Is the Sahara Desert Receding?
According to recent satellite photos of the Sahara, areas of the desert are in retreat. It is common belief that climate change will increase the area that are deserts. However the new Sahara satellite images are calling into question whether that assertion is really true.
At present, it is impossible to tell whether the receding parts of the Sahara are a short-term change – the changes could be down to rainfall – or whether it is part of a long-term shrinkage.
In an interview with the BBC, the Centre for Remote Sensing at Boston University explained the desert itself is not greening. However the desert does expand and shrink according the amount of energy it receives from the Sun. As the Earth heats up more evaporation will take place and this in turn will increase rainfall.
For the last few years, there has been a higher than average rainfall with greater variability in the amount of rain that has been falling than there was in the past however this may not be a long-term trend.
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