Arab Weather - The Sahara Desert is one of the most arid and dry places on Earth, but on September 7 and 8, its colors changed from yellow to green due to heavy rains.
These heavy rains prompted NASA to publish images taken on August 14 and September 10 , showing the impact of the rain on areas of Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya, which are areas that rarely experience rainfall.
#VantageOnFirstpost : NASA's satellite images show the Sahara desert turning green due to an unusual shift in the weather. This is the largest hot desert in the world but it is going green amid climate change after North Africa received a year's worth of rainfall within a few… pic.twitter.com/5GRkdRSnDN
— Firstpost (@firstpost) September 26, 2024
Water is the foundation of life, even in the driest places on earth. In just two days of heavy rain, the Sahara Desert and surrounding areas have been brought back to life, with green vegetation catching the attention of NASA scientists. Satellite images show the landscape transforming from barren to green in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria and Libya. The phenomenon is not new to the region, which was once fertile fields between 5,000 and 11,000 years ago, according to a 2012 study.
NASA noted that the effects of the rains were particularly pronounced in Morocco and Algeria, where lakes that had been dry after more than 200 mm of rainfall filled up, causing floods that killed some residents in Morocco.
Rainfall during the summer is normal in West Africa, but it is unusual for it to reach the far north of the Sahara Desert, a scientist has said.
According to a study published in the journal Nature earlier this year, climate change could cause the rain belt to move northward in the future, potentially affecting dry regions such as the Sahara Desert.
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