Which stony desert in western Egypt is known for dark volcanic hills?

The stony desert in western Egypt known for dark volcanic hills is the Black Desert.

The Black Desert lies in Egypt’s Western Desert between the White Desert to the south and Bahariya Oasis to the north. Its name comes from widely spaced, volcano-shaped mounds whose surfaces are often covered by dark basalt or other iron-rich rocks. Seen from a distance, the hills form a stark field of black and reddish peaks rising from the surrounding desert.

The mounds can reach about 100 metres high and are made from several rock types, including iron quartzite and iron sandstone. Volcanic hills on the desert’s outskirts contain dark dolerite linked to Jurassic eruptions about 180 million years ago. Fossilized woodlands and other plant remains show that the region was once much wetter and supported vegetation.

The Black Desert is frequently confused with Egypt’s White Desert, whose famous formations are pale chalk sculpted by wind. It is also distinct from the Eastern Desert, which lies east of the Nile toward the Red Sea. The Black Desert’s signature is its dark, rocky volcanic-looking terrain, not broad dunes.