Book 16, Question 103
What Is a Wadi?
A wadi is a dry riverbed in a desert! In North America, people call it a wash or an arroyo. Most of the year it is only sand and gravel, but a storm can fill it with rushing water.
More fun facts
- Wadi means valley in Arabic.
- In Oman, wadis are rocky river gorges, many with water in them.
- Oman has dozens of these wadis.
- Visitors to Oman's Wadi Shab have to wade and swim to explore its pools.
- In dry northern Niger, rare rain lets drought-tough plants grow in wadis.
Sources: National Geographic, NASA
Questions kids ask
What does wadi mean?
Wadi means valley in Arabic.