Sossusvlei is a clay pan in the middle of the desert.
The dunes of the Namib Desert were created by sand carried by the wind from the coast of Namibia. The wind here in the Sossusvlei area blows from all directions and the dunes lies in all directions. The sand is red in colour due to its iron oxide conten.
”Sossus” is Nama–Damara for ”no return” and ”vlei” is Afrikaans for ”marsh”. ”Dead end marsh” is named after Tsauchab River´s destiny.
The river reaches Sossusvlei at the annual floods but not further away.