TheMourdi Depression is a prominent desertdepression of northeasternChad. It lies adjacent to theEnnedi Plateau.^[1] The cleft lies "between the Erdi plateau and the eastern slopes of Ennedi, and the mouth of the Wadi Guroguro."^[2] The depression is characterized by a rocky valley, about 30 miles (48 km) wide from north to south, sloping from an altitude of about 1,800 feet (550 m) down towards the west toDjourab.^[3]

The Mourdi Depression lies along a trading route fromAbéché toKurfa. The route passesTiné, then veers north toBao, before passing through the Mourdi Depression andErdi Ma.^[4] The Mourdi Depression is also along a fisherman's route for reaching the northeast ofLake Chad by traveling through the Erdi Plateau and Ennedi gap via the depression.^[5] The Wadi N'kaola in situated within the Mourdi Depression,^[6] and the nearest major town isFada to the southwest. Smallbarchans (crescent-shaped dunes) are noted here.^[7]

The main settlements of the depression are Diona, a small town along the edge of a river, and Tébi, both of which have mobile towers.^[8]

The depression is cited as one of the most important Saharan grazing grounds.^[9] There are numerous rock paintings in the area.^[9] The depression was explored byR. A. Bagnold, a pioneer in desert explorations in 1932. During this first motorized expedition in 1932, he found implements on the northern scarp, dated to theLower Palaeolithic andMiddle Palaeolithic period in the valley.^[7][10] In thepiste, next to the depression and in the northern rock formations of Ennedi, are rock arches; the Guela d'Archei and its colony ofdwarf crocodiles are of particular note.^[11]Addax, acritically endangered species, is found in small numbers in this depression.^[12]

• 
  Landscape of the depression
• 
  Aerial of Tagoulicha Ridge on the northern edge of the depression

Bibliography

• Akademie der Wissenschaften der DDR; Zentralinstitut für Alte Geschichte und Archäologie (1977).The Archaeological Map of the Sudan. Akademie-Verlag.
• Bartlett, Humphrey Edward Gibson (1942).French Equatorial Africa & Cameroons. Naval Intelligence Division.
• Bollig, Michael; Schnegg, Michael; Wotzka, Hans-Peter (15 July 2013).Pastoralism In Africa: Past, Present and Future. Berghahn Books.ISBN 978-0-85745-909-1.
• East, Rod (1999).African Antelope Database 1998. IUCN.ISBN 978-2-8317-0477-7.
• Heseltine, Nigel (1960).From Libyan sands to Chad. Museum Press.
• Kelly, Saul (2009).The Lost Oasis: The True Story Behind ""The English Patient"". Basic Books.ISBN 978-0-7867-4724-5.
• Lévêque, C. (13 May 1997).Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation: The Freshwater Fish of Tropical Africa. Cambridge University Press.ISBN 978-0-521-57033-6.
• Pritchard-Jones, Siân; Gibbons, Bob (2009).Africa Overland: 4x4, Motorbike, Bicycle, Truck. Bradt Travel Guides.ISBN 978-1-84162-283-5.
• Shao, Yaping (13 October 2008).Physics and Modelling of Wind Erosion. Springer.ISBN 978-1-4020-8895-7.

18°2′24″N21°4′47″E / 18.04000°N 21.07972°E /18.04000; 21.07972

• Geography of Chad
• Depressions (geology)

• Pages using gadget WikiMiniAtlas
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Coordinates on Wikidata