atacama Desert in South America. Californian desert in North America, Namib and Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, Sahara and West Australian desert.
(i) The deserts lie in the belt of the trade winds which blow from northeast in the northern hemisphere and southeast in the southern hemisphere. Therefore, the general direction of the trade winds is from the east to west. These winds shed their moisture on the eastern margins of the continents and by the time they reach the west they have lost their moisture.
(ii) These deserts fall on the leeward side of the mountains and hence, get less rainfall.
(iii) It is also an area of descending air; therefore, the air gets compressed and becomes warm, so the moisture-holding capacity of the air increases.
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(iv) The tropical deserts have cold currents flowing on the coast therefore there is less rainfall.