Deserts and their surprising secrets
Chapter 1
The green Sahara
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Chapter 2
The mystery of singing dunes
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Chapter 3
Master class in desert survival
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Chapter 4
Hidden waters and ancient engineering
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YOUR GOAL
Master of Deserts and their surprising secrets
Ch 4 · Hidden waters and ancient engineering
Fun Fact
Sahara fossil water age: Much of the water pumped from deep beneath the Sahara Desert fell as rain over 20,000 years ago during the ice age.
Glossary
foggara (noun)
An underground irrigation channel that transports water from an aquifer to the surface in arid regions. The ancient Garamantes built hundreds of these channels to irrigate the Saharan desert around 500 BCE.
An underground irrigation channel that transports water from an aquifer to the surface in arid regions. The ancient Garamantes built hundreds of these channels to irrigate the Saharan desert around 500 BCE.
Quiz
What is a 'qanat,' an ancient desert water management system invented in Persia?
Quiz
Which ancient Nabataean city in Jordan is famous for its sophisticated water-channeling systems carved into sandstone cliffs?
Quiz
Which country built the 'Great Man-Made River,' a massive network of pipes carrying fossil water across the desert?
Quiz
What natural source feeds the famous Huacachina oasis lagoon in the coastal desert of Peru?
Quiz
What is 'fossil water,' which is often extracted from deep beneath modern deserts?
Quiz
Where is the Nubian Sandstone Aquifer System, the world's largest fossil water reservoir, located?