Erg (landform) Erg (landform) An erg (also sand sea or dune sea, or sand sheet if it lacks dunes) is a broad, flat area of desert covered with wind-swept sand with little or no vegetative cover. The term takes its name from the Arabic word "ʿarq" (), meaning "dune field". Strictly speaking, an erg is defined as a desert area that contains more than of aeolian or wind-blown sand and where sand covers more than 20% of the surface. Smaller areas are known as "dune fields". The largest hot desert in the world, the Sahara, covers and contains several ergs, such as
Erg Iguidi of seasonal vegetation with grasses and shrubs and in the summer the desert is used as a pasturage area. The Erg Iguidi supports a population of slender-horned gazelle. Erg Iguidi The Erg Iguidi (), is a large erg in the area of Tindouf in southwestern Algeria extending into northern Mali and Mauritania. The Erg Iguidi is a sandy desert with a clear pattern of narrow linear dunes stretching for a length of 400 km. Part of the greater Sahara, it is located in its northwestern region and is characterized by Harmattan withering winds. The highest point is 540 m. Compared