Now Reading: Ancient Mega-Chad Lake Was 48% Larger Than Great Lakes
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Ancient Mega-Chad Lake Was 48% Larger Than Great Lakes
About 6,000 years ago, the southern Sahara held Lake Mega-Chad, which covered around 361,000 square kilometres, according to research reported by The Times of India. That was 48 per cent more than…
The Story in Brief
About 6,000 years ago, the southern Sahara held Lake Mega-Chad, which covered around 361,000 square kilometres, according to research reported by The Times of India. That was 48 per cent more than the combined area of North America’s five Great Lakes. Scientists reconstructed the lake from ancient shorelines, sediments and dune deposits, using optically stimulated luminescence dating.
The lake expanded during the African Humid Period, when stronger summer monsoons brought rain deep into North Africa. It reached its highstand around 11,500 years ago and remained large until about 5,000 years ago, when levels fell rapidly. The Bodélé Depression dried fully around 1,000 years ago. Modern Lake Chad’s contraction has separate, more recent causes, including rainfall variation, drought and irrigation.
The Indian Opinion
Claims that the Sahara was once simply a green paradise, or that today’s Lake Chad decline is a direct continuation of the ancient drying, both oversimplify the evidence. Mega-Chad responded to long-term changes in monsoon patterns, while modern water stress also reflects human use. The useful comparison is not a dramatic headline but reliable measurements of rainfall, lake area and irrigation demand across the basin.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
