Mourdi Depression

The Mourdi Depression is a prominent desert depression of northeastern Chad. It lies adjacent to the Ennedi Plateau. The cleft lies "between the Erdi plateau and the eastern slopes of Ennedi, and the mouth of the Wadi Guroguro." The depression is characterized by a rocky valley, about wide from north to south, sloping from an altitude of about down towards the west to Djourab.

Geography

The Mourdi Depression lies along a trading route from Abéché to Kurfa. The route passes Tiné, then veers north to Bao, before passing through the Mourdi Depression and Erdi Ma. The Mourdi Depression is also along a fisherman's route for reaching the northeast of Lake Chad by traveling through the Erdi Plateau and Ennedi gap via the depression. The Wadi N'kaola in situated within the Mourdi Depression, and the nearest major town is Fada to the southwest. Small barchans are noted here.
The main settlements of the depression are Diona, a small town along the edge of a river, and Tébi, both of which have mobile towers.

Culture

The depression is cited as one of the most important Saharan grazing grounds. There are numerous rock paintings in the area. The depression was explored by R. A. Bagnold, a pioneer in desert explorations in 1932. During this first motorized expedition in 1932, he found implements on the northern scarp, dated to the Lower Palaeolithic and Middle Palaeolithic period in the valley. In the piste, next to the depression and in the northern rock formations of Ennedi, are rock arches; the Guela d'Archei and its colony of dwarf crocodiles are of particular note. Addax, a critically endangered species, is found in small numbers in this depression.