100 Places To Remember: The Empty Quarter (Rub al Khali) Saudi Arabia
Geschreven op 16-5-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Natuur
The Wind Creates Mars on Earth. Almost the size of Texas, the Empty Quarter is the largest uninterrupted sand sea in the world. Covering 650,000 square kilometres, it is one of the most extreme environments on the planet. Most of the desert is in Saudi Arabia, the rest in Yemen, Oman and the United Arab Emirates.
For centuries, proud Bedouin communities have been the only people with the skills to survive in this vast wilderness. While some Bedouin have settled in towns, others continue a traditional nomadic life in tents, feeding on milk and meat from their stock of sheep, goats and dromedaries and using their dromedaries for transport.
There is no permanent human habitation in the Empty Quarter, and few people have ever crossed the desert. In summer, temperatures can soar to above 50°C, making it one of the hottest and driest places on the planet. Over time, wind patterns have shaped the sand dunes, which reach heights of 300 metres, creating a surreal landscape that resembles Mars on Earth.
Even in this harsh climate, life flourishes. The vegetation mainly consisting of scattered herbs, shrubs and weeds feed the Bedouins livestock. Recent scientific expeditions have discovered 31 new plant species and varieties and 24 species of bird, leading the scientists to nickname the Empty Quarter The Valuable Quarter.
The sensitive ecosystem of the Arabian Desert is particularly vulnerable to climate change. Even a small rise in temperature will increase evaporation, reducing the surface moisture and putting even greater stress on water resources. By the end of this century, average annual temperatures are projected to increase by 4-5°C, which could wipe out the already scarce vegetation and endanger the remaining Bedouin societies.
