Solutional Landforms of Gabal Al-Qaraha, the Oasis of Al-Hasa, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Jabal Al-Qarah is one of the small outlier hills at the Oasis of Al-Hasa, lying at about lOkm ENE of Al-Hafuf Town. The solutional forms of Al-Qarah hill discussed in this paper are as follows : 1. A calcareous duricrust which covers the top and some of the slopes of the hill. 2. Rock Pillars which are long columns of white lime-stone. 3. Huge crevasses which are wide erosional openings along vertical joints. 4. Narrow, sinuous caves inside the hill. 5. Pedestal rocks with mushroom-like shape. Evidences collected from the field suggest that these characteristic solutional forms of Jabal Al-Qarah were developed under a variety of climates by the process of solution, and that their development was controlled by high rock solubility, horizontal beds of varying lithologies, and pronounced vertical joints.