Chapter 02 of 5
Mega-Lake Chad and the Dust Highway
How a prehistoric African lakebed feeds the entire Amazon rainforest from across the sea.
- Ancient Scale
The Ghost of Mega-Chad
7,000 years ago, an inland sea called Lake Mega-Chad covered 150,000 square miles of Africa. It was larger than all the North American Great Lakes combined.
- Climatic Shift
The Green Sahara
During the African Humid Period, the Sahara was a lush landscape of rivers and forests. Mega-Chad was the heart of this thriving ecosystem.
- Current State
A Shrunken Remnant
Today, Lake Chad has vanished by 95% compared to its peak. What remains is a shallow fragment of its former glory.
17 more cards in this chapter
Could you answer this?
What primary nutrient does Saharan dust provide to the Amazon Rainforest?
⏳ The Secret Sahara
- 01The Green Sahara CycleDiscover how Earth's orbital wobble transforms the Sahara into a lush paradise.
- 02Mega-Lake Chad and the Dust HighwayHow a prehistoric African lakebed feeds the entire Amazon rainforest from across the sea.
- 03The Richat Structure (The Eye of the Sahara)Discover the 25-mile-wide geological mystery visible from outer space.
- 04The Nubian Sandstone AquiferDiscover the world's largest fossil water system buried beneath the Libyan desert.
- 05Bir Tawil (The Land unclaimed by Earth)Discover Bir Tawil, the 800-square-mile desert claimed by no nation on Earth.