The Namib Desert in Namibia contains the famous Deadvlei clay pan and towering dunes near Sossusvlei.
The Namib stretches along the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, mainly through Namibia and into parts of Angola and South Africa. Sossusvlei is a salt and clay pan surrounded by some of the region’s tallest reddish dunes. Deadvlei, a nearby clay pan, is known for the stark remains of ancient camel thorn trees that died after the Tsauchab River stopped reaching the area.
The desert’s extreme aridity is strongly influenced by the cold Benguela Current offshore. Cool air limits evaporation and cloud formation patterns, while coastal fog supplies occasional moisture to specially adapted organisms. Inland areas generally receive more variable rainfall than the coast.
Sossusvlei is a landmark within the Namib, not a separate desert. The Kalahari, by contrast, lies inland and has more vegetation and seasonal rainfall.