Yardangs of the Western Desert

A multidisciplinary group of sixteen scientists visited the southwestern desert of Egypt to verify interpretations of Earth-orbital photographs. The two-week journey started at Kharga Oasis and proceeded south-southwest to Bir Tarfawi, west to the Gilf Kebir plateau, and then to Gebel Uweinat, on the border between Egypt, Libya and Sudan. Members of the expedition discovered sites of prehistoric human settlements ranging in age from approximately 3000 to perhaps 200 000 years ago. The condition of plant remains in the Gilf Kebir area indicated a prolonged period of dryness of up to 20 years. However, a cloud mass observed on a weather satellite image in mid-December 1977 may have provided rainwater for numerous plants in the Uweinat region. The geological findings, including prospects for economic mineral deposits, were valuable. Fluvial and aeolian erosional patterns were studied at Gilf Kebir and also at Uweinat. Many of the desert landforms display similarities to those recently identified on Mars. Correlations of features in the Egyptian desert with those on the Martian surface will help us to a better understanding of surface processes on both Earth and Mars.