Sighting of evidence of Oil in Tunisia / Algeria

Algeria 20 Feb 1979 to 9 Mar 1979

25 February 1979

27°42'46.994" N 9°9'19.396" E

Driving South West in Southern Tunisia, close to the Libyan border, we came across an oil rig nestling amongst the sand dunes.

We found a water trough in the Sahara

Algeria 20/02/1979 to 9/3/1979 

23 February 1979

 The truth is that the Sahara desert is not quite as devoid of water as it might seem. There are of course the big oasis with small permanent communities, and the isolated ponds, some of which are now recognised by UNESCO. Looking at the Michelin map, which shows potable water locations, gives even more indication of water. Some of the dry river beds have wells to get down to the the river still flowing beneath. If you are a Touareg  sat on the back of a camel crossing the desert, it is essential that you know where the source of the next potable water is. Not all of the water is drinkable though, some is brackish or contaminated, and some sulfurous hot springs. That sulfurous rotten egg sort of Hot Springs smell is actually H2S, hydrogen sulfide. Not all hot springs have it to the same extent.

Now this looks like a desert, the Grand Erg Oriental

February 1979

The Grand Erg Oriental (English: 'Great Eastern Sand Sea') is a large erg or "field of sand dunes", or dune field, in the Sahara Desert. Situated for the most part in Saharan lowlands of northeast Algeria, the Grand Erg Oriental covers an area some 600 km wide by 200 km north to south. The erg's northeastern edge spills over into neighbouring Tunisia. (According to Wikipedia). We travel through two ecoregions; mainly the Sahara Desert ecoregion and the West Saharan Montane Xeric Woodland ecoregion as we drive across the Tassili n'Ajjer Plateau, and the Ahaggar Mountains.

Who would believe it? It snowed on us in the Sahara!

Tunisia 13/ Feb/1979 to 20/ Feb /1979

18 February 1979

 Whist we were preparing to camp at a small village, with some strange houses. At the time I did not know that it was so strange for it to snow. Nightime temperatures frequently fall below zero. This article shows how rare it was.  Another confirms this. (Sorry, at time of writing the website does not display correctly, arrow right to another article on that website and then arrow back. That should have sorted it.) The only recorded time it snowed in the Sahara lowlands was apparently the 18th February 1979. I recall that we were in Tunisia in February, and this confirms that the 18th was the night we camped in Matmata. You can still see the remnants of the snow in the photo.

I seem to recall that this was the first time some of the team had seen snow falling. It was a proper snow storm, not just a little flurry which barely settled. We had all seen snow before on this trip, in the Alps, but not blowing in the wind, reducing visibility, perhaps even blizzard like. Only lasted for a short while but it was special.