List of Top 6 Deserts That Were Once Oceans

Over the course of millions of years, the Earth's landscapes have experienced significant change. Many of the hottest, driest areas in the world today were "once filled with" large oceans and seas. Through powerful geological events, continental drift, and climate change, these regions dried out and transformed into the deserts we know today. Studying these areas can give researchers insight into Earth's climate history and the movement of tectonic plates. From the sandy dunes of the Sahara to the red rock landscape of the American Southwest, these deserts may be filled with fossils of marine life and salt beds that tell of the oceans that existed in the past. Here are some of the top deserts that were once oceans the living evidence that time can turn oceans to sand.

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List of Top 6 Deserts That Were Once Oceans

Here are the top 6 deserts that were once oceans along with their country name, old ocean name and approximate time of their existence. This list has been curated based on a report by the U.S. Geological Survey:

1. Sahara Desert (Africa)  

Once a giant seabed, the Sahara existed underneath the Tethys Sea nearly 100 million years ago. Along with many other ancient sites, Egypt’s Western Desert and the UNESCO World Heritage site Wadi Al Hitan, have fossils of marine life, including ancient whales and sharks. As the sand dunes formed in the Sahara, remnants of coral reefs, shells, and limestone layers, all created from ancient waters, became hidden.

2. Arabian Desert (Middle East)  

Millions of years ago the Arabian Peninsula was submerged under shallow seas that were connected to the Indian Ocean. Over time due to tectonic activity, the land began to rise, and the region dried up. The desert regions of today in Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE still have salt flats and marine sedimentary deposits to document their oceanic past.

 3. Mojave Desert (North America)  

The Mojave Desert area of California was the remnant of a large inland sea. There is geological evidence that ancient lake basins such as Lake Manly and Lake Mojave once filled parts of Death Valley. The evidence of fossils of aquatic species and advanced salt deposits show that this region evolved from a thriving inland ecosystem to one of the driest regions on earth.

4. Kalahari Desert (Southern Africa)

The Kalahari Desert, which lies under the central part of southern Africa, was once situated under a huge prehistoric inland sea millions of years ago. The Makgadikgadi Pan, one of the largest salt flats on the planet, is found on the remains of a giant lake. While the lake existed, living aquatic things thrived here until the lake dried up into a sandy savanna.

5. Great Victoria Desert (Australia)

Australia's Great Victoria Desert was once part of a shallow marine basin that covered the continent. Marine fossils and sedimentary rock found in the northern part of South Australia suggest an oceanic environment. Over time, sea levels and climate led to the transformation of the region into a desert of red sand dunes and salt lakes.

Conclusion

Deserts that were once oceans remind us that Earth’s surface is constantly evolving. Behind their dry sands are hints to a watery past that shaped both continents and climates. These changes reflect the immense power of geological time to show to today’s barren deserts were once vibrant marine worlds filled with life.