wadi

Seasonal desert channel

A wadi is a valley or streambed in desert regions that remains dry except during rainy seasons, when it may briefly carry rushing water.

The term comes from Arabic and appears most often in descriptions of North African and Middle Eastern landscapes: We followed the wadi until it opened onto the plain.

geography

arroyo

Seasonal desert watercourse

gulchSteep narrow ravine
washClean using liquid
barrancaSteep-walled desert ravine

coulee · gully · ravine · streambed · canyon · gorge · valley · channel · floodplain · tributary

hydrology

flash flood

Rapid overflow from storms

ephemeralLasting very briefly
intermittentOccurring at irregular intervals
runoffExcess water drainage

monsoon · rainy season · torrent · fluvial · alluvial · sediment · erosion · bedrock · gravel · silt

landscape

arid

Devoid of water

desertTo leave behind completely
barrenUnable to produce
sandFine rock particles

dunes · rocky · sunbaked · scrubland · acacia · tamarisk · drought · oasis · palm · nomad

Categories

Middle EastIraq, Baghdad, Cairo, Iran, Jordan
ArabiaSaudi Arabia, Mecca, Medina, Kaaba, Riyadh
desert featuresmirage, sandstorm, sand dunes, oasis, dust devil
desert thingssand, cactus, cacti, camel, dune
hollowscavity, crater, hollow, dent, hole
waterwaysriver, rivers, canal, canals, stream

Opposites

water permanence

Large flowing watercourse

brook · creek · stream · spring

climate zone

waditropical river

Warm-zone flowing water

topographic form

Narrow raised strip

mountain peak · plateau

Family

Familiarity: Top 1,000,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G