German scientists from the Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel have conducted research aimed at understanding the history of major environmental changes in North Africa.
According to the Russian website "Mir 24," the researchers have focused on the environmental transformations over the past 160,000 years, which have altered the Sahara Desert from a once green oasis. The researchers organized an exploratory trip to the Gulf of Sirte, believing that rivers that existed when the Sahara was green transported particles to the area. Their study relied on the analysis of ancient Mediterranean sediments and electronic models.
The scientists analyzed materials retrieved from the seabed, including sediments and remnants of plant life transported from the African continent, as well as shells of marine microorganisms. This allowed them to reconstruct the climatic disasters in the region. The researchers noted that prior studies had shown that several rivers periodically flowed through the area, which has paradoxically become the driest region on Earth.
New data from this study revealed that the climate of North Africa was influenced by natural fluctuations occurring on the planet, with these changes—particularly the growth and melting of polar ice caps—affecting climate cycles. The climate of North Africa experienced shifts between wet periods and severe droughts. The new data also indicated that periods of growth and climate change in the region lasted for five thousand years, during which high moisture areas extended almost to the Mediterranean Sea, significantly impacting the lives of ancient tribes in the region, likely leading to mass migrations.
Scientists believe that climate change continues to affect North Africa, with the possibility of more severe droughts in the future. It is noteworthy that the researchers considered the ancient desert as one of the most dangerous places in Earth's history, highlighting that an unprecedented number of large predators lived there.
