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Morocco - Tafilalt Oasis - On July 2019 a wildfire spread over 3km across the palm grove burning more than 10,000 trees of which 2500 were palm trees. Summer wildfires are due to a combination of extreme temperatures and lying dead trees. which can easily catch fire in the summer months.

Environment

Images reveal how climate change is upending life in Morocco's oases

The climate crisis is shriveling lush oases in the desert, threatening precious ecosystems and ways of life

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Umm al-Ma Lake - Idyllic oasis in the Awbari Sand Sea, Sahara Desert, Libya; Shutterstock ID 72697231; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Environment

The surprising life and avoidable demise of Earth’s remarkable oases

Features

Life

Desert plant collects water from air by excreting salt on its leaves

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Earth

Why is China drilling a hole more than 10,000 metres deep?

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Image taken: 2nd March 2023 SNOW WAY! The surreal site of snow-draped cacti in Arizona???s Sonoran Desert was captured in breath-taking detail by Jack Dykinga last week. The scenes, which meteorologists have described as ???once in a generation??? demonstrate a rare convergence of nature???s extremes. The Sonoran desert is typically known for its arid sub-tropical climate. Even in winter, days are sunny and mild. But this month the area saw 2-4 inches of snow that lasted about 4 hours. Dykinga, who has been photographing the Sonorn Desert since 1976, says the last big snow was a full decade ago. He described this year???s otherworldly scenes as ???pure magic, seemingly out of place and strikingly beautiful.??? Before the snow arrived, the Desert looked completely different, boasting an explosion of flowers and clear blue skies. The reason for the uncharacteristic snowfall is not fully understood. The current La Ni??a event (a cyclic weather pattern that influences global weather) is partly responsible, coupled with a persistent blocking pattern over the Pacific Ocean and cold air migrating south from the Arctic. Climate change also means extreme weather events are becoming more likely.

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Rare photograph of snow in the usually baking hot Sonoran desert

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fog oasis

Life

First full survey of Peru and Chile’s threatened fog island ecosystems

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People planting trees

Environment

A wall of trees is being built across Africa to hold back the desert

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soldier Saharan silver ant

Life

Desert ant runs so fast it covers 100 times its body length per second

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Prairie falcons (Falco mexicanus) may struggle to get enough water due to climate change

Life

Desert birds are struggling to get enough water to stay cool

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Dubai painting

Humans

Disappearing buildings in the desert aren't all they seem

Nine years ago, photographer Irenaeus Herok stumbled upon what looked like an abandoned movie set in Dubai. When he returned years later, it had all gone

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Earth

Green thinking in the era of Trump

Culture

Life

Desert people evolve to drink water poisoned with deadly arsenic

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Earth

Mysterious fairy circles in Namibian desert explained at last

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Life

Elusive Arabian sand cat spotted after 10 years' disappearance

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