The legends are only available in German, French or Spanish
Les cactées sont parmi les seules espèces végétales qui croissent dans les régions soumises à l'érosion de la Cordillère des Andes. - Vallée du Río Mantaro, à 70 km d'Ayacucho. - 1969

But if the Tassilian landscape owes its appearance to ancient volcanism, in many other regions of the Sahara it is from the complex and obstinate play of a thousand-year-old erosion that the landscape derives its grandiose cut. Not far from the Amojjiar pass, in central Mauritania, one can admire the monumental sedimentary section brought to life by a runoff which, although very rare today, must have been in ancient times of singular power. Sometimes, this enormous work of clearing was carried out in a very short time. In the Immidir, in the Tassilian region, the pottery made by Neolithic man, 3500 years BC, lies under I7 metres of alluvium! - The Saharan landscape is therefore being permanently modified, but this transformation is being singularly slowed down by the current extreme drought. - Mauritania - 1968

Geographers have found that erosion in the Sahara was not subject to the rules that apply to temperate zones. In Europe, for example, there is mechanical degradation resulting from the intensive sprinkling caused by the multitude of steep slopes. Even a single waterfall in the Alps transports a considerable amount of earth and rock every year. Here, nothing of the sort. Everything seems to be frozen in perpetual motionlessness. In reality, however, one has to reckon above all with the sand. With infinite patience, in interaction with the wind, it gnaws away at the rocky reefs from whose debris it feeds. The softer materials it transforms into peaks before destroying them completely; and the others only seem to resist it, for its ally, the wind, blows, as it were, without ceasing. But it is not only the sand that changes the landscape. In an area where the temperature difference between 1pm and 1am can exceed 50°, even the most solid minerals are put to the test, and it is not uncommon to feel as if you are under artillery fire at night: this is due to the rocks shattering with a roar as they cool. We see a consequence of this "thermal destruction" here, on the slope of the Tinterhert plateau, not far from Port Flatters, today's Bordj Omar Driss (Algeria). - Algeria - 1966

Bizarre forms of erosion in the Tamrit area of the Tassili Mountains. - Algeria - 1962

At the foot of these bizarre erosional forms in the Séfar area, you will come across shelters where you can admire countless rock paintings. - Algeria - 1966

The Targui Hosseinie stands at the entrance to a cave created by wind erosion near Séfar. - Algeria - 1966

The Tin Tazarift area also has bizarre erosional forms. - Algeria - 1966

Rocky landscape in the Tissouar area, shaped by erosion into strange sculptures, in the highlands of the Tassili Mountains. Hidden amidst these stone citadels are the numerous rock art sites. - Algeria - 1966

As here in Enneri Blaka, Niger, the sand is constantly abrading the sandstone against which it is violently hurled by the wind. Swollen by the material it has loosened, it enriches the dunes of the great erg. Over time, however, the sand from which the dunes are formed begins to solidify and become sandstone again! This is an unexpected form of self-regeneration.

Erosion form from the Adrar Bous area - West Ténéré - Niger - 1975

Wind-sculpted rock in the Tadrart. Algeria - Tadrart - 1993

Region between Bou Ediane and the Grotto of the Viper. Algeria - Tadrart - 1993

This boulder is located in the Oued Tâfidet in the transition zone between the Aïr Mountains and the Ténéré Desert - Niger - 1992

Surreal-looking, jagged rock formations and gorges, created by years of weathering of earth and clay. These striking clay towers and rock spires can be found in the Valle de las Ánimas (Valley of Souls) near La Paz. – Bolivia – 1976

The photograph shows the impressive Cuesta de Lipán in the province of Jujuy in north-western Argentina, on the road from Purmamarca up to the Salinas Grandes. The barren, spectacular high-mountain landscape is characterised by hairpin bends, eroded mountain ranges and distinctive candelabra cacti (cardones) lining the roadside. – Argentina – 1975

A striking eroded landscape with the moon along the Quebrada de Humahuaca in the region between Purmamarca and Tilcara in the province of Jujuy in north-western Argentina. These gullies, known as cárcavas (badlands), form in arid climates when infrequent but heavy rainfall deeply cuts into the unprotected, soft sedimentary layers. – Argentina – 1973

62 kilometres away from San Carlos de Bariloche, on the banks of the Limay River, lies Valle Encantado, a place with a special magic. Surrounded by mountains and rock formations that, letting the imagination run wild, come to life in the eyes of the beholder. - Neuquén Province - 1973

Photo Gallery