Expansion of Deserts

This map shows areas of the world most susceptible to increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall.  As the world warms, the deserts of the world will expand..  

The map does not show the exact amount of desert expansion that will occur.  It does show which areas are most vulnerable as the heat rises.   Red and yellow will likely change before green and blue.

The new desert boundaries are dependent on many factors beyond the change in temperature.  The earth is a complex system involving water temperature, sea currents, air temperature and global wind patterns.  In general, however, if the amount of solar energy trapped on earth has increased due to greenhouse gases, the equatorial regions will become hotter and the temperate zones will be displaced toward the poles.