Africa dried up in significant areas primarily due to shifts in Earth's orbit that led to reduced rainfall over thousands of years, causing ecosystems, like the Sahara, to transform into deserts.
The Role of Earth's Orbit
A key factor in the drying of parts of Africa, particularly the Sahara region, was the slow change in the Earth's orbit. These gradual orbital variations influenced global climate patterns, including the distribution and intensity of monsoon rains that previously nourished North Africa.
According to the provided information: "As the Earth's orbit slowly changed, the rain started to reduce, and the vegetation started to die back."
The Transformation of the Sahara
This reduction in rainfall had a dramatic effect on the landscape. Without sufficient water, the once-widespread vegetation started to die back. This decline in plant life further accelerated the drying process and land degradation.
Around 5,500 years ago, this environmental shift reached a critical point for the Sahara. The reference states that at this time, "the ecosystem in the Sahara went into a terminal decline towards the desert we have today." This marked the transition from a wetter, vegetated landscape (sometimes called the "Green Sahara") to the vast arid desert known today.
In summary, the drying of significant areas in Africa, exemplified by the transformation of the Sahara, was a natural climate change process driven by variations in the Earth's orbit that resulted in progressively less rain, leading to the loss of vegetation and the spread of desert conditions over millennia.
