The Sahara Desert - Essay Example

The Sahara Desert Deserts are regions that rarely receive any precipitation. In a year, these regions receive less than 100 ml of water capacity. Regions that receive little precipitation are such as many Polar Regions. Polar deserts occupy approximately 5 Km2 on earth and they vary from bedrock to gravel plains and to ice sheets (Raina & Nater 376). Sahara desert is among the low-latitude deserts, which are the unbroken deserts that stretch for more than 9300kilimeters all the way from the Atlantic coast of North Africa across the middle East and finally into India (Rainer & Nater 376). Most of such arid regions are because of the pattern of the Earth’s air circulation as well as the topography of the land. Sahara name its derivation emanates from an Arabic term Sahra meaning wilderness and the Arabic speakers use it to describe the barren nature of such a region. Sahara desert occupies 9.1 million square kilometres, which is almost equal to the area of the United States, which is 9.5 M Km2. The desert stretches all the way from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red sea and it is not only the hottest in the world but also the driest. It covers many countries in Africa especially the northern area. The Atlantic Ocean binds the Sahara desert from the west whereas; the Atlas Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea bind it from the North. In the East, the Red sea binds the desert, finally in the south, the Niger River partly binds the desert, and eventually the desert is exposed to semiarid lands known as the Sahel. Part of Sahara is plateau, which is elevated approximately 395-490 m above sea level. Mount Topside, which is as extinct volcano and the tallest mountain among the mountains of the Sahara, rises up to 3,265 m above sea level. The present deserts lay beneath what were seas in the ancient times. Because of this, ancient sands and calcareous deposits now foam sandstone and limestone found in these deserts. Sahara is a hot desert and the temperatures during summer daytimes exceed 90F for 8 months of the year, and often exceeding 100F (Osborne 27). The world record high temperature of 1370 F was evident in El Azizia, Libya; in North Africa’s Sahara Desert on September 13, 1922. The French colonial meteorologists measured this temperature 5 feet above the ground. The temperatures at night however drop by up to 50F. The nights are cold and in winter, they can fall below freezing (Osborne 27). There are three types of land surfaces in Sahara and they include Erg, Rag and Hamada (Keenan 43). Erg composes of dunes that have formed basins and depression from sand carried into them by rivers of ancient times. Erg is located in the modern Sahara and they extend across the Libyan Desert and into Egypt. In such regions, surface temperatures can reach 180F and air heated through contact with these surfaces expand and rises hence producing an area of low pressure near the ground level (Keenan 43). As the heated air rises, denser air rushes to occupy its position hence causing movements, which lead to strong, gusty winds. These winds are as results of temperature differences hence referred as thermal winds. Rag on the other hand refers to ground covered by boulders and gravel. In addition, the Rag region is windswept, fairly levelled and bleak. Wind action characterizes this region causing blowing of small particles from around and between the larger, heavier stones, in a process called deflation. These winds keep the surface clean, whereas those that are finest end up carried over long distances to the extent some are identified (Al-Dousari, Al-Awadhi & Ahmed 3877). Hamada refers to the rocky regions of the desert. There is no sand but only rocks as either large boulders or bedrock. These regions are found in Northern Libya and it is the most inhabitable type of desert surfaces. Very little or no living organism can live on it. As much as the Sahara is a barren wasteland, the desert has a wide variety of animals and plants, which have adapted to the harsh conditions. It is approximately a sixth of the Earth’s populace that known to reside in deserts. The vegetation in the Sahara is not only sparse but they are extremely vulnerable to soil erosion. Water infiltration rates in the desert are good hence; depressions fill with saline water (Sheri 1). Vegetation in the Sahara includes shrubs, herbs, and few deep-rooted tree traces at the oases. People live in areas near the oases and they carry out agricultural practices. Succulent vegetation is not common in this region because precipitation is between minimal and nil. Animal that ate adapted to survive in the Sahara are those like camels because they survive without water for long periods. Foxes are also found in the Sahara as they come from their underground tunnels in the evening to hunt for mice, birds and lizards (Sheri 1). They have adapted well to the desert and rarely needs to drink water. Gerbils also survive in the Sahara and they live underground to escape the heat of the day. They are nocturnal and they show up at night to look for insects, roots, flowers as well as seeds to eat (Sheri 1). To avoid their predators, they stay very still, when they hear them approaching and the camouflage well with the desert, hence the predators cannot identify them easily. If they want to run to safety, they use their powerful jumping legs. The addax antelope was once all over in the Sahara but overhunting by humans reduced its population hence the law protects them. The addaxes are adapted to live in the Sahara since they can survive without water only obtaining moisture from the vegetation they feed on. The large Barbary sheep also can survive in the desert with little food and water. Animals and plants that can survive the heat, lack of water and salt in the Sahara include hyena, antelope, Oryx, jackals, baboon and badger. Such plants include grasses, cypress, olive tree, acacia, and thyme and attic tree (Sheri 1). Arrays of civilizations have developed due to the activities that take place along the ancient seas of the desert as well as around the trading posts of the merchant caravans. Sahara desert acts as an open-air museum that displays the riches of past civilizations such as rock, art, tools, craftwork, weapons as well as tombs (Osborne 27). Tourists are exploring various sites to analyse the civilizations as well as see artefacts and archaeological materials that date back to thousands of years. The fact that the deserts have a wide range of biodiversity makes the regions natural laboratories for observation and analysis. The geology of exposed rocks and soils also makes these regions ideal for studying the formation of earth as well as analysis of fossils and meteorites. The seasonal nature of tourism in the deserts dictates the large temperature variations. If tourism lacks proper planning and regulation, its activities can cause an irreversible disruption on the desert’s fragile ecosystem (Osborne 27). Tourism should however be regarded as a supplementary economic activity that can provide income through various forms of employment. Services that can provide income for the local community include accommodation, transport and agriculture among others. Tourism is also advantageous because it promotes cultural heritage of the desert population since it encourages the conversion of traditional knowledge, cultures as well as skills into desert tourism. In most occasions, desert dwellers often have no choice but to move away to the cities and with time; they lose their cultures and traditions in the process. However, the economic benefits from tourism-related activities allows them to stay in their communities hence become the best ambassadors for their own heritage. Traditions are a source of income through handicrafts and festivals while the environment provides opportunities for imparting knowledge. Developing tourism in the desert can give rise to different types of employment. These include permanent or seasonal jobs associated with the activities of inbound travel agencies or with the reception of tourists. Jobs that are specific to the desert and activate that take place include camel drivers, guides, cooks, and vehicle drivers (Osborne 27). By prioritizing the employment of local people in their planning, tour operators can not only improve local living conditions and gain the support of communities, but can also improve the image they project to customers and, in many cases, the quality of their products This desert region faces many threats due to the environmental pressure caused but over utilization of the little resources, they have. The desert has a population of about 2million people and this is due to the minimal rainfall it receives (Keenan 43). The weather in the desert is and rain may fail to fall in years. The populace in the desert cut trees and plants hence causing adverse climatic changes (Al-Dousari, Al-Awadhi & Ahmed 3877). In addition, the few plants in the Sahara are also facing threats such as overfeeding by animals. The population in Sahara demands firewood and they use firewood 30% faster than they produce (Keenan, 43). Many harmful insects such as the desert Locust pose a danger to peoples’ homes and food. The heat of the Sahara may cause harmful diseases like Malaria and sleeping sickness to its population (Karanasiou, et al. 107). These limitations are part of the factors that make the people living in the Sahara move to other cities or towns. Global warming also poses a threat to the ecology of desert. The higher temperatures caused by wildfires alter the cascades and biodiversity of the desert. This is because higher temperatures may lead to wildfires, which may destroy or alter the desert landscapes. They do this by replacing produce slow-growing trees and shrubs with fast-growing grasses (Karanasiou, et al.107). Work Cited Al-Dousari, A., Al-Awadhi, J., Ahmed, M. Dust fallout characteristics within global dust storm major trajectories. Arabian Journal of Geosciences. 2013. Web. April 13, 2014. Karanasiou, A., et al. "Health Effects From Sahara Dust Episodes In Europe: Literature Review And Research Gaps." Environment International 47.(2012): 107-114. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. Keenan, Jeremy. The Sahara past present and future. London: Routledge, 2013. Print Osborne. Tropical Ecosystems and Ecological Concepts. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Print.27 Raina, Nater, S. Contemporaroy Physical Geography. S.l.: Concept Publ Company, 2012. Print. Sheri, A. “Deserts of the World.” The Sahara Desert of Africa. Exploring Nature Educational Resource. 2009 Read More