VIDEO

VIDEO

Water in the Namib Desert

Water in the Namib Desert

Where does water in the Namibian desert come from? Namibia's geography and the water cycle play key roles in how water reaches this dry place.

Grades

5 - 12+

Subjects

Geography

Partner
Nat Geo WILD
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Transcript (English)

- [Narrator] Moisture trapped beneath the sand is not the only source of water here. The same trade winds that create the dunes, also nourish the plants. The weather along Namibia's Coast is notoriously brutal. The shoreline is littered with wrecks. Those who survived the sea mostly died of thirst or exposure. The few who lived to tell the tale, gave this shore its name, the Skeleton Coast. But these same currents that threaten ships also water the desert. Cold sea water is heated by the warm desert shore. Moisture rises into the air. From time to time, the trade winds blow this humid air in land. Banks of mist drift across the desert. In the Sand River, in the cool of the morning, water condenses on the leaves. For one ephemeral hour, it's almost as though it had rained.

Transcripción (Español)

- [Narrador] La humedad atrapada bajo la arena no es la única fuente de agua aquí. Los mismos vientos alisios que crean las dunas, también nutren las plantas. El clima a lo largo de la costa de Namibia es notoriamente brutal. La costa está sembrada de naufragios. Los que sobrevivieron al mar, en su mayoría murieron de sed o exposición. Los pocos que vivieron para contarla, llamaron a esta costa, Costa de los Esqueletos. Pero estas mismas corrientes que amenazan a los barcos también riegan el desierto. El agua fría del mar se calienta al bañar la cálida costa del desierto. La humedad se eleva en el aire. De vez en cuando, los vientos alisios soplan este aire húmedo hacia el interior. Los bancos de niebla se desplazan por el desierto. A lo largo del "río de arena", en la frescura de la mañana, el agua se condensa en las hojas. Por una hora efímera, es casi como si hubiera llovido.

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Last Updated

December 11, 2024

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