Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 19.13
Geomorphic characteristics of the sabkha, Khor
region, Qatar (Fig.
19.12
). (
a
,
b
) Remote sensing image (
a
) and
interpretive facies patterns (
b
). (
c
,
d
) Remote sensing image
(
c
) and interpretive facies patterns (
d
) of the area highlighted
in (
a
), illustrating the progradational and offl apping pattern
associated with southward longshore transport (
arrow
) (Modifi ed
from original in Shinn (
1973a,
b
) )
Instead, many inter-ridge lows appear to have aggraded
to supratidal levels, although a subtle depression running
normal to the shore includes marshy algal mats and sea-
sonal evaporites (white areas in Fig.
19.15
).
oriented ridge. This coastline includes an irregular
complex of subtidal shoals, reefs, tidal deltas and
passes, protected intertidal lagoons, and supratidal
sabkhas that extends several 100 km along strike and is
up to 15 km wide, generally narrowing to the northeast.
The shamal blows onshore in this region (see above),
creating waves oriented roughly perpendicular to the
coast. The power of the waves varies along the coast,
however, as a result of the shielding effect of the Qatar
peninsula, which creates a more protected setting in its
lee, to the west along this coast (Fig.
19.16
). More
exposed areas (generally east of the Zubaiya penin-
sula, Kendall and Skipwith
1969
, see also Purser and
Evans
1973
) include a narrow lagoon separated from
19.4.2 United Arab Emirates - Zonation,
Subenvironments, and
Geomorphology
At the southern end of the Arabian Gulf, carbonate
coastal sediments of the United Arab Emirates
(Figs.
19.12
and
19.16
) overlie Miocene and Pleistocene
bedrock that crops out along an arcuate, low, NE-SW
