Fog and Volcanoes in the Namib: Africa’s Coastal Desert Shaped by Ocean and Fire

The Namib Desert, stretching for 1,600 km (994 miles) along Namibia’s Atlantic coastline, is one of the oldest deserts on Earth. Its surreal landscape — where towering sand dunes meet icy ocean currents — exists because of two powerful forces: ancient volcanic activity and a cool, fog-bearing ocean current.

Why Fog Feeds Life Here

The Namib is bone-dry — most areas get less than 2 cm (about 1 inch) of rain a year — yet fog rolls in from the Atlantic Ocean on many mornings. This fog is life-supporting. Tiny water droplets condense when warm desert air meets the cold Benguela Current, an ocean current flowing northward from Antarctica. Beetles, lizards, and even some plants harvest this fog; the beetle Stenocara gracilipes famously collects water on its back to drink. Without fog, most life here would not survive.

Ancient Volcanic Roots

Hidden beneath the dunes are signs of a fiery past. The vast Messum Crater, likely created by volcanic activity or a meteor impact millions of years ago, hints at the region’s tectonic story. The desert’s bedrock formed when Africa and South America were once joined as part of the supercontinent Gondwana — before drifting apart. Brukkaros Mountain in southern Namibia, an extinct volcano, was even used by the Smithsonian Institution in the 1930s for astronomical observation because of its clear skies.

How Ocean and Desert Interact

The icy Benguela Current doesn’t just make fog — it keeps the coastal air cool and stable. High-pressure systems over the South Atlantic block moist air from moving inland, so rain rarely falls. Meanwhile, the desert sands, some over 300 m (984 ft) tall, heat quickly during the day and cool at night, creating sharp temperature contrasts. This unique ocean-desert interaction gives the Namib its iconic fog belt and its extreme dryness just a few kilometers inland.

Life Finds a Way

Despite the harshness, the Namib supports a surprising range of life:

• Penguins: Endangered African penguins breed on offshore islands from Namibia to South Africa — unusual for a desert coast.
• Reptiles and Insects: Fog-harvesting beetles, geckos, and snakes have evolved to survive with almost no rainfall.
• Succulents and Lichens: These plants thrive by absorbing fog and dew instead of rain.

Science note: The Namib is the only coastal desert on Earth where a cold ocean current creates such a stable, life-giving fog system.

For the Science-Minded Traveler

Visiting Namibia offers a rare chance to see Earth systems in action: fog drifting over 300-meter dunes, fossil volcanic craters telling Gondwana’s story, and wildlife that rewrote survival rules. If you’re fascinated by climate, geology, or adaptation, the Namib is a living lab.

Learn More

Explore related topics:

• Atlantic Ocean’s impact on African climates
• Climate change dimensions in Africa
• Space observation from Africa’s deserts

Teff bread recipe and learn about where Teff grass grows and use traditionally in Ethiopia, Eritrea and USA.

 

In the African countries of Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, and Djibouti use Teff grass to make flour. Teff flour can be used in a number of things such as cereal, bread, cookies, and other snacks. Today the African Gourmet will be teaching you how to make Ethiopian flatbread called injera bread. 

Injera is made using teff flour, this ancient grain has a lot of fiber and protein and iron in it and it is a great nutritional source. Now making Injera bread is an overnight process and for best results, a three-day process because you want to get a nice sourdough type flavor. You can use water in your recipe but you can use flat beer, specifically dark beer for a nice rich flavor.

Making Teff Bread of Ethiopia

Ingredients 

2 cups teff or whole wheat flour 

2 cups of water 

¼ teaspoon salt 

Vegetable oil for coating the pan 

Directions 

Put the batter aside overnight or up to three days to ferment. The batter will start to bubble and obtain its well-known tartness. Heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. In a large mixing bowl add all ingredients and lightly mix well. Heat a lightly oiled cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Coat skillet with a thin layer of batter. Cook until holes appear on the surface of the bread flip and repeat cooking on the other side. Cover completed bread with a damp cloth.

About Teff Grass and Flour 

Teff flour is light whole grain flour you can substitute whole wheat flour in the recipe but the taste will be different. The taste and texture on injera, however, are quite unique and unlike the crepe. Injera bread is thicker than a crepe but thinner than a pancake. 

Injera is eaten daily in all most every household. Teff is a staple crop in Eritrea and Ethiopia where it is a native annual grass species but is not widely known around the world. The very small seeds are cooked or fermented and have good nutritional content. 

Teff grass is a warm-season annual grass traditionally used as a grain and forages in Ethiopia it is adapted to the high-altitude tropics growing well at temperatures 50 to 85° but requires an 11 to 13 hours to flower. 

Teff grass was introduced to the United States in the late 50s early 60s but still largely remains unknown. In the USA, teff grass is getting a lot of popularity as a late and for some very good reasons. Farmers in Oklahoma, Texas and New England were trying to look for alternative ways to make up for a fodder grazing and hay shortage. 

Teff grass is a warm-season grass with a very fine stem super high-quality hey type product, horse love teff grass because of his extreme palatability. Because of its fine stem, Teff grass needs to have at least 65 to 70 degrees soil to plant. 

The seed size is very tiny so you cannot plant very deep or it's not going to grow. It grows extremely well in the heat has exceptional drought tolerance. Teff is a rapid drying grass, unlike sorghum. Teff grass grows so well in optimal conditions, in 23 days the grass can grow 20 inches tall. 

To see if Teff grass is going to be major forage crop in the USA, well it depends on how the market responds. Farmers in the United States may be new to planting Teff however in other parts of the world it has been around for thousands of years. 

Teff is believed to have originated in Ethiopia between 4000 and 1000 BC; the seeds were discovered in a pyramid and 3359 BC. Since then the seeds have been widely cultivated and is used not only in Ethiopia but in neighboring African countries as well. 

More economical easy breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes to make right now so you never have to eat or prepare a boring meal again.

1. Curried Tanzanian Coconut Okra Recipe
2. Frikkadelle an Afrikaner dish of meatballs
3. Senegalese Chicken Vermicelli
4. Chadian Steamed Honey Cassava Buns
5. Cameroon Smoked Bonga Fish Stew

Sweet Green Plantain Porridge Loaf Cake Recipe

Sweet green plantain loaf cake transforms classic West African porridge into a moist, spiced bread with nutmeg, cinnamon, and condensed milk.

Plantains are one of Africa’s most beloved staples — boiled in hearty stews, fried to golden perfection, or roasted until their natural sweetness deepens. Green plantains, firm and starchy like potatoes, are often simmered into comforting breakfast porridges across West Africa.

This loaf cake reimagines that humble green plantain porridge as a baked treat. Blended plantains give the cake a tender, moist crumb, while nutmeg, cinnamon, and a touch of vanilla add warmth and fragrance. Sweetened condensed milk brings creamy richness, turning a traditional staple into a sliceable loaf that’s perfect for breakfast, tea time, or dessert.

Across the continent, cooks have long transformed simple ingredients into extraordinary comfort foods. This recipe does the same — honoring the everyday green plantain while giving it a new form that’s easy to share and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

Bananas are usually eaten raw, while plantains are most often cooked. Green plantains are starchy and mild, ideal for porridges, fritters, and savory sides — but here we turn them into a soft, lightly sweet loaf cake with West African porridge flavors.

Sweet Green Plantain Porridge Loaf Cake

Ingredients

• 3 green plantains, peeled and chopped
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup whole milk
• ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
• ¼ cup raw sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons melted butter (or vegetable oil)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
2. Peel plantains: cut off the tips, score lengthwise, slide your thumb to remove the peel. Chop and place in a blender with whole milk, condensed milk, and melted butter. Blend until silky smooth.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Stir in the blended plantain mixture.
4. In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Fold dry ingredients into the wet batter until just combined.
5. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.

Serving idea: Enjoy warm slices with a drizzle of honey or extra condensed milk. This loaf keeps well for 3–4 days covered at room temperature.

More African Bakes to Try

• Mango Potato Cake
• Breadfruit Buttermilk Honey Cake
• Liberian Kanya Peanut Butter Candy