Space: Desert Planets

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

These are very small areas. Most of the planet is desert and the desert is the ecconomic center.

The desert is probably not the economic center, if it can't sustain a significant amount of life. The economic center is probably the tiny oases scattered across the desert.

[ericthered]

It depends on the purpose of the people living on the planet and the technology available.

If this planet is supposed to be self sufficient, economic centers will be either in the oasis or along the coast line in places that feel safer. People will find ways to brave the storm, grow crops in isolated valleys, and dodge the storms to catch fish. Or they will live just on the far side of the mountains and pipe water from the rain rich slopes of one side to the parched land of the other. In the desert, people flock to the water.

If you have thriving trade going on with other worlds, its possible for the desert to be an important mineral resource -- but they will import most of their food, either from the coast or from off world.

I actually like this world, but its not how you build a 'desert planet'.

I wonder if several small ocean basins (10-5% hydrology) gives you enough water to get life with. I suppose it'd likely end up too brackish for earth life -- or would it?

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by whswhs

The desert is probably not the economic center, if it can't sustain a significant amount of life. The economic center is probably the tiny oases scattered across the desert.

Low Tech people's economies center on food production, so obviously require loads of water. But high tech people's center on other things with necessary water pumped over and/or recycled like crazy. Las Vegas?

Rare mining products, unobtanium, or whatever could cause cities to pop up anywhere.

[Anthony]

Of course, you can have a mining colony in the middle of a desert even on a rather wet planet.

[Phantasm]

I foresee a lot of ghost towns on desert worlds that were abandoned after the resources they were mining dried up . . . .

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

I foresee a lot of ghost towns on desert worlds that were abandoned after the resources they were mining dried up . . . .

Of course but many real mines take centuries to play out.
And our hypothetical mines may slowly renew its resources. Or requires exceptionally slow and careful mining and/or processing that itself may act as a source of wealth.
Food production is only of primary importance on our world with our technology levels.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by tbrock1031

I foresee a lot of ghost towns on desert worlds that were abandoned after the resources they were mining dried up . . . .

Agreed, the said Ghost towns would last longer on a desert world. Left over Ghost towns on a mined out Desert world would make a good place for Pirate bases, smugglers, or any other type of nefarious secret base.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Low Tech people's economies center on food production, so obviously require loads of water. But high tech people's center on other things with necessary water pumped over and/or recycled like crazy. Las Vegas?

Rare mining products, unobtanium, or whatever could cause cities to pop up anywhere.

Las Vegas nearly was an oasis. It was a rare area in Nevada where the ground water was close enough to the surface that it could support some grass. Hence the name. But of course personally I consider oases as being a feature of deserts, just as I consider valleys to be features of mountain chains.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Las Vegas nearly was an oasis. It was a rare area in Nevada where the ground water was close enough to the surface that it could support some grass. Hence the name. But of course personally I consider oases as being a feature of deserts, just as I consider valleys to be features of mountain chains.

An oasis, okay, but its population now is orders of magnitude greater than what it could naturally support without massive water recycling, frugality, and influx.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

An oasis, okay, but its population now is orders of magnitude greater than what it could naturally support without massive water recycling, frugality, and influx.

All of which argues for a massive need to minimize the costs of the water industry, which is easier to do if you transport the water over shorter paths. We can afford things like the California aqueduct system because there are large areas that have huge water resources.