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You are here: Home / Universe / Where Did the Sand in the Sahara Desert Come From?

Where Did the Sand in the Sahara Desert Come From?

May 7, 2020 by Karen Hill

Scientists used to believe that the sand in the Sahara Desert was left there by sea water that once covered the area.

It is true that much of the Sahara was covered with water more than 100 million years ago. But we now know that the Sahara’s sand is much newer than that.

The Sahara’s sand is actually all that is left of soil that lost its moisture. The Sahara area was much wetter about a million years ago, with rivers, trees, and grass. But when the Ice Age ended about a half- million years ago, the climate in the Sahara grew hotter and drier.

The soil gradually dried out and was eroded by the wind. The large amounts of oil found in parts of the Sahara prove that the area was once inhabited by many plants and animals.

Related Facts

  • How Large Is the Sahara Desert and What Does the Name Sahara Mean In Arabic Language?
  • Where Is the Largest Desert In the World and How Big Is the Sahara Desert In Northern Africa?
  • How did NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey find a river in the Sahara desert?
  • Where Did the Sand In White Sands, New Mexico Come From and Why Is the Sand So White?
  • How Were the Sand Hills In Carolina and Georgia Formed and Where Did the Sand Come From?
  • How Much Sand Is There in the Desert?

Filed Under: Universe

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « Does It Ever Rain in a Desert?
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