Saudi Arabia: an environmental overview

332 Pages·2008·12.3 MB·English

by  Peter J Vincent

Saudi Arabia: An Environmental
Overview

Saudi Arabia: An Environmental
Overview
Peter Vincent
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Saudi Arabia: an environmental overview/Peter Vincent.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-415-41387-9 (hardcover: alk. paper)
1. Saudi Arabia–Environmental Conditions. I. Vincent, Peter.
GE160.S32V56 2008
363.7009538–dc22
2007024276
ISBN 0-203-03088-5 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 978-0-415-41387-9 (Hbk)
ISBN 978-0-203-03088-2 (eBook)
Contents
List of Figures ix
List of Tables xiii
Preface xvii
Acknowledgments xxi
1 An environment discovered 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Early European explorers 2
1.3 The nineteenth century 2
1.4 Twentieth century explorers 9
2 The Kingdom 17
2.1 Introduction 17
2.2 Main physiographic regions 19
2.3 A journey through time 29
2.4 The modern Kingdom – growing environmental pressures 35
3 Geological framework 45
3.1 Introduction 45
3.2 Brief geological history 48
3.3 Regional geology 54
3.4 Economic geology 62
vi Contents
4 Climate and environmental change 67
4.1 Introduction 68
4.2 Synoptic climatology and seasons 69
4.3 Air temperature 71
4.4 Atmospheric humidity and evaporation 72
4.5 Precipitation 75
4.6 Global radiation and sunshine 79
4.7 Winds 80
4.8 Climatic regions 80
4.9 Quaternary climatic and environmental change 84
5 Hydrogeology and hydrology 95
5.1 Introduction 95
5.2 The drainage net 97
5.3 Surface runoff 98
5.4 Dams 101
5.5 Lakes 102
5.6 Springs 104
5.7 Groundwater 105
5.8 Aquifer water quality 108
5.9 Aquifer recharge 109
5.10 Water extraction for irrigation 111
5.11 Urban development and groundwater 113
5.12 Water harvesting in urban areas 115
6 Geomorphology 117
6.1 Introduction 118
6.2 Weathering 118
6.3 Denudation history 121
6.4 Tertiary drainage development 131
Contents vii
6.5 Deep weathering and stripping 132
6.6 Inselbergs 133
6.7 Pediment development and gravel plains 133
6.8 Alluvial fans 133
6.9 Sand deserts and dunes 134
6.10 Wind erosion 147
6.11 Karst 150
6.12 Volcanic landforms 153
6.13 Escarpments and cuestas 155
6.14 Quaternary sea level change 157
6.15 Loessic alluvial silts 162
7 Biogeography 163
7.1 Introduction 163
7.2 The fauna 165
7.3 The flora 172
7.4 Vegetation 178
8 Soils and soil erosion 189
8.1 Introduction 190
8.2 Entisols 191
8.3 Inceptisols 197
8.4 Aridisols 197
8.5 Soil map associations 202
8.6 Soil mineralogy 207
8.7 Palaeosols 208
8.8 Soil erosion 212
9 Environmental impacts and hazards 215
9.1 Introduction 216
viii Contents
9.2 Geohazards 216
9.3 Biological hazards 233
9.4 Industrial hazards 236
9.5 Soil salinization and irrigation 238
9.6 Desertification 239
9.7 Gulf War hazards 245
10 Environmental protection, regulation and policy 247
10.1 Introduction 247
10.2 Islam and the environment 249
10.3 The legal background 251
10.4 Meteorology and Environmental Protection
Administration (MEPA) 254
10.5 The Ministry of Agriculture 256
10.6 National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and
Development (NCWCD) 260
10.7 Traditional land management – hima (sometimes hema) 273
10.8 Eco- and geotourism 278
References 281
Index 299
List of Figures
1.1 The Arabian journeys of Captain George Sadlier,
Charles Montagu Doughty and Sir Wilfred and Lady Anne Blunt. 4
1.2 The little palace in Jubbah where the Blunts rested
during their crossing of An Nafud. 6
1.3 Nabataean tombs at Madain Salih. 7
1.4 Al Ula as it was in Doughty’s time – now abandoned. 8
1.5 Gertrude Bell. 10
1.6 Harry Saint John Bridger Philby. 11
1.7 Travels into ar Rub’ al Khali by Thomas, Philby and Thesiger. 12
1.8 Bertram Thomas – the first explorer to cross the Empty Quarter. 13
1.9 William Thesiger. 14
2.1 General topography of the Arabian Peninsula. 18
2.2 Main physiographic regions of the Arabian Peninsula. 20
2.3 Flight of raised beaches north of Umm Lajj. 21
2.4 Young and old lavas on Harrat Khaybar north-east of Madinah. 22
2.5 Petroglyph at Jubbah. 24
2.6 Red Sea Escarpment west of Abha. 25
2.7 The spectacular canyon of Wadi Labj. 26
2.8 Tuwaiq Escarpment north of Wadi ad Dawasir. 27
2.9 Crystalline Nadj uplands 100 km west of Unayzah. 29
2.10 Homo erectus routes into Arabian Peninsula from Africa. 30
2.11 Administrative regions of the Kingdom. 38
3.1 Geological Map of the Arabian Peninsula. 46
3.2 The Arabian Plate. 47
3.3 Age distribution of dated Precambrian rocks. 50