SPACEPHOTOS

Located at an elevation of 6345 feet (1935 meters) above sea level in the central Libyan Desert near the borders of northwest Sudan, southwest Egypt, and southeastern Libya, Mount Uweinat (largest of three visible mountains) is seen in this low-oblique, south-looking photograph. As one of the driest regions in the Libyan Desert, wind erosion plays a major role in shaping the landscape. Wind has formed corridors of brightly colored streaks (sand flows) and dark or gray-colored areas which are rocky plains on the lee side of mountains. The landforms of this region of Africa are the best terrestrial analogies for some of the surface processes phenomena seen in photographs of the surface of Mars. Along with Mount Arkanti (in Libya) to its north-northwest and Mount Kissu (in Sudan) to its southeast, Mount Uweinat consists of old, eroded, granitic intrusions.