A review of natural geological hazards in Oman
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
A review of natural geological hazards in Oman M. H. Al‑Kindi1 · R. Hird1 Received: 5 March 2020 / Accepted: 29 July 2020 © Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract Oman has a diverse geology and physiography as a result of its location close to active tectonic plates. Oceanic and continental rocks spanning in age from the Proterozoic to the Tertiary are overlain by mobile sediments of the Quaternary. Infrastructure is expanding due to demands for industrial and residential land and associated transport networks, though the geology can abate this progress. Shifting dunes threaten road networks, residential areas and agricultural land. Ophiolite and mantle rocks can contain natural asbestos minerals which when fragmented can be hazardous to health. Large expanses of carbonate and evaporitic rocks are prone to karst morphology and where existing examples include caves and sinkholes. The recent tectonic events have given rise to earth tremors, fissures, ground displacements and tsunamis. A review of the main natural hazards in Oman is presented to assist with high-level land development planning in accordance with the geology and minimise its potentially hazardous effects. Keywords Dunes · Asbestos · Tsunami · Karst · Active faults
Introduction Geological natural hazards in one form or another are widespread across most of the world, and in Oman a variety of different natural geohazards are associated with its complex geology, physiography and climate. These hazards become noticeable during land development planning where measures need to be taken to minimise or prevent their effect. To accommodate future needs in mining and petroleum exploration, processing, storage and export, as well as population growth, infrastructure in Oman is encroaching into regions which once contained small settlements reliant on small subsidence farming or fishing. Oman is the third largest country in terms of land mass in the Arabian Peninsula with land borders between Yemen in the south, Saudi Arabia in the west and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the north. It is also split into three territories. The main part of Oman situated at the side of the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman where the capital Muscat is located. The Musandam peninsular which separates the Sea of Oman with the Persian (or Arabian) Gulf and is bounded to the west and south by the * R. Hird [email protected] 1
Earth Sciences Consultancy Centre, Ghala, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman
UAE, and Madha which is a small enclave surrounded by Fujairah (UAE) and containing an even smaller enclave of Sharjah (UAE). The region is arid subtropical with a hot dry climate and a very low rainfall except in the Dhofar region in the south near the Yemen border, which catches the summer monsoon. Its geology ranges from the Proterozoic, comprising igneous and metamorphic rocks exposed in patches along certain areas close to the eastern and southern coastal ranges of Oman, to Quaternary which includes dunes, salt flats and alluvium deposits. H
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