How deep is the Sahara?, page 1

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:17 AM

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This might seem a silly question on the face of it (and bad timing because of election day), but I thought given the scientific knowledge often seen on ATS that this might be an easy place to get a quick answer. Hopefully I have chosen the right forum, but our worthy mods can move it if I am wrong

This is research for a story I am writing. If someone can provide answers or point me toward an appropriate site I would greatly appreciate it.

My questions:

How deep is the sand in the sahara.

Generally speaking of course. I realise dunes have peaks and troughs just like regular waves.

Does it vary greatly?

What does the sand sit on? i.e. Solid rock if you go down far enough?

I have seen references (mainly through Sitchin's writing about the wars of the Annunaki I think) that refers to glass under desert? Is there any validity to that? :puz

The glass, not Sitchen's writing)

Thanks in advance for any input.

[edit on 3-11-2004 by whita]

Huria86

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:32 AM

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Glass under the sands of the Sahara? Hmm, I doubt that. I know sand is used to make glass. Can you post a link to where it says glass is under the Sahara?

Also for the answer for you, have you looked up how far above sea level the Sahara is? That might give you some information of it.

ShadowXIX

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:48 AM

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Not really sure but some sand dunes can reach up to 1000ft in height. So at least 1000 ft deep. I found another site that said

" Because of unknown thickness variations over uneven bedrock terrain within such huge trackless wastelands, it is impossible to compute viable estimates of the quantity of sand in the Rub al Khali or the Sahara without additional 'ground truth' in the form of geophysically determined sand thicknesses"

www.abovetopsecret.com...
action=reply&fid=22&tid=93896

Perhaps this site can help

AlnilamOmega

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:54 AM

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Both ancient african lore and aerial photographs have suggested that the region known as the Saharan desert was once either a vast expanse of irrigated plains or a sparse form of wetlands. As to how it eventually turned into a desert... i'll say this; i doubt it was erosion.

as for how deep it is... wow what a question. Pretty cool one, at that. That desert has got to have so many untold treasures under it, for one thing.

[edit on 11/3/2004 by AlnilamOmega]

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:57 AM

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Awesome!

Thanks Huria86. Height above sea level. Good thinking

(doh! why didn't I think of that, lol)

ShadowXIX that link just takes me to posting a reply to my thread? The quote is good though, first mention I have found of thickness so far. Knew the dunes were big (assumed 100's of feet) but didn't know they were that sort of size! That peice of info my be just the bit I was looking for.

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 02:58 AM

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That desert has got to have so many untold treasures under it, for one thing.

[edit on 11/3/2004 by AlnilamOmega]

Shhhh..... you're getting too close to my plot!

Huria86

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 03:15 AM
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Well if its treasure your after, for me helping I demand 20% of it

ShadowXIX

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 11:40 AM
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whita sorry about the wrong link

syninfo.com...

This is the right one

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 05:56 PM
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Thanks ShadowXIX. That is great. It gives me some better search terms for google as well

ShadowXIX

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 06:36 PM
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Cool hope it helped Whita. Its a interesting question If you find out how deep make sure to post about it.

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 07:45 PM
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Here's the first clue. So roughly 600-800 feet deep for the Sahara.

The formation above the Kayenta, called the Navajo, gives Zion its real character. The Navajo formation was once a huge desert, extending from southern Wyoming to southeastern California. The accumulation of sand in the Navajo Desert was most impressive. It was between 2000 and 3000 feet thick, at least 4-5 times the thickness of sand in today�s Sahara Desert.

forsakenwayfarer

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 08:10 PM
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maybe if we launch some super-powerful radar satellites and accidentally point them at the sahara we might detect the remnants of an ancient starship, and learn our true origi.... er. yea.

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 08:27 PM
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Info here about the Algerian part of the Sahara.

www.mem-algeria.org...

On a side note, earlier I mentioned hearing about a layer of glass under the desert.

"In the Euphrates valley of Southern Iraq, exploratory digging was done in 1947. Beneath the many cultural levels covering many centuries even before the time of Sumer was a floor of fused glass. It was similar to nothing else except

the desert floor in New Mexico after the atomic blasts. Intensive heat melted the rock and sand into glass."

from evolution-facts.org...

Have been looking for a while and the earlier estimate of a bit over 600 feet deep seems to be the best guess. That is only for certain reagions as apparently the depth ranges from a few centimetres to less than 50 metres in large areas.

Throw some dunes on top of that and 1000 ft is probably not out of the question in spots. 600 was the average and I have seen a couple of references to areas of desert which are 8000m deep. However that was in relation to sediment rather than sand.

Thanks for the help one and all.

Sport Kensington

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 08:49 PM
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I had heard my father talking about glass in the Sahara. I always thought it came from a meteor that exploded much like the one in Siberia did(that flattened every tree for miles). Considering the one in Siberia was compared to an atomic blast, maybe this could account for the fused sand/glass layer.

Just a thought.

I am not a scientist, but I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night.

whita

posted on Nov, 3 2004 @ 09:46 PM
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I agree - a meteor is a pretty logical explanation for it. Good call. Maybe there is a geologic reason also. Occam's Razor

While not advocating them in any way, here are a couple of alternative views on the origins of it.

Zecharia Sitchin's writing about the Annunaki and the ancient history of our planet suggests that the Annunaki became involved in an inter-faction war that wound up with nuclear weapons being used in the Middle east.

Also along the same lines, ancient Vedic (hope I have that right) writing suggests a desciption of a nuclear attack in ancient India. About the same time that the ancient Indian rulers were flying around in their vimanas.

As I said, just a couple of other explanations I have come across in the past. I am not suggesting either of those as "truth" but they do make compelling reading.

LordGoofus

posted on Nov, 4 2004 @ 03:42 AM
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Can glass be formed without extreme heat? Would it be possible the sheer weigfht or hundreds of tonnes of sand compressed it into glass? Is it possible, the top of the sand cooled, heated up, cooled etc, but as it heated up, it also heated the sand beneath it, which did not cool down so everytime the sand on the surface heated up it just kept making the sand below hotter and hotter untill it fused? Might be a silly question but someone needs to be the village idiot

Aelita

posted on Nov, 4 2004 @ 11:10 AM
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Thanks for the links everybody, but I failed to find a definitive answer...
And I'm pretty curious now!

ShadowXIX

posted on Nov, 4 2004 @ 03:01 PM
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Originally posted by LordGoofus
Can glass be formed without extreme heat? Would it be possible the sheer weigfht or hundreds of tonnes of sand compressed it into glass? Is it possible, the top of the sand cooled, heated up, cooled etc, but as it heated up, it also heated the sand beneath it, which did not cool down so everytime the sand on the surface heated up it just kept making the sand below hotter and hotter untill it fused? Might be a silly question but someone needs to be the village idiot

Im not sure if sand came become glass without heat but the pressure your talking about from tons of weight produces heat itself. Im pretty sure this is why the core of the earth is magma because all the pressure of millions of tons of earth heats it up. Im not sure if there is enough pressure that deep where they found the glass,

Netchicken

posted on Nov, 4 2004 @ 04:12 PM
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I have read that underneath the Sahara are massive lakes of water. - no kidding...

Aelita

posted on Nov, 4 2004 @ 05:09 PM
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Originally posted by Netchicken
I have read that underneath the Sahara are massive lakes of water. - no kidding...

True. I think Libya is mining those now, and there should be enough water for another 20 years.