Black Desert الصحراء السوداء | |
|---|---|
 Volcano-shaped mounds of the Black Desert | |
  Black Desert Location in Egypt | |
| Coordinates:28°09′03″N28°43′43″E / 28.150711°N 28.728561°E /28.150711; 28.728561 | |
| Country | Egypt |
| Dimensions | |
| • Length | 30 km (19 mi) |
| Elevation | 100 m (330 ft) |
TheBlack Desert (Arabic:الصحراء السوداء,aṣ-Ṣaḥrāʾ as-sawdāʾ) is a region of volcano-shaped and widely spaced mounds, distributed along about 30 km (19 mi) in westernEgypt between theWhite Desert in the south and theBahariya Oasis in the north. Most of its mounds are capped bybasalt sills, giving them the characteristic black color.[1]
The mounds of the Black Desert, up to 100 metres (328 feet) high, vary in size, composition, height, and shape as some are dark consisting of ironquartzite while others are more reddish as its surface rocks consist of iron sandstone. On the outskirts of the Black Desert are volcanic hills proving the eruption of dark volcanicdolerite, dating back to theJurassic period 180 million years ago.[2]
Remains of shrubs, and fossilized woodlands have been found in the Black Desert indicating that plants once grew there.[3]
After discovering a large dinosaur skeleton on its borders, the Black Desert has been declared a natural reserve as of 2010.[4]
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