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THE TRUTH ABOUT: Sahara | History Defined

In 4000 BCE, a lake Mega Chad larger than all five Great Lakes covered roughly 360,000 sq km of what is now the Sahara. 6,000 years later, only a tiny fraction, well under 1%, of that ancient lake remains

Thousands of years ago, a vast lake covered an enormous area of what is now the southern Sahara. Known as Palaeolake Mega-Chad, the ancient lake may have reached roughly 360,000 square kilometres, with some estimates exceeding 400,000 square kilometres. Its existence was made possible by the wetter conditions of North…

The Economic Times

A dried lakebed in Africa's Chad sends 27.7 million tonnes of dust across 5,000 km of Atlantic Ocean each year, carrying phosphorus that helps sustain the Amazon rainforest

The Amazon rainforest has a surprising lifeline. Each year, about 27.7 million tonnes of Sahara dust travel nearly 5,000 kilometres from Chad’s Bodélé Depression across the Atlantic Ocean. The dust carries around 22,000 tonnes of phosphorus, a vital plant nutrient. Amazon soil loses phosphorus through heavy rainfall and flooding. African…

The Economic Times

The Sahara once held a lake 48% larger than all five Great Lakes combined, but Mega-Chad vanished about 5,000 years ago

Roughly 6,000 years ago, the middle of what is now the southern Sahara held a lake larger than all five North American Great Lakes combined, spread across about 361,000 square kilometres of open water. Today, only Lake Chad remains as the surviving surface-water remnant of that much larger system, shared…

The Times of India

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French planners once believed turning part of the Sahara into a sea could make the desert fertile

Engineers once planned to flood Sahara Desert basins with seawater. François Roudaire and Donald Mackenzie proposed creating large inland seas. These ambitious projects aimed to alter climates and boost productivity. However, surveys revealed engineering challenges and uncertain environmental benefits. The plans were abandoned, but the concept inspired later mega-engineering ideas.

The Times of India

The Sahara Desert was once filled with rivers, giant lakes and hippos. Scientists explain why it turns green every 20,000 years

For most people, the Sahara is the ultimate symbol of endless sand, scorching heat and one of the harshest environments on Earth. Yet geology tells a remarkably different story. Beneath the dunes lie the remnants of ancient rivers, vast lakes and ecosystems that once supported hippos, crocodiles and thriving human…

The Times of India

Thousands of African winter skiing tourists are flocking to snowy Lesotho

Lesotho's Afriski Mountain Resort attracts thousands of winter visitors annually. This unique sub-Saharan ski destination offers slopes for all skill levels. Artificial snow machines ensure operations throughout the Southern Hemisphere's winter season. Tourism contributes significantly to Lesotho's economy and provides employment opportunities. Visitors experience local culture and enjoy unique souvenirs…

The Economic Times

The African ski destination that you’ve probably never heard of

Thousands of people flock to sub-Saharan Africa’s only ski resort every year

The Independent UK

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Quote of the day by Nico Williams: "I run very fast, but I can't run as fast as my mother. Because she once escaped death and…" - an emotional tribute to his mother, the extraordinary journey behind his success and the sacrifices that shaped a football star

Spanish footballer Nico Williams honored his mother after Euro 2024 victory. He gave his medal to her, recognizing her difficult journey. His mother escaped death and crossed the Sahara Desert from Ghana to Spain. This arduous migration paved the way for his and his brother's careers. Williams highlighted his mother's…

The Times of India

Every year, about 27.7 million tons of Saharan dust cross the Atlantic Ocean and settle on the Amazon rainforest, delivering phosphorus close to the amount the rainforest loses to runoff, meaning the world’s largest rainforest is partly fertilised by dust from the planet’s largest hot desert thousands of miles away

Mineral-rich dust travels from the Sahara Desert to the Amazon rainforest. This airborne dust delivers vital phosphorus nutrients annually to the forest. The Sahara dust compensates for nutrients lost through rainfall and river runoff. This natural nutrient exchange has sustained the Amazon for thousands of years. The desert and rainforest…

The Times of India

The world's loneliest tree had no other tree within 400 km across the Sahara Desert and roots over 30 metres deep to reach hidden groundwater, then one drunk truck driver knocked it down after 300 years of survival

Deep in Niger's Ténéré Desert once stood what was widely regarded as the world's loneliest tree, an umbrella thorn acacia that survived for around 300 years despite having no other tree within roughly 400 kilometres. Hidden beneath the scorching Sahara, its roots stretched more than 30 metres underground to reach…

The Times of India

In 1994, Italian ultramarathon runner Mauro Prosperi disappeared during the 155-mile Marathon des Sables after a massive Sahara sandstorm blew him off course; he survived nine days alone by eating bats and drinking his own urine before stumbling into Algeria

An Italian ultramarathon runner, Mauro Prosperi, vanished during the 1994 Marathon des Sables after a fierce sandstorm disoriented him. Stranded for nine days in the Moroccan desert, he survived by consuming bats and drinking his own urine. His incredible ordeal, battling dehydration and isolation, eventually led him to stumble into…

The Times of India

For thousands of years, this giant tortoise has been digging burrows across the Sahara, and scientists now think those tunnels may play a bigger ecological role than anyone realised

Across the harsh, sun-scorched edges of the Sahara and the Sahel, one of Africa's largest reptiles has been quietly doing something that scientists are only now beginning to properly study, digging burrows so extensive that they may be reshaping the very soil around it. The African spurred tortoise, known scientifically…

The Times of India

Readers reply: Are there places on Earth where humans haven’t been?

The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions takes a deep dive into the unknown and untrodden …

The Guardian - UK

Shadowy tendrils of ancient lava have scarred a dark volcano next to a 'skull' in the Sahara — Earth from space

A 2019 astronaut photo shows off ancient lava flows that once oozed down the jet-black slopes of the Toussidé volcano in northwestern Chad. An intriguing volcanic "skull" also lurks in the aerial image.

LiveScience

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The Independent UK

Massive Saharan dust cloud to sweep across US in days and bring polluted air

Sand and dirt brought over from Africa will create dry, hot conditions and reduce chance of hurricanes

France 24

Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline: an African dream that could reshape world energy markets

After two decades of delays, the colossal trans-Saharan gas megaproject to export Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria is back in the spotlight with this month's announcement that construction of the Algerian section had rebegun. The pipeline, once completed, could fundamentally reshape Europe's energy map.

The Guardian - UK

Weatherwatch: Saharan dust drops microorganisms into European soil

Scientists are examining how ‘blood rain’ affects soil microbiome, with Portuguese vineyards a particular focus

The Guardian - UK

Weather tracker: Saharan heat to send temperatures soaring across Europe

Heatwave conditions build over much of continent, while mild start to winter continues in parts of Australia

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The Economic Times

DNA from 7000-year-old African Mummy reveals previously unknown human lineage in Sahara desert 50,000 years ago

Sahara Mummy DNA: DNA extracted from two 7,000-year-old naturally preserved individuals found in Libya's Takarkori rock shelter has revealed evidence of a previously unidentified human lineage. Genetic analysis suggests this population split from other African groups around 50,000 years ago and remained remarkably isolated for millennia.

Euronews

Truck breakdown in Niger strands passengers and leaves 49 dead in Sahara Desert

The 49 victims were buried in mass graves at the scene in what officials called a “particularly delicate and emotionally exhausting task” for the survivors.

France 24

Nearly 50 die of thirst in Niger after truck breaks down in remote Sahara desert

Forty-nine people died of thirst in Niger when a truck broke down in a remote part of the Sahara desert, leaving its passengers stranded without water. Two survivors managed to walk 50 kilometres through the desert to a water source and then to the town of Assamaka, where they alerted…

Digital Camera World

Want to shoot stunning shots like this? Here's how to photograph stunning sandscapes on your travels

Travel photography tips when exploring the Sahara desert

France 24

Hotter than July: Can electrification save humanity from soaring heat?

Europe's in meltdown, and it's not even June yet. We're seeing a not-so merry month of May as record highs explode under a heat dome that’s drifted north from the Sahara. After the frying pan of an energy crisis, the fire of a heatwave is forcing a reset by the…

The Times of India

Lost beneath Sudan’s sands: Scientists discover 6,000-year-old massive monuments from a forgotten civilisation

A satellite survey in Sudan’s Atbai Desert has uncovered 280 large stone burial monuments. These findings unveil the social complexity of a long-lost society of cattle herders. The study, published in the African Archaeological Review, explores these structures known as ‘Atbai Enclosure Burials’ (AEBs). Dating back to the Middle and…

The Conversation

We found hundreds of huge ancient mass graves hidden in the Sahara desert

We have been on a years-long campaign of satellite remote sensing of the vast desert landscapes in Eastern Sudan.

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