Sahara is one of the greatest deserts in the world. It extends across almost all of North Africa, occupying as many as nine million square kilometers. In fact, the Sahara desert covers almost a third of the entire Black Continent. Almost nowhere else are there such high temperatures: in summer, the thermometer scale rises to 57 degrees Celsius. But it was not always so. It's hard to believe, but the Sahara was not a hot desert 5,000 years ago. This is just a moment by geological standards.
What the Sahara look like 5,000 years ago
5000 years ago, one of the driest and most deserted places in the world was full of life. The Western Sahara Desert, exist today, could be included in the list of 12 largest water reservoirs.
French researchers have identified ancient river channels: they believe that the desert supported the existence of a huge number of living organisms.
People cannot understand the speed with which the climate is changing. In just a couple of thousand years, the Sahara has transformed from an oasis into a hot wasteland. It can happen anywhere. - Russell Win, exobiologist.
The first computer simulation of the Sahara took place in 2013. Then scientists could not believe their calculations: according to the data obtained, constant monsoon rains supported the existence of a huge ecosystem, where there was a place for both humans and fish.
Some researchers believe that the changing climate was the main reason for the migration of people from Central Africa.
French researchers even managed to find an ancient river system, fueled by a large amount of rainfall. Scientists believe that the entire territory of the Sahara was crossed by the Tamanrasett River, which flows into the Atlantic Ocean in the Mauritania region.
Tamanrasett could well be included in the list of the longest rivers of the world, having supplanted even the Amazon.
This information was a surprise to the entire scientific world. Just two years ago, scientists were convinced that monsoon rains did not provide enough rainfall to feed such a huge river.
Data was obtained using the Japanese satellite ALOS. Based on new information, scientists were able to conclude about a rich plant and animal life that flourished in the territory of the now arid desert.
But everything can return to square one. Scientists have found that over the past 200,000 years, this area has changed nine times, that is, after several millennia, the Sahara can again become a huge oasis.
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