Do You Know Only a Fourth of the Sahara Desert Is Covered in Sand

Did you know that only about a quarter of the Sahara Desert is covered in sand? That's right, despite its reputation as a vast expanse of endless sand dunes, much of the Sahara is actually comprised of rocky plateaus, gravel plains, and dry salt flats.

Stretching across North Africa, the Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, spanning approximately 9.2 million square kilometres (3.6 million square miles). While iconic images of towering sand dunes might come to mind, they only represent a small portion of this immense desert landscape.

So, what makes up the rest of the Sahara? Well, one significant feature is hamadas, which are large, rocky plateaus that make up about 70% of the desert's total area. These rocky expanses are formed from ancient rock layers that have been exposed over millions of years through erosion and weathering processes.

In addition to hamadas, the Sahara also contains vast gravel plains known as regs. These rocky plains are covered in a layer of pebbles and small stones, often formed from the erosion of surrounding mountains and plateaus. Regs can stretch for hundreds of kilometres and are interspersed with occasional sand dunes and rocky outcrops.

Another distinctive feature of the Sahara is its salt flats, or chotts, which are dry lake beds covered in a crust of salt. These flat, white expanses are formed from the evaporation of ancient lakes and play a crucial role in the desert ecosystem, providing important mineral deposits and habitats for certain plant and animal species.

Despite the harsh conditions, the Sahara supports a surprising amount of life, including a variety of desert-adapted plants and animals. From hardy shrubs and succulents to elusive desert foxes and gazelles, the Sahara is teeming with biodiversity, albeit in specialized forms adapted to survive in this arid environment.

So, always remember, the Sahara Desert is not just a sea of endless sand dunes. Instead, it's a diverse and dynamic landscape shaped by millions of years of geological processes and home to a remarkable array of life.