The Erg Chech (), is a large
erg
The erg is a unit of energy equal to 10−7joules (100Nano-, nJ). It is not an SI unit, instead originating from the centimetre–gram–second system of units (CGS). Its name is derived from (), a Greek language, Greek word meaning 'work' or ' ...
in southwestern
Algeria
Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...
and northern
Mali
Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...
.
Geography
It is an almost uninhabited part of the greater
Sahara Desert
The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...
, an inhospitable desert region with long, extremely hot summers and short, very warm winters. The Erg Chech is a vast sandy expanse including compound and complex linear and star
dune
A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
s. The mean elevation of the Erg Chech is just above 300 m, slightly lower than the neighboring
Erg Iguidi stretching to the north. The barren plain of the
Tanezrouft is located to the southeast.
One of the localities of the commune of
Akabli in
Aoulef District,
Adrar Province, Algeria, is named 'Erg Chech'.
Meteorites
About of
meteorite
A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
s were collected in the
Chergach strewn field, located in the Erg Chech north of
Taoudenni, during the fall and winter 2007.
[ Desert ]nomad
Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the population of nomadic pa ...
s reported that during daytime in July 2007 several detonations were heard over a wide area, a smoke cloud was seen and several stones fell from the sky, however no fireball was reported. Ouled Bleila was the finder of the first meteorites, but he died in October 2007 in a car accident
A traffic collision, also known as a motor vehicle collision, or car crash, occurs when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal, road debris, or other moving or stationary obstruction, such as a tree, pole or building. T ...
on his way back from the trip to the Chergach strewn field. According to the Tuareg people, the elliptical strewn field stretches for more than .[The Meteoritical Bulletin, No. 94, September 2008]
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In 2020 another meteorite was found. These rocks represent bits of meteorite Erg Chech 002, the oldest pieces of volcanic rock ever found, likely from an ancient protoplanet. These finds were used to confirm the aluminium-26 heterogeneity in the early solar nebula .
See also
* Geography of Algeria
* List of ergs
References
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Ergs of Africa
Deserts of Algeria
Landforms of Mali
Natural regions of Africa