The Striking and Unusual Deadvlei

Deadvlei looks as if it's from another planet, but it's actually from another time. The dunes have rusted with age, the sand turning a bright red color.

The striking black Vachellia erioloba trees died between 600-700 years ago, scorched by the sun, the air too dry for them to even decompose.

Deadvlei is a clay pan in the Namib-Naukluft National Park in Namibia. It is near Sossusvlei, an drainage basin where streams from various rivers nourish desert life and trees.  Scientists believe Deadvlei used to be very similar to Sossusvlei but dried up around 900 years ago.

The clay pan formed when the Tsauchab River flooded after rains, creating shallow pools that allowed camel thorn trees (Vachellia erioloba) to grow. When the climate changed, drought led to the sand dunes shifting, ultimately blocking the river from the area.