Namib Desert

The Namib is a coastal desert of immense dunes, gravel plains and dry riverbeds along the Atlantic. In its sand sea, the Tsauchab River flows only after exceptional rain, ending among the dunes at Sossusvlei. Cold offshore waters help produce fog that drifts inland, providing moisture for plants and animals adapted to the desert. Wind shapes the long ridges of sand, while the river courses carry water and sediment from the mountains to the east.