HEAT TRANSFER… can be accomplished through four means: (2) Phase changes:  A liquid evaporates into an overlying gas, a process which requires energy and therefore removes heat from the liquid.  This also occurs often between the atmosphere and earth’s surface and is known as latent heat flux.  The dryness of the desert surface means it can’t cool through latent heat flux and therefore must cool almost exclusively through sensible heat flux.  The inefficient ventilation of the desert surface is the reason the deserts are so hot.