- Features of the Rub al-Khali desert
- Geological structure of the area
- Road to hell
- Who lives in the Rub al-Khali desert
- Desert entertainment
- Video
The translation of the name of these desert territories located on the Arabian Peninsula sounds like "empty quarter". In fact, given the moment that the Rub al-Khali desert occupies already one third of the peninsula, the question arises of changing the toponym in order to reflect the real state of affairs.
From a political point of view, the desert "captured" the territories of four states, including Oman, the UAE, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The only question is how to define the real border within the desert. The interest of the states is understandable, the world's largest oil fields have been discovered on the territory of the desert, no one wants to miss their tidbit of the oil pie.
Features of the Rub al-Khali desert
It is one of the largest in the world, one of the top five. The second point that deserves attention, the Rub al-Khali desert is considered one of the hottest places on the planet. The thermometer in July and August reaches a maximum mark of + 50 ° С and above, and the average level of this month is around + 47 ° С.
The third nuance is associated with the amount of precipitation that falls here during the year. And here, too, record figures, however, this time the minimum. The Rub al-Khali desert is again in the first positions in the ranking of the driest places, marked by the years when the amount of precipitation was only 35 mm.
Geological structure of the area
The desert is a large basin stretching from northeast to southwest, passing through the Arabian shelf. In the lower layers there are deposits of gravel and gypsum, in the upper layers there is sand. It consists mainly of silicates, while quartz takes the lion's share in percentage - up to 90%.
Interestingly, feldspar, which makes up only 10% of the sand mass, gives the desert a fantastic color. Grains of feldspar are covered with iron oxide on top, so they are painted in red or orange-brick colors. Accordingly, the view of the desert in the photo or video resembles, according to the ideas of people, the Martian red landscapes.
In the southeastern half of the desert, massifs of white quicksand were discovered. The dunes are so huge that they are charged up to 250 meters. People find salvation in one of two oases - El Eine or Liva.
Road to hell
Many tourists who come to rest in the UAE and nearby countries dream of seeing this miracle of nature with their own eyes, to feel the hot breath of the desert. There are three ways to get to Rub al-Khali: via Abu Dhabi to Liwa oasis along the luxurious six-lane highway; via Abu Dhabi and Hamim to Liwa Oasis on the smaller motorway (two-lane).
The third option is the most original, it involves a journey along the border strip with Oman, then also, but along the border with Saudi Arabia. On the way, tourists pass El Ain and the desert itself, by the way, guests of the Arabian Peninsula are often deceived - they are actually taken to the suburbs of Dubai, where you can see the dunes, which are passed off as a desert. But real desert adventures await on a safari in Rub al Khali.
Unusual local landscapes are recorded not only in documentaries, but also in many science fiction films, literature and even computer games.
Who lives in the Rub al-Khali desert
At first glance, it seems that in such a hell of a chance of survival, no living creature on earth. But this is not entirely true, occasionally you can find both ungulates and predators. At night, when it gets cooler, the active life of the representatives of the desert fauna begins, you can see rodents and lizards. Rare vegetation in the form of camel thorns, anchors and hodgepodge is the main food of these animals.
Scientists claim that there was once a network of lakes on the site of the desert, which were home to mammals, amphibians and reptiles, including hippos and buffaloes. Yes, and a reasonable man left traces of his stay. Among the artifacts found in this area are tools, the age of which is from 5,000 to 10,000 years, however, the remains of the person himself could not be found.
Desert entertainment
Despite the high temperatures that persist all year round, there are enough tourists who want not only to see the desert, but also to take part in some active activities. Accordingly, the local population has to get out and come up with activities.
The most popular and simple at the same time is driving off-road vehicles, the rest of the cars have nothing to do here. Competition for them is created only by ATVs that can overcome the tall dunes. Among the exotic entertainments is skiing (!), However, specially designed for the desert, and on the same special boards. Women prefer less extreme entertainment in the desert; trips to the Bedouin camp are specially organized for them, where you can get acquainted with the life of the ancient inhabitants of these lands.
