The Qattara Depression (local: Munkhafad al-Qattarah) is a desert basin within the Libyan Desert of north-western Egypt. The Depression, at 133 m below sea level, contains the second lowest point in Africa (See also: Lake Asal). The Depression covers about 7,000 square miles (18,000 km²), and at its maximum is 80 km in length and 120 km in width. The bottom of the depression consists of a salt pan. Desert view in Saudi Arabia. ... Libyan Desert The Libyan Desert is an African desert that is located in the northern and eastern part of the Sahara Desert and occupies southwestern Egypt, eastern Libya and northwestern Sudan. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude this page lists lengths between 100 m and 1 km. ... For considerations of sea level change, in particular rise associated with possible global warming, see sea level rise. ... Lake Asal is a crater lake in central Djibouti. ... To help compare orders of magnitude of different geographical regions, we list here areas between 10,000 km² and 100,000 km². ... In general English usage, length (symbols: l, L) is but one particular instance of distance – an objects length is how long the object is – but in the physical sciences and engineering, the word length is in some contexts used synonymously with distance. Height is vertical distance; width (or breadth... A salt pan is a geological formation found in deserts. ...

Environment

Within the Depression there are saline marshes under the northwestern and northern escarpment edges, and extensive playas that flood occasionally. The major oasis in the depression, Moghra oasis, is uninhabited and has a 4 km² brackish lake, including a Phragmites swamp. Salt marshes also occur and occupy approximately 300 km², although in some areas, wind blown sands are encroaching. About one-quarter (26 percent) of the 19,500 km² area is occupied by playas, which are comprised of hard crust and sticky mud, and which are occasionally filled with water. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with salt pan (geology). ... Oasis in the Libyan part of the Sahara In geography, an oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source. ... Binomial name Phragmites australis (Cav. ... This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. ...

Groves of Acacia raddiana represent the only permanent vegetation, growing in shallow sandy depressions. The Acacia groves varying widely in biodiversity and rely on runoff from the rainfall and groundwater to survive. Species About 1,300; see List of Acacia species Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees of Gondwanian origin belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the Pea Family Fabaceae, first described from Africa by Linnaeus in 1773. ... Rainforests are the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth Biodiversity or biological diversity is the diversity of life. ...

The Depression is an important habitat for the Cheetah, with the largest number of recent sightings being in areas in the northern, western, and northwestern part of the Qattara Depression, including the highly isolated, wild oases of Ein EI Qattara and Ein EI Ghazzalat, and numerous Acacia groves both inside and outside the depression. Binomial name Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1775) The Cheetah (derived from Sanskrit word Chitraka meaning Speckled) (Acinonyx jubatus) is an atypical member of the cat family (Felidae) that hunts by speed rather than by stealth or pack tactics. ...

Gazelles (Gazella dorcas and Gazella leptoceros) also inhabit the Qattara Depression, being an important food source for the Cheetah. The largest gazelle population exists in the southwestern part of the Qattara Depression within a vast area of wetlands and soft sand. The area is 900 km², includes the wild oases of Hatiyat Tabaghbagh and Hatiyat Umm Kitabain, and is a mosaic of lakes, salt marshes, scrub, wild palm groves and Desmostachya bipinnata grassland. Species Several, see text A gazelle is an antelope of the genus Gazella. ... A subtropical wetland in Florida, USA, with an endangered American Crocodile. ... Lake Clearwater, Ontario, Canada A lake is a large body of water, usually fresh water, surrounded by land. ... This article is about marsh, a type of wetland. ... Scrub has a number of meanings: Look up scrub in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Genera Many; see list of Arecaceae genera Arecaceae (also known as Palmae), the Palm Family, is a family of flowering plants belonging to the monocot order, Arecales. ... An Inner Mongolian Grassland. ...

Other common fauna include the Cape Hare (Lepus capensis), Egyptian Jackal (Canis aureus hupstar), Sand Fox (Vulpes rueppelli) and more rarely the Fennec Fox (Vulpes zerda). Binomial name Lepus capensis L., 1758 The Cape, Common or Brown Hare (Lepus capensis) is a hare natively found throughout Africa, and has spread to many parts of the Europe, Middle East and Asia, and was introduced to Australia. ... Binomial name Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758 Golden Jackals (Canis aureus), also called Asiatic or Common Jackals, are small jackals native to northern and central Africa and southern Asia. ... Binomial name Vulpes zerda (Zimmermann, 1780) The Fennec is a small fox found in the desert of Northern Africa (excluding the coast). ...

Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) where once common throughout but now are believed to be extinct, with the last set of sheep horns being discovered in 1927. Other extinct species from the area include the Scitmar-horned Oryx (Oryx dammah), Addax (Addax nasomaculatus) and Bubal Hartebeest (Aclelaphus buselaphus). Binomial name Ammotragus lervia Pall. ... Binomial name Addax nasomaculatus (Blainville, 1816) Addax is a rare desert antelope that lives in the several isolated regions in the Sahara. ...

There are no human settlements in the Qattara Depression. However the Depression is inhabited by the nomadic Bedouin people and their flocks, with the Moghra oasis being important in times of water scarcity and dry seasons. Bedouin resting at Mount Sinai Bedouin, derived from the Arabic , a generic name for a desert-dweller, is a term generally applied to Arab nomadic groups, who are found throughout most of the desert belt extending from the Atlantic coast of the Sahara via the Western Desert, Sinai, and Negev...

World War II

During World War II, this was a notable geographic feature which was considered to be impassable for the majority of military vehicles, notably tanks. Its presence shaped the Battle of El Alamein. The features that made the Depression so impassible includes its salt lakes, extremely high cliffs or enscarpments and Fech Fech. The cliffs in particular abutted the edge of the El Alamein battlefield. Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian dead: 4 million Total dead: 12 million World War II... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sup G There were two battles of El Alamein, both during 1942. ... Fech Fech is a very fine powder caused by the erosion of clay-limestone terrain, pulverulent soil under a thin crust common in deserts. ...

Hydro-electric possibilities

The area is composed of sand dunes and salt lakes in a tear drop shaped formation with the point of the drop facing east and the broad deep area at the south west end. The large size of the Quattra Depression and the fact that it falls to a depth of 132 m below mean sea level has led to several proposals to create a massive hydro-electric project in northern Egypt rivaling the Aswan High Dam. The proposals all call for a large channel or tunnel being excavated from the Quattra due north about 80 km to the Mediterranean Sea. Water would flow from the channel into a series of hydro-electric penstocks which would release the water at 90 m below sea level. Because the Quattra is in a very hot dry region with very little cloud cover the water released at the 90 m level would spread out from the release point across the basin until it evaporates from solar influx. Because the depression is so deep and broad a great deal of water would be let in to maintain the artificial salt sea at the 90 m level and as the water evaporates more sea water would be sent through the penstocks to generate more electricity. This article is about the sand formations, for other meanings see Dune (disambiguation) Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by eolian (wind-related) processes. ... A salt lake or saline lake is a landlocked body of water which has a concentration of salts (mostly sodium chloride) and other minerals significantly higher than most lakes (often defined as at least 3,000 milligrams of salt per liter). ... Hydroelectric dam diagram The waters of Llyn Stwlan, the upper reservoir of the Ffestiniog Pumped-Storage Scheme in north Wales, can just be glimpsed on the right. ... Map of Egypt showing the location of Aswan and Lake Nasser. ... Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ... Penstocks at the Grand Coulee Dams third powerhouse. ...

References and external links

• Annotations. Central University Libaries at Southern Methodist University. Vol. VI, No. 1, Spring 2004.
• Manlius, M., Menardi-Noguera, A. and Andras Zboray, A. (2003). Decline of the Barbary sheep (Ammotragus lervia) in Egypt during the 20th century: literature review and recent observations. J. Zool. (London) 259: 403–409.
• Nora Berrahmouni and Burgess, Neil (2001] Saharan halophytics (PA0905). World Wildlife Fund; online.
• Saleh, M.A., Helmy, I. and Giegengack (2001) The Cheetah, Acinonyx jubatus (Schreber, 1776) in Egypt (Felidae, Acinonychinae). Mammalia 65 (2): 177-194.
• Mediterranean-Qattara Hydro-electric Proposal