Minecraft wiki entry for Survival_in_an_infinite_desert, associated text: Digging, tunneling and mining in the desert are challenging because the sand collapses. It is problematic (but not impossible) to build lower levels under your house for storage, workspace, greater safety, or mining. Mining and tunneling, in general, are made difficult by the scarcity of roofing material and the gravity effects on sand. Further limiting factors are usually the lack of tools, time, and light. Tunnel ceilings need to be built from above, before digging a tunnel through the sand. Otherwise, it becomes a ditch, and/or you suffocate in it. Similarly, mines tend to be strip mines or open cast mines rather than underground mines.