Wahiba Sands
The Sharqiya Sands[1] (Arabic: ٱلرِّمَال ٱلشَّرْقِيَّة, romanized: Ar-Rimāl Ash-Sharqiyyah, formerly known as Wahiba Sands (رِمَال وَهِيْبَةorرَمْلَة آل وَهِيْبَة)) is a region of desertinOman.[2][3] The region was named for the Bani Wahiba tribe.[4] Divided between the northern and southern governoratesinthe Eastern Region. The area is defined by a boundary of 180 kilometers (110 mi) north to south and 80 kilometers (50 mi) east to west,[5] with an area of 12,500 square kilometers (4,800 sq mi).[6] The desert has been of scientific interest since a 1986 expedition by the Royal Geographical Society documented the diversity of the terrain, the flora and fauna, noting 16,000 invertebrates as well as 200 species of other wildlife, including avifauna.[5] They also documented 150 species of native flora.
The desert was formed during the Quaternary period as a result of the forces of south-west blowing monsoon and the northern shamal trade wind, coming in from the east.[7] Based on the types of dunes found in the area, it is divided into the high, or upper, Wahiba and low Wahiba.[6][8] The upper area contains mega-ridge sand systems on a north–south line that are believed to have been formed by monsoon.[6] The dunes of the north, formed at some point after the last regional glaciation, measure up to 100 meters (330 ft) high,[9] with peaks accumulating in the areas just beyond the strongest wind speeds, where declining velocity wind deposited sand.[10] The north and west boundaries of the desert are delineated by the fluvial systems Wadi Batha and Wadi Andam.[11] Beneath the surface sands are an older layer of cemented carbonate sand.[9] Alluvium deposits believed to have originated from the Wadi Batha during the Paleolithic era have been disclosed in the central desert 200 meters (660 ft) beneath the interdune surface.[12] Wind erosion is believed to have contributed to the existence of a nearly level plain in the southwest.[13]
The area is occupied by Bedouins who congregate at Al-Huyawah, an oasis near the border of the desert, between June and September to gather dates.[5] Tribes present in the area at the time of the Royal Geographical Society expedition included, predominantly, Al Wahiba (or Yal Wahiba) for whom the region is named, Al-Amr, Al-Bu-Isa, Hikman, Hishm and Janaba.[14]
The Wahiba Sand Sea has been previously divided into upper (north and higher in elevation) and lower (south and lower in elevation) portions, based on dune morphology.
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