The Arabian oryx prefers dry, near-desert conditions and can survive without water for long periods.

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Although he won the short first stage in Barcelona, this was his first victory in the desert conditions that define the rally.

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Army leaders have warned the war has left the service "out of balance, " with troops strained by extended deployments and equipment worn by exposure to harsh desert conditions.

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Inland, in the desert, conditions are almost uniformly settled and sunny with very high temperatures in summer and warm days in winter.

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Conditions at the desert circuit can be pretty interesting with gusts of winds often blowing sand and grit onto the circuit.

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You can only imagine what's happening with the U.S. military right now, as they gather out in the Kuwaiti desert trying to deal with these conditions.

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Because Algeria has closed its borders, people in the north are increasingly heading to the desert, where they will face harsh conditions and struggles over food and water with limited humanitarian assistance, the group said.

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Because Algeria has closed its borders, people in the north are increasingly heading to the desert, where they will face harsh conditions and real struggles over food and water with limited humanitarian assistance, the group said.

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However, this machine and 19 others will face far more difficult conditions in the race across the Mojave Desert.

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Right here on the flight line in crash landings, the helicopters landing in what are called brown-out conditions, meaning the dust on the desert floor rises up and engulfs the helicopter and it is very difficult for the pilot to see the ground in those conditions and very easy to mess up the landing.

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"The saltwater going out of the greenhouses will go to the CSP to cool it -- which makes it more efficient -- and then it will go to the evaporator 'hedges' which create good growing conditions for crops outside and revegetate areas of desert, " he said.

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The desert area is favored by the U.S. military and its allies for training because the hot, dusty conditions and mountains replicate Afghanistan's harsh environment and the clear weather allows for constant flying.

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