How did the Tsauchab River help form Sossusvlei?

Sossusvlei, a prominent salt and clay pan located in the Namib desert, was formed over millennia through the interaction between wind action and the ephemeral Tsauchab River.1

The Tsauchab River originates in the Naukluft Mountains to the east and historically flowed toward the Atlantic Ocean. Over time, the river's path was obstructed and eventually dammed by the accumulation of massive, wind-blown sand dunes. These dunes were created by sediment transported from dry riverbeds—including the Tsauchab’s own—as well as from the coast and the interior of Africa.1

As a result of this blockage, the river now terminates at Sossusvlei. While the area is typically dry, the river occasionally flows during rare periods of heavy rainfall, temporarily transforming the salt-and-clay pan into a lake. This process of drainage termination against or among dunes is a characteristic feature of many streams in the southern region of the Namib.12