The Namib Desert's dunes rise from a fog-fed gravel plain along Namibia's Atlantic coast. Toggle the Atlantic fog bank rolling in off the ocean, and the welwitschia plant markers that survive on fog moisture alone.
Published figures: the tallest dunes here (Dune 7, "Big Daddy") reach about 325-383 m, and the desert is widely described as the oldest on Earth, with arid conditions for at least 55-80 million years.
Namib Desert 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows the Namib Desert as a coastal dune field along Namibia's Atlantic edge: a flat, fog-fed gravel plain near the coast rising into linear dune ridges and two taller star-dune peaks further inland. Toggle the Atlantic fog bank to see the marine fog that rolls in most mornings, and the welwitschia plant markers scattered where that fog moisture reaches the desert floor.
The Namib is widely described as the oldest desert in the world, with arid to semi-arid conditions persisting for at least 55 to 80 million years. It stretches roughly 2,000 km along Namibia's Atlantic coast (reaching into southern Angola and northwestern South Africa) and is 50 to 160 km wide. Dune sand is coated in iron oxide, so younger dunes near the coast read pale apricot while older dunes further inland read deep burnt orange to red as the coating oxidizes further over time. The cold offshore Benguela current drives a persistent Atlantic fog belt that rolls inland most mornings - the desert's main source of moisture, and the reason the fog-fed northern strip is known as the Skeleton Coast, named for the shipwrecks and whale and seal bones exposed on its beaches. That same fog sustains welwitschia mirabilis, a slow-growing gravel-plain plant found nowhere else, with some individuals estimated to be over a thousand years old.
- Toggle the Atlantic fog bank to see the coastal band cool and lighten as marine fog rolls in over the dunes
- Toggle the welwitschia markers to see where this ancient fog-fed plant survives on the gravel plain
- Read location, dune-height, age, and fog-belt figures in the panel
- Drag to orbit, scroll or pinch to zoom
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Location | coastal Namibia, stretching roughly 2,000 km along the Atlantic coast, 50-160 km wide |
| Age | widely described as the world's oldest desert - arid conditions for at least 55-80 million years |
| Tallest dunes | Dune 7 near Walvis Bay, about 383 m; "Big Daddy" near Sossusvlei, about 325 m |
| Dune color | iron-oxide-coated sand - younger dunes read pale apricot, older dunes read deep burnt orange-red |
| Moisture source | a persistent Atlantic fog belt driven by the cold Benguela current, rolling inland most mornings |
| Skeleton Coast | the fog-fed northern strip, named for shipwrecks and whale/seal bones on its beaches |
| Welwitschia | a fog-dependent plant unique to this desert - some individuals are estimated to live over 1,000 years |
For another towering star-dune field, open the Sossusvlei 3D Explorer, or for a very different desert landscape try the Sahara Desert 3D Explorer.
The whole scene - the coastal dune ridges, the sand-age color gradient, the fog-bank toggle, and the welwitschia markers - is built and drawn on your own device with WebGL through the site-vendored three.js engine. Orbit the scene to trace how the dunes grow taller and redder away from the coast, and toggle the fog bank to see how it cools the coastal band. Nothing about your visit is uploaded to a server, and the engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is then cached.
This is an educational approximation - the dune shapes, color gradient, fog bank, and plant markers are schematic teaching cues, not survey data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the Namib Desert?
Along Namibia's Atlantic coast, stretching roughly 2,000 km into southern Angola and northwestern South Africa, and 50 to 160 km wide.
Is the Namib really the oldest desert in the world?
It is widely described that way - arid to semi-arid conditions here are estimated to have persisted for at least 55 to 80 million years.
How tall are the dunes?
Dune 7 near Walvis Bay reaches about 383 m, and "Big Daddy" near Sossusvlei reaches about 325 m, among the tallest dunes on Earth.
Why do some dunes look more red than others?
Dune sand is coated in iron oxide. Younger dunes near the coast read pale apricot, while older dunes further inland read deep burnt orange to red as the coating oxidizes further with age.
Where does the desert get water?
From a persistent Atlantic fog belt driven by the cold offshore Benguela current, which rolls inland most mornings and is the desert's main source of moisture.
What is the Skeleton Coast?
The fog-fed northern strip of the Namib, named for the shipwrecks and whale and seal bones exposed on its beaches.
What is welwitschia?
A slow-growing, fog-dependent plant found only in this desert. Some individuals are estimated to be over 1,000 years old, surviving on fog moisture alone.
Is this a scientific terrain model?
No. It is an educational explorer using published figures - the dune shapes, color gradient, fog bank, and plant markers are schematic teaching cues, not survey data.