History of the Sahara

The Sahara Desert conjures up images of a practically unlivable, hot, dry expanse of land. But a geologist believes that it may not always have been that way- there may have been many interludes in the history of the Sahara where the climate was semi-arid to relatively humid and during those periods of time it was a grassland and there were millions of animals. This radio broadcast explains how the Space Shuttle has been using radar to see through thin blankets of sand that cover geologic features, including ancient river beds, underneath the Sahara Desert. The clip is 2 minutes in length. Educational levels: General public