Britannica Sources used in this answer

How much rain falls in the Takla Makan Desert each year?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Map of Asia highlighting the location of the Takla Makan Desert in northwestern China, with the desert area shaded in orange. Surrounding regions, including parts of Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean, are shown for geographic context. An inset in the top right corner provides a global view with the desert's location marked. — Takla Makan Desert The Takla Makan Desert is flanked by high mountain ranges: the Tien Shan to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south, and the Pamirs to the west.

The Takla Makan Desert experiences extremely low levels of precipitation due to its location within the Tarim Basin, where surrounding mountains block moist air from the sea.12

Annual rainfall varies across the region, ranging from 1.5 inches (38 mm) in the west to 0.4 inches (10 mm) in the east.2