What process is causing the Sahara to expand?

What process is causing the Sahara to expand?

• A. Urbanization
• B. Deforestation
• C. Desertification
• D. Glaciation

Answer: (C)

Desertification is the process by which productive land in arid and semiarid regions becomes desert-like. In and around the Sahara, long periods of drought and ongoing human activities—such as overgrazing, overcultivation, and removal of vegetation—reduce plant cover, degrade soils, and lower the land’s ability to retain moisture. With vegetation gone and soils weakened, wind and water erosion remove topsoil, moisture declines, and the land becomes less able to support crops or grazing. Over time, these changes allow desert conditions to spread into surrounding areas, so the desert expands outward. Urbanization and deforestation can contribute to land degradation, but the broader, long-term process that enlarges desert areas is desertification. Glaciation doesn’t play a role in shaping the Sahara today.

Desertification is the process by which productive land in arid and semiarid regions becomes desert-like. In and around the Sahara, long periods of drought and ongoing human activities—such as overgrazing, overcultivation, and removal of vegetation—reduce plant cover, degrade soils, and lower the land’s ability to retain moisture. With vegetation gone and soils weakened, wind and water erosion remove topsoil, moisture declines, and the land becomes less able to support crops or grazing. Over time, these changes allow desert conditions to spread into surrounding areas, so the desert expands outward. Urbanization and deforestation can contribute to land degradation, but the broader, long-term process that enlarges desert areas is desertification. Glaciation doesn’t play a role in shaping the Sahara today.