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NO, becauseThe sand is primarily derived from weathering of Cretaceous sandstones in North Africa. When these sandstones were deposited in the Cretaceous, the area where they are now was a shallow sea. The original source of the sand was the large mountain ranges that still exist in the central part of the Sahara. These mountains are volcanic and intrusive, and the granite rock weathers out to leave behind quartz sand grains that are carried by rivers to the sea. These sand deposits eventually formed into sandstone, and as they were uplifted began to weather and break down into sand again.



Only about 10% of the Sahara is actually covered by sand, and parts of the Sahara are in fact covered by soil. More than half of the area comprises soils known as yermosols, with shallow profiles over gravel or pebble beds. These soils have been developing over the past 50 million years.

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Q: Was the Sahara Desert once under water?
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Related questions

Why are trees evidence that there was once water in a Sahara?

Because plants won't grow without water - if plants once grew in the Sahara then there must have been water there.


Was the Sahara once fertile?

Every one know that the Sahara desert is the world's largest hot desert - a vast ocean of sand where the heat is so terriable that men and animals die of thirst. But it was once beautiful, green and fertile place. Scientist belive that around 10,000 B.C., the Earth's orbit wobbled slightly, causing a shift in weather patterns. The monsoons which drench Southern Africa to day shift up, pouring water into the Sahara, where it forrmed bodies of water. plant life flourished and plants were followed by animals and humans, who established lively civilizations. When weather pattern shifted again, the Sahara turned to being a desert once more.


What is the average precipitation in the Sahara desert?

vary little, about once a year rain comes -scientist


Is there water availability in the Sahara Desert?

The rain in the Sahara is less than 10 inches a year. People cannot survive without water. There are few lakes. Most of these anyway are saltwater lakes. People cannot drink from them. Lake Chad is the only freshwater lake in the desert. Rivers once ran through the Sahara. We know this because dried up riverbeds, called wadis, still exist. When it does rain in the desert, these wadis fill up with water and become active rivers for a short time.


What adaptations does a Sahara Desert bear have?

There is no such animal as a Sahara bear. In fact, the only bear that once lived in Africa, the Atlas bear, is thought to be extinct.


What do tree remains suggest about the past climate of the Sahara?

Water once flowed in the Sahara. Hopeed i helped.


The Sahara desert was once fertile land why is it a desert today?

Climate change (mainly) and progressive "desertification" through poor farming practices and over grazing


What was Western Sahara once known as?

The Western Sahara was once known as the Spanish Sahara.


Does The desert have sea shells in it?

If the desert was once under a prehistoric ocean than yes.


Was the Sahara desert once a sea?

It looked a lot different 10 000 years ago,during the ice age.There were lakes and streams and enough rain fell to support forests and grasslands.Herds of giraffes and elephants roamed.It was rich and fertile land.Then,about 4 000 years ago, the climate changed.The weather became drier and slowly the land turned into the Sahara Desert.


Is a desert the hottest biome on Earth?

The desert is, at once, the hottest and coldest biome on earth. Antarctica can plunge to more than 100 F. degrees below zero and parts of the Sahara and Mojave can exceed 130 degrees F. above zero.


How do scientists know that some places that had once been under water are now deserts'?

Fossils of fish and other aquatic species have been found where the desert now is.