New Research Redraws Climate History of the Sahara Using a Vanishing Lake
11:29:33 2025-03-24 502

New research reveals that only the most intense Atlantic-sourced storms are responsible for filling a normally dry lake in the northwestern Sahara, overturning previous assumptions about monsoonal influences.

New research reveals that intense rainfall originating from the Atlantic Ocean is the main driver of modern lake-filling events in the northwestern Sahara. The study shows that only the most severe and long-lasting precipitation events lead to these rare lake formations, challenging previous assumptions about the region’s past climate. The findings suggest that projected increases in rainfall intensity and frequency across the Sahara could significantly impact future water availability in the desert.

The study sheds new light on the meteorological mechanisms behind the filling of a typically dry lake in the northwestern Sahara. By linking present-day hydrological events to past climate patterns, the research offers valuable insights into how future climate change could shape water resources in arid regions.

The Sahara Desert, one of the driest places on Earth, has not always been as arid as it is today. Prehistoric evidence of wetlands in the Sahara points to wetter periods in the past, but scientists have long debated the sources of moisture responsible for these ancient water bodies. The study examines how the currently dry Sebkha El-Melah lake in western Algeria is occasionally filled with water, shedding light on the extreme storm events required to sustain such bodies of water.

Key Findings

  • Between 2000 and 2021, hundreds of powerful rainstorms were recorded in the lake’s drainage basin, yet only six instances led to substantial lake-filling events.
  • These lake-filling events were driven by precipitation systems originating from the Atlantic Ocean, rather than equatorial sources as previously believed.
  • The moisture transport process involves the interaction of extratropical cyclones near the North African Atlantic coast with upper-level atmospheric patterns, creating conditions favorable for heavy precipitation events.
  • A crucial factor in these events is the recycling-domino effect, in which moisture is progressively transported and enhanced over the Sahara before reaching the lake’s drainage basin.
  • The stationarity of weather systems, lasting typically three days, contributes significantly to the occurrence of lake-filling events.

This research challenges conventional theories suggesting that prehistoric lakes in the Sahara were primarily filled by monsoonal rains from the south. Instead, it highlights the role of Atlantic-origin storms, which deliver oceanic moisture into the desert, bypassing the Atlas Mountains. These findings have important implications for understanding past climate conditions and predicting future hydrological changes in desert environments.

The study further suggests that potential future climate shifts—driven by global warming—have the potential to fill Saharan lakes not only due to increased rainfall, but also because of changes in the frequency of extreme rainstorms. This could reshape water availability in the region, with significant consequences for ecosystems and human settlements.

By integrating climate science, meteorology, remote sensing, and hydrology, this research bridges a critical knowledge gap and provides a framework for future studies on Sahara Desert hydrology and climate dynamics.

 

Reality Of Islam

A Mathematical Approach to the Quran

10:52:33   2024-02-16  

mediation

2:36:46   2023-06-04  

what Allah hates the most

5:1:47   2023-06-01  

allahs fort

11:41:7   2023-05-30  

striving for success

2:35:47   2023-06-04  

Imam Ali Describes the Holy Quran

5:0:38   2023-06-01  

livelihood

11:40:13   2023-05-30  

silence about wisdom

3:36:19   2023-05-29  

MOST VIEWS

Importance of Media

9:3:43   2018-11-05

Illuminations

pure nature

7:34:7   2023-02-28

your children

7:32:24   2022-02-14

your character

2:33:4   2023-02-15

loneliness

9:39:36   2022-12-28

true friendship

11:2:27   2022-10-06

remember who supported you

2:2:13   2022-10-08



IMmORTAL Words
LATEST Pay Close Attention to Investigating Causes and Effects Interpretation of Sura Hud - Verses 84-86 Patience Against Optional Tragedies The Secret to Better Sleep Could Be as Simple as Eating More Fruit and Veggies Researchers Transform Carbon Waste into Valuable Building Material Rainforest Deaths Are Surging and Scientists Just Found the Shocking Cause Scientists Pinpoint Key Lifestyle Factor Linked to Cognitive Decline Among Older Adults Scientists Turn E-Waste into Pure Gold Using Pool Cleaner and Sunlight Sharks Follow This Universal Math Rule, Confirming a Century-Old Law of Biology The Pareto Principle Interpretation of Sura Hud - Verses 81-83 Appearance of Righteous Virtues Within