Inland of this are the supratidal sabkhas. The sabkhas can be as wide as 15 km when seaward of dune fields supplying large amounts of sediment. Sabkhas seaward of low outcrops of Miocene carbonate-evaporites or alluvial fans off the Oman fold and thrust belt can be as narrow as several hundred meters.Al-Farraj, A., 2005.
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Most notable is the reserve's unique geographic features. The appearance and the quick formation of its sabkhas is distinct from any other system of sabkhas, as is the continuous infilling of its lagoon.
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Most notable is the reserve's unique geographic features. The appearance and the quick formation of its sabkhas is distinct from any other system of sabkhas, as is the continuous infilling of its lagoon.
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Many flat, low-lying offshore islands are located near the coast and are accompanied by coral reefs. As a result of salt water coming into contact with the low-lying land, many salt flats (known locally as sabkhas) have formed near the coast. The coastline from Mesaieed to Khawr al Udayd is particularly rich in sabkhas. Inland sabkhas can be found in western in Qatar near Dukhan and Sawda Natheel.
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Modern sabkhas are present in varying form along the coasts of North Africa, Baja California, and at Shark Bay in Australia.
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In general, tide ranges between in the north, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez and in the south near the Gulf of Aden, but it fluctuates between and away from the nodal point. The central Red Sea (Jeddah area) is therefore almost tideless, and as such the annual water level changes are more significant. Because of the small tidal range the water during high tide inundates the coastal sabkhas as a thin sheet of water up to a few hundred metres rather than flooding the sabkhas through a network of channels. However, south of Jeddah in the Shoiaba area, the water from the lagoon may cover the adjoining sabkhas as far as , whereas north of Jeddah in the Al-Kharrar area the sabkhas are covered by a thin sheet of water as far as .
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The sedimentary environment probably was restricted marine including mudflat sabkhas, evolving under an arid climate. The ostracod assemblages of this formation indicate a neo-Algoas age (local time scale).
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The inland part includes sabkhas and is typical for Sahara landscapes. It also includes sand dunes and limestone plateaus. The government declared its intention to turn the park into a major tourist attraction specializing in ecotourism.
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Many of the salt-tolerant plants of Al Batinah differ from those of the south coast, and plants like Salsola drummondii, Bienertia cycloptera and Salsola rosmarinus are also found in the Irano-Turanian Region. Sabkhas (salt flats) with hypersaline conditions are typically marked by an absence of vegetation. In some cases plant life can be accommodated on small sandy mounds in these sabkhas known as nabkhas due to their relatively lower salinity levels. In the south of the country, the monsoon rainfall creates a wealth of vegetation that is not present in more arid regions.
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Al Thakhira Beach Al Thakhira Beach is one of the largest tourist attractions in the town. Running for approximately 10 km, much of its coast is made up of sabkhas (salt flats). Salt-resistant mangroves grow abundantly along its coast. It is a popular spot for bird watchers.
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Evaporite-saline minerals, tidal-flood, and aeolian deposits characterize many sabkhas found along modern coastlines. The accepted type locality for a sabkha is at the southern coast of the Persian Gulf, in the United Arab Emirates.Neuendorf, K.K.E., J.P. Mehl, Jr., and J.A. Jackson, eds. (2005) Glossary of Geology (5th ed.).
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Anhydrite occurs in a tidal flat environment in the Persian Gulf sabkhas as massive diagenetic replacement nodules. Cross sections of these nodular masses have a netted appearance and have been referred to as chicken-wire anhydrite. Nodular anhydrite occurs as replacement of gypsum in a variety of sedimentary depositional environments.
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The area is home to Al Thakhira Nature Reserve, which encompasses the small island mangrove-covered island of Umm Far, parts of the coastline, and multiple wadis and sabkhas. Mangroves are very common in the reserve, and it one of the few areas of Qatar to boast natural tree growth.
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The distribution area of Halocnemum covers Southern Europe, the Mediterranean region, North Africa, Eastern Europe, Southwest Asia, Middle Asia to China (Xinjiang, Gansu). The plants grow in coastal salt marshes or wet inland salt flats, sabkhas, on salty clay, in salt steppes or dried river beds, up to 1200 m above sea level.
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Silt and clay pellets can be part of the dune. Nabkhas in the Namib Desert are rich in sediment. On the Kuwaiti coastline nabkhas form around Nitraria retusa growing on sabkhas, a form of salt pan. These dunes are composed of quartz, gypsum, and feldspar sands mixed with bits of volcanic rock and calcite grains.
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Its main constituents are aggregation sediments, evaporites, and an assemblage of wind-blown sediments. Sediments within the sabkha differ from other sabkhas in the region. Here, they are described as mainly comprising brownish-grey wind-blown sand underneath halite crystals up to 2 meters-thick. Gypsum crystals are also found overlaying the sabkha, particularly in its center.
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AAPG Bulletin 67(3):543-544. Depositional environments may have included restricted marine bodies and ephemeral lakes (gypsum), hypersaline waters (limestone), hypersaline microbial mats (oil shale), and sabkhas (dolomite). The marine waters of the shallow continental sea retreated during the deposition of the formation, reflected in a change from dominantly nearshore marine to coastal terrestrial deposition over time. The Spearfish Formation is sparsely fossiliferous.
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A term typically used by Earth scientists, a sabkha () is a coastal, supratidal mudflat or sandflat in which evaporite-saline minerals accumulate as the result of semiarid to arid climate. Sabkhas are gradational between land and intertidal zone within restricted coastal plains just above normal high-tide level. Within a sabkha, evaporite-saline minerals sediments typically accumulate below the surface of mudflats or sandflats.
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Mature sabkhas are only flooded after heavy rainstorms and may eventually coalesce to form a sabkha coastal plain. These coastal plains are very flat, with reliefs between 10–50 cm, and their seaward slope can be as little as 1:1,000.Butler, G.P., 1969. Modern evaporite deposition and geochemistry of coexisting brines, the sabkha, Trucial Coast, Arabian Gulf. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 39(1).
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There are also brackish salt flats in some areas, such as the Umm al Samim area on the desert's eastern edge. Ali Al-Naimi reports that the sand dunes don't drift. He goes on to say, > Sand blows off the surface, of course, but the essential shape of the dunes > remains intact, probably due to the moisture leaching up into the base of > the dunes from the surrounding sabkhas.
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The prevailing north and northeast winds influence the movement of water in the coastal inlets to the adjacent sabkhas, especially during storms. Winter mean sea level is higher than in summer. Tidal velocities passing through constrictions caused by reefs, sand bars and low islands commonly exceed 1–2 m/s (3-6.5 ft/s). Coral reefs in the Red Sea are near Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan.
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Other geographic features listed include four jeris (places where water flows) one plain, four hills, two sabkhas, and two capes. Two natural islands are found off its shores, Al Jazira (literally meaning 'The Island') and Al Aaliya Island. In the central portion, where most of the municipality's coastline is found, an open desert landscape is predominant. Large swathes of the central-east are dedicated to the Al Wusail Environmental Protected Area.
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Wadis are located on gently sloping, nearly flat parts of deserts; commonly they begin on the distal portions of alluvial fans and extend to inland sabkhas or dry lakes. In basin and range topography, wadis trend along basin axes at the terminus of fans. Permanent channels do not exist, due to lack of continual water flow. Wadis have braided stream patterns because of the deficiency of water and the abundance of sediments.
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Mesaieed is located on the southeast coast, approximately south of Qatar's capital, Doha. It is a part of the Al Wakrah Municipality. Other distances include Al Wakrah – 21 km away, Umm Salal Ali – 63 km away, Madinat ash Shamal – 143 km away, Al Khor – 93 km away, and Dukhan – 74.6 km away. Camels grazing a salt marsh near Mesaieed, Qatar The eastern section is situated over a low, rocky promontory which is enclosed by sabkhas on the coast.
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The area was long recognized for its abundance of potable water, as signified by its name. During rainy season, its multiple depressions would accommodate vast reservoirs of rainwater, which would supplement already-existing wells in the area, one of which is presently being used for a date palm plantation. Sabkhas (salt-flats) prevail on its coastline. Not much vegetation is to be found, with the exception of desert shrubs, prickly bushes, and on rare occasions, an Acacia tree.
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It is likely that Bedouins visited the region mainly during times of suitable weather, such as the rainy season. Herdsman were able to nourish their camels with the saline water, which would, in turn, yield drinkable milk. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME), the municipality accommodates 192 rawdas, 13 wadis, four jeris (places where water flows), seven plains, 14 hills, four highlands, seven sabkhas, four bays, and three coral reefs. The only cape recorded here is Ras Al Maharef.
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The active compression caused by the Alpine orogeny and represented in the Middle Eastern territories by the Zagros fold and thrust belt, continued in the late Paleogene and Neogene, with the main phase of uplift lasting from about 25 to 18 Ma.Ali et al., 2018, p.179 The Quaternary overburden section of the active margin stage of the basin contains sands, silts, clays and conglomerates deposited in sand dunes (ergs) and sabkhas. The sequence is disturbed by the impact of various meteorites in a series of craters known as the Wabar craters.
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Most of the low-to-medium density housing projects are found in the western sector, near the Wholesale Market Area. Residential areas in western Doha include Al Sadd, Abu Hamour and Al Gharafa, of which the latter two are geographically located in Al Rayyan but which constitute a part of Metropolitan Doha. According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality accommodates five rawdas, one wadi, three plains, seven hills, two sabkhas, four capes, and two bays. Four islands are found off its shores, not including The Pearl.
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A seafront promenade stretched over a 28,000 square meter area known as Al Khor Corniche runs through the municipal seat. Mangroves (Avicennia marina) in Al Khor Island overlooking the mainland According to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, the municipality accommodates 170 rawdas, 49 wadis, 57 jeris (places where water flows), seven jeryan (multiple jeris), seven plains, 22 hills, five highlands, 13 sabkhas, 17 capes, four bays, and three coral reefs. Four islands are found off its shores, the most important of which is Al Khor Island (also known as Jazirat Bin Ghanim). White mangrove forests in Qatar can be found in greatest abundance near Al Khor and Al Thakhira.
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