WIND AND ITS IMPACT ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPEARANCE ON MUSANDAM PENINSULA- SULTANATE OF OMAN Dr. Naglaa Tawfik Oref Lecturer of physical geography and GIS Department of social studies, Taibahu University, Saudi Arabia Received on 5/10/2018 Accepted on 4/12/2018 Vol.11 (1) March 2019 51 WIND AND ITS IMPACT ON THE the submerged coasts and a number of intents GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPEARANCE ON that formulate the area coast(Torab , M 2002). MUSANDAM PENINSULA- SULTANATE OF OMAN Location: Dr. Naglaa Tawfik Oref Musandam peninsula lies at the entrance of lecturer of physical geography and GIS The Arabian Gulf, extending between two Department of social studies, latitudes of 25º 40′ and 26º 30′ to the north, and Taibahu University, Saudi Arabia between two longitudes of 56º 05′ and 56º 30′ The Egyptian Journal Of Environmental Change Key words: coastal sand dunes, Rock Chimney, to the east. limited by The Gulf of Oman from Musandam Peninsula, Arabian Gulf, the east and by The Arabian Gulf from the west. Abstract: It overlooks Strait of Hormuz northerly, but the Musandam peninsula lies at the entrance of southern watershed separating between Basins The Arabian Gulf. The area affected by the of Wadi Tibet, Wadi Khasab, Wadi Al-Wahiya tilting subsidence that had happened in the and Mala which slopes towards west, north and Tertiary and are still happening now (Falcon, east, on one hand, and between Wadi Sha'am and N.L., 1973). The climate impact on the area’s Al-Bih, sloping towards south and west, on the surface. The old climate effect on the drainage other one this line is considered as a southern networks. The current climate affecting the limit of the study area. Therefore, Musandam genesis of the geomorphological phenomena peninsula represents the maximum extension resulting from weathering with all its types. for Sultanate of Oman to the north, and its area This study throwing light on Wind as one is about 1000 square kilometers. Figure (1) of the current climate elements formed the peninsula surface. Study the geomorphological phenomena resulting from wind. Especially rock chimney as wind erosion feature. Coastal sand dunes and nabkha . Study the size and mineral composition of sand deposit in an attempt to identify its sources. Introduction: Musandam Peninsula forms a marine head separating between The Gulf of Oman, eastward and The Arabian Gulf , westward, sloping from Harem Mountain, southward until reaching Khasab Inlet northward. In fact, Musandam Peninsula is regarded as a tectonically active area since it is subject to Tilting Subsidence Movement in the direction of Strait of Hormuz, and this movement is still active owing to the moving of Arab peninsula plate tectonic (Falcon, N.L., 1971-1972):, Its collision and subsidence below the Iranian Plate Tectonic, resulting in Source: - Topographic maps of scale 1:100000. the marine submersion of some parts of the - Landsat, ETM+. Image with 14 m, resolution. Arab peninsula surface This is besides forming Fig. (1): The location of the study area 52 Vol.11 (1) March 2019 Dr. Naglaa Tawfik Oref WIND AND ITS IMPACT ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPEARANCE ON MUSANDAM PENINSULA- SULTANATE OF OMAN Goals and Objectives: attributed to the location of the area, as part of Clarification of the role played by the wind the Arabian Gulf, exposed under the influence as one of current climate element formed the of the Siberian high in the east and the high peninsula surface and study of coastal sand stretching from the Atlantic Ocean from the dunes as phenomenon resulting from the West and created low secondary shallow over reaction between them. Investigate the sand the Arabian Gulf as the source of the wind deposit sources. prevailing and affecting the area. As a matter of fact, the south east wind blows Methods: increasingly, from the direction (150 degrees) This work uses some methods such as: at Khasab, especially at the latest of autumn - The Cartographical and Quantitative and the beginning of winter, it may be due Analysis. - Land Sat ETM+, 9 Bands with a resolution Table (1): Speed and direction of wind at both of 14m (2005) were used and analyzed in order Meteorological stations of Khasab and Dibba to take some spectral signature for sand dunes. during the period of (1993-2003). - Field work helps in measuring the cross Khasab Dibba Direction sectors of the sand dunes and nabkha studied. Km / h % Km / h % All notes, field measurements a number of 0 8.1 10.2 4.6 6.4 samples collected in order to be analyzed, 30 8.5 7.8 7.2 17.9 knowing the results and drawing the necessary 60 10.1 8.4 10.5 30.6 diagrams by computer. 90 14.3 7.2 7.3 3.4 - The laboratory Analyses were performed, 120 16.5 8.3 5.2 1.5 dealing with the grain sizes of deposits and their 150 9.7 19.0 5.2 1.4 Mineral properties, of the samples collected 180 8.7 4.3 13.2 4.6 during the field study, from alluvial terraces 210 13.2 7.5 11.4 21.4 and coastal sand dunes. So analysis was done at 240 12.3 5.2 13.0 7.6 270 12.8 5.9 16.8 2.8 The Central Laboratory at The Desert Research 300 8.6 6.6 6.9 1.1 Centre in Cairo.(2009) 330 8.6 9.7 3.9 1.3 - But the microscopic analysis of micro grain Total 131.3 100.0 105.2 100.0 deposits was done, by using the Electronic Calm - - Scanner at Faculty of Science, Alexandria Variable - - University in order to examine the deposit Prevailing Dir. 150 60 granules and record any micro features on their Mean Speed 10.9 8.8 surfaces. (2010) (Knots) - Wind shares in forming some parts of the Gust Speed 85.2 130.4 study area as it blows in all directions, most of (Knots) the year days. So we can observe the following Source: Climatic Data Form the Civil Aviation and facts, through studying table (1) and fig. (2): Meteorology Wind blows from all directions, as in Khasab, Source : Table (1) those directions are north, north east, and north west, especially in winter and this may be Vol.11 (1) March 2019 53 that does not exceed 18.5 kilometers an hour while the area is listed according to Beaufort classification of wind comprising twelve classes between the first and the fourth class (Godah, 2002). That is, wind ranges between Light air while the average of وand Moderate breeze the wind speed is 10.8 kilometers an hour at The Egyptian Journal Of Environmental Change Khasab and 9.2 kilometers an hour at Dibba. So it lies, according to Beaufort classification of wind, at the second class under the title of the Light breeze. - The speed of wind at Khasab sometimes reach 85.2 kilometers an hour during the months of winter and wind is classified as of the tenth class and called Storm, and its strength can increase reaching the twelfth class, the top of Beaufort scale, known as hurricane as the speed of wind at Dibba reaches 130.4 kilometers an hour and this may be due to the fact that Dibba region faces The Gulf of Oman and the Indian Ocean in the domain of forming the violent hurricanes. Fig. (2) – Directions of Wind at the - Accordingly, the strength and importance of Meteorological Station of both Khasab and Dibba, During the (1993-2003). wind are clear regarding the formation of the study area surface whose effects were observed to the blowing of the cold marine polar air at the field study concerning forming a number mass from the North Atlantic. But the south of phenomena among which are: east active wind, creating some sandstorms. Sand Dunes: At the same time, wind blows increasingly They are regarded as an obvious print at Dibba region from the north east direction of the wind action at the study area and (60 degrees) as wind blows at the arrival of characterized as follows: spring and the beginning of summer but this - Coastal sand dunes extend from Ra's El- may be due to the existence of seasonal Sudan Jady in the north, to Wadi Tibat in the south, low pressure, west south of the area, which at the distance estimated of approximately 20 unite with the seasonal Indian low pressure in kilometers deepening in the direction of the Summer, forming an atmospheric low pressure dry vally for only one kilometers, owing to the that includes the study area, therefore, wind existence of the coastal heights parallel to the come from the northeast where the atmospheric coastal line. So these sand dunes overlook the high pressure, owing to the low temperature in Gulf water directly, forming part of its front and Siberia back shores and re-forming the foot margins of - The rate of calm days, reaches 11.5% at those dunes. Khasab and 15.4% at Dibba. - The coastal sand dunes existence is due - Wind blows at the study area at the speed to the west south wind blowing from the 54 Vol.11 (1) March 2019 Dr. Naglaa Tawfik Oref WIND AND ITS IMPACT ON THE GEOMORPHOLOGICAL APPEARANCE ON MUSANDAM PENINSULA- SULTANATE OF OMAN Arabian Peninsula, at the speed average of 13.9 69.2 meters in front of Al-Jady village and 125.7 kilometers an hour and which can reach 130 meters. At Tibat, having the average of 108.2 kilometers an hour during stormy days. This meters while the width of dunes ranges between wind carries deposits from the near shores dried 155.6 meters at Gamada and 326.7 meters, south by the solar radiation action.