Uncertain Future Much of the Sahara is hostile to living things. Yet about four million people live in this dry landscape. Some live a nomadic life, moving to wherever they can fi nd food and water. Others live in established places where food and water are plentiful. What does the future hold for the Sahara?


No one knows. One thing is certain, though. T is desert isn’t fi nished with change. For many years, it has grown every day. T e Sahara expanded by more than 9.3 square kilometers in the last 60 years. Yet scientists are now seeing signs that some


small parts of the Sahara are becoming greener due to increasing rainfall. One region called the Sahel has experienced the most change. T e Sahel is a semi-desert zone bordering the Sahara to the south. In recent years, it has become greener. Increases in vegetation have also been


observed in central Chad and western Sudan. If sustained, these rains could bring drought- ravaged regions back to life and once again, bring change to the Sahara.


The Ubari oasis in Libya is located in one of the sunniest and driest areas in the world.


WORDWISE climate: the usual weather that occurs


in a place, including average temperature and amounts of wind and rain


desert: a place that gets less than 25 centimeters of rain or snow a year


desertification: the change from grassland to desert


erosion: the process in which rock and sediment is moved from one place to another


landform: a natural feature of Earth’s surface


oasis: a green, fertile area surrounded by a desert


weathering: the process in which rocks are broken into smaller pieces


23


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24