Desert air exhibition, consisting of magnificent aerial photographs by American photographer George Steinmetz; It will run until January 27 at the National Geographic Museum. Steinmetz; He will be speaking at the National Geographic headquarters in Washington on November 27 about his work and his newest book, “Desert Air.” Some of Steinmetz’s photos and explanations;
one- Sandstone peaks near Chad’s border with Libya It rises along the orange sand dunes of the Karnasai Valley. The orange sand is formed by the erosion of Nubian Sandstone, which consists of ancient sand dunes. So sand is recycled from dune to rock to sand and back again. Strong winds blast the bases of sandstone peaks and wind pits around their bases. Except for a few goatherds and their families who come here once a year, this part of the Sahara is uninhabited. George Steinmetz
2- The people of Teguiddan-n-Tessoumt work over pools of evaporating saltwater, like a mosaic laid on the hard desert floor. The brine is drawn from shallow wells and mixed with saline soil to produce slurries of different colors, the hue of which depends on the color of the mud, algae, as well as the amount of salt hardened on the surface. George Steinmetz
3- Aerial footage of the natural hot springs Laguna Colorada, which is red due to the red algae that provide food for the flamingos. The lake has a number of small borax islets, as well as the largest flamingo population of any Altiplano lake. Three species of flamingos are found here: Andean, Chilean, and James. George Steinmetz
4- Tigrean and Afari men remove salt slabs from the dry part of Lake Assale. The salt will be transported by camels and donkeys from the East African rift to the province of Tigre, where it will be sold for human and animal consumption. Young men earn an average of 150-200 Ethiopian Birr a day in a traditional labor and trade that has been going on for centuries. The lake is approximately 150 meters below sea level. The camels set off with 20 sheets of salt each for a total load of 300 pounds. George Steinmetz
5- The most conservative and elegantly preserved of the ancient hill towns in Ghardaia, a World Heritage Site, Beni Isguen’s aerial view. Arranged like a mosaic, residents meticulously preserve their antique homes, which often feature a walled roof area for washing clothes and sleeping outdoors on warm Saharan nights. These loft sanctuaries are often painted in turquoise and other pastel colors. George Steinmetz
6- Ounianga Serir, a lake in Chad, is torn apart by fingers of sand blowing from the surrounding cliffs. The heat and wind cause a high rate of evaporation making the lake salty and fishless. The lake is dotted with white ship-like islands made of Nubian sandstone, the permeable rock that carries water underground. Maps from aerial surveys in 1954 show that the lakes are larger and more connected, indicating that the water level has dropped. George Steinmetz
7- Vertical view of a herd of camels; It crosses the sandy gravel of an empty grazing neighborhood near Wadi Mitan in western Oman. Many females wear bra-like covers over their udders to protect their young from breastfeeding until they return to camp for milking. George Steinmetz
8- Aerial view of Adjder oasis, about 100 km northwest of Timimoun, north of Charouine. The gardens are surrounded by palm frond barriers to stop sand blowing from the northeast, and water comes from hand-dug wells that reach water 15 meters below ground. In the past, water was raised manually, now it is done with electric pumps. Local farmers told me that the water level has dropped one meter a year and that the village is about 500 years old. George Steinmetz
9- The dirty ice of the McMurdo ice shelf takes on a patterned appearance as it is deformed by the flow between the islands. The surface debris was shaped into curved ridges by ice action. Long summer days warm the gray debris and cause it to melt or insulate the ice, depending on its thickness. The insulated portions are less susceptible to melting and formed ridges 10-20 meters above the molten pools. This photo has been frozen since it was taken in the early eastern spring. George Steinmetz
10- Waves of water meet waves of sand in this aerial view of southern Peru’s Pacific coast. The beach sand formed crescent-shaped barchan dunes, caused by strong winds that always head in the same direction. George Steinmetz
11th- of Namibia Skeleton Beach’Nearly 30,000 colonies of Cape Fur Seals on the beach near Cape Fria, in the U.S. This is the northernmost colony of the Cape Fur Seals, which congregate here to take advantage of the abundant fishing based on the last great uplift of the Benguela current in the Atlantic Ocean. This is one of the most remote parts of the Skeleton Coast, and access here is tightly controlled to protect wildlife and the delicate surface of the thin desert soils. George Steinmetz
12- Sunbathers and swimmers on a Saturday morning by the southern lake of the Dead Sea. George Steinmetz
