Why are temperate deserts often found far from coasts or behind mountain ranges?

Temperate deserts, also known as cold deserts, are primarily found in temperate regions at higher latitudes. Their arid conditions are driven by two main geographical factors that limit the availability of moisture-bearing winds:1

• Remoteness from the coast: Being located deep within the interiors of continents prevents these regions from receiving moisture-laden onshore winds, resulting in consistently low atmospheric humidity.12
• Rain shadow effects: High mountain ranges often act as barriers to the movement of air masses. As air is forced to rise over these mountains, it cools and loses its moisture as precipitation on the windward slopes. By the time the air descends on the leeward side, it is significantly drier, creating a rain shadow that inhibits rainfall in the region behind the range.3145

These factors combine to create environments where the rate of evapotranspiration exceeds the minimal annual precipitation, leading to the sparse vegetation characteristic of these ecosystems.16