Scientists are eying a 37 mile stretch of the Great Wall of China where the stone is rapidly eroding. Because of this, scientists are now speculating that, if this continues, the Great Wall will be totally reduced to dust in 20 years.

So why is that certain 37 mile section of the wall getting destroyed? In ancient times, the wall was put up to defend China from the Mongol hordes. Today though, the wall is facing a battle against the encroaching desert north of China, the Badain Jaran desert. A former curator of a local museum in the Minqin county area explains:

This section of Great Wall was made of mud rather than brick and stone, so is more prone to erosion. Similar erosion happened in other places, but the situation is worse here. Frequent storms not only eroded the mud, but also cracked the Wall and caused it to collapse or break down.