 Unlike the Great Sand Sea , the coastal portion of the Libyan Desert is stony rather than sandy , but it is no less arid , and supports little vegetation . Close to the coast , the ground was broken by wadis . Military vehicles could traverse the stony desert with little difficulty , although the heat , dust and wind caused their rapid deterioration . Because it was so thinly populated , bombs and shells could be used with minimal risk of civilian casualties . Winter nights could be bitterly cold , yet the days could still be uncomfortably hot . There was almost no food or water , and little shelter from the cold , the heat or the wind . The desert was , however , relatively free from disease . 
