All articles tagged with #sahara desert
In northern Niger, a truck carrying people home from a religious festival in Mali broke down in the Sahara near Assamaka, leaving 49 dead from thirst after days without water; two survivors walked over 50 km to reach a water source and alert authorities, and the deceased were buried in mass graves at the scene as investigators assess the breakdown's cause.
Paleontologists describe Spinosaurus mirabilis, a roughly 40-foot carnivorous dinosaur from Niger’s Sahara dating to about 95 million years ago, with a distinctive 20-inch skull crest and a jaw setup optimized for catching fish. Found at the Jenguebi site, about 300–600 miles from the nearest ancient shoreline, the fossils suggest a shallow-water, ambush-hunting lifestyle rather than a fully aquatic marine predator, challenging long-held views of Spinosaurus and implying the genus included both inland waders and possible aquatic specialists. This discovery marks the second species in the Spinosaurus genus and underscores a more versatile, environment-spanning lifestyle for these dinosaurs.
Scientists led by Paul Sereno describe Spinosaurus mirabilis, a new inland Sahara spinosaurid from Niger dating to about 95 million years ago. It has a distinctive scimitar-shaped crest and likely hunted fish in shallow water far from the sea, challenging the idea that spinosaurids were coastal. The crest may have been for display; the team used CT scans and 3D models to reconstruct the skull. The discovery suggests an inland habitat and a new evolutionary phase for the group, with fossils set to be displayed in Niamey and the find published in Science.
A three-day off-road trek to a remote Niger desert site yielded fossils of Spinosaurus mirabilis—one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs—dating to about 95 million years ago, uncovered across multiple localities that researchers dub a fossil-rich "Spinosaur archipelago."
An astronaut photograph from 2023 captures a trio of ancient black mesas in the Sahara, surrounded by unique sand dunes formed by wind patterns, remnants of a Paleozoic-era geological system possibly similar to the 'Eye of the Sahara'.
The 'Eye of the Sahara,' or Richat Structure, is a 50-kilometer-wide geological formation in Mauritania, visible from space and formed by ancient geological uplift and erosion. Recent satellite imagery from ESA reveals its layered sedimentary rocks, signs of erosion, and some desert life, providing valuable insights into Earth's geological history and ecosystem, showcasing ESA's role in Earth observation.
An astronaut photo from the ISS captures the skull-like appearance of the Trou au Natron caldera in Chad's Sahara, shaped by volcanic activity and natural mineral deposits, revealing a striking geological formation from space.
A satellite image captures the striking contrast between a field of 'star dunes' in Algeria and rocky terrain in Libya within the Sahara Desert, highlighting geological and ecological interactions shaped over millions of years, with the border between the two countries running through the scene.
NASA scientists using space imagery discovered a white salt deposit on a volcanic peak in the Sahara, revealing evidence of an ancient lake and the region's past green, water-rich climate, highlighting the Sahara's dramatic environmental changes over millennia.
Scientists have found two meteorites in the Sahara that may originate from Mercury, potentially providing the first physical samples from the planet, though their exact origin remains uncertain due to age discrepancies and compositional differences. These findings could significantly enhance understanding of Mercury and the early solar system, especially with upcoming missions like BepiColombo.
The Aorounga structure in the Sahara Desert, Chad, is an 8-mile-wide impact crater formed by a "city-killer" asteroid around 345 million years ago. Captured in a 2013 photo by an astronaut aboard the ISS, the crater's eye-like appearance is due to its two rings, with migrating sand dunes surrounding it. These dunes, known as barchan dunes, move significantly over time, as tracked by satellite images. The crater may be part of a "crater chain," with smaller craters nearby suggesting fragments of the original meteor impacted the area.
Researchers have used radar and other technologies to study a large star dune in eastern Morocco, uncovering details about its formation and development. The study, led by British researchers, used radar to examine the dune's structure and luminescence dating to estimate its age. The star dune is estimated to be about 13,000 years old and is moving at a rate of about 50 centimeters a year. Star dunes make up just 10 percent of all dunes in Earth's deserts and have also been observed on Mars and Saturn's moon Titan.
A new study published in Scientific Reports reveals that the enormous star dune in Morocco's Erg Chebbi dune field formed in less than 1,000 years, defying expectations of its age. Using ground-penetrating radar and sand samples, researchers found that the dune is only 900 years old, with a history shaped by climate shifts in the Sahara. This discovery challenges the difficulty of identifying ancient star dunes and sheds light on the dynamic nature of desert landscapes.
Scientists studying a star dune in the Sahara Desert have uncovered surprising insights into its age, growth, and movement. Using radar scans and sand grain analysis, they found that the dune's base formed around 13,000 years ago, with most of its growth occurring over the past 1,000 years. The research also addressed the mystery of the scarcity of ancient evidence of star dunes, suggesting that eroded parts of their preserved structures may have been previously identified as remnants of other dune types.
Scientists have conducted the first comprehensive study of a star dune, revealing the internal structure and formation process of these pyramid-shaped sand formations. The study focused on the Lala Lallia star dune in eastern Morocco, showing that it took about 900 years for the dune to form, accumulating roughly 6,400 metric tons of sand annually. Star dunes, which make up just under 10% of Earth's desert dunes, are the tallest and are formed in areas with complex wind regimes. The researchers' findings provide insight into identifying ancient star dunes in the geological record and highlight the awe-inspiring landscapes they create.