054e Dead camel thorn tree in Deadvlei Photo by Giles Laurent

A CLOSER LOOK

Dead camel thorn tree ( Vachellia erioloba ) in Deadvlei , Namibia. The trees in Deadvlei grew approximately 900 years ago when periodic flooding of the Tsauchab River created a fertile marsh, but they died between 600 and 700 years ago after encroaching sand dunes obstructed the water flow. Due to the extreme aridity and lack of moisture in the Namib Desert, the wood has not decomposed; instead, the remains have been preserved and blackened by centuries of intense solar radiation.

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