Geologist David Wright of Seoul University found that humans could be one of the main causes of the Sahara Desert. This is indicated by archaeological data, according to which people living in the region before its desertification began to raise domestic animals. The researcher's article was published in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science. The site Phys.org reports.
The scientist analyzed the evidence pointing to the time of the emergence of pastoralism in the Sahara Desert, and compared them with data on the distribution of shrub vegetation characteristic of the forest-steppe. Wright discovered that about eight thousand years ago, the first pastoral tribes arose in the areas surrounding the Nile River, and at the same time environmental changes began.
According to the researcher, the domestication of animals led to a decrease in plant cover and an increase in albedo - the amount of sunlight reflected from a surface. In turn, this influenced the local climate, making rainfall less frequent, which intensified the desertification process.