Empty Quarter
Encyclopedia
The Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter is one of the largest sand deserts
in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula
, including most of Saudi Arabia
and areas of Oman
, the United Arab Emirates
, and Yemen
. The desert covers some 650000 square kilometres (250,966.4 sq mi) (the area between long.
44°30′ −56°30′E., and lat.
16°30′ −23°00′N).
plains. The sand is a reddish-orange color due to the presence of feldspar
.
There are also brackish salt flats in some areas, such as the Umm al Samim
area on the desert's eastern edge.
, gypsum, marl
, or clay that were once the site of shallow lakes. These lakes existed during periods from 37,000 to 17,000 years ago and 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. The lakes are thought to have formed as a result of "cataclysmic rainfall" similar to present-day monsoon
rains and most probably lasted for only a few years. However, lakes in the Mundafen area in the southwest of the Rub' al Khali show evidence of lasting longer, up to 800 years, due to increased runoff from the Tuwaiq Escarpment.
Evidence suggests that the lakes were home to a variety of flora and fauna. Fossil remains indicate the presence of several animal species, such as hippopotamus
, water buffalo
, and long-horned cattle
. The lakes also contained small snails, ostracods, and when conditions were suitable, freshwater clams. Deposits of calcium carbonate and opal phytoliths
indicate the presence of plants and algae. There is also evidence of human activity dating from 10,000 to 5,000 years ago, including chipped flint
tools, but no actual human remains have been found.
, the Rub' al Khali falls within the Arabian Desert and East Saharo-Arabian xeric shrublands
.
-rich site in the world. Vast oil reserves
have been discovered underneath the sand dunes. Sheyba, in the middle of the desert, is a major Arab light crude oil-producing site in Saudi Arabia. Also, Ghawwar Field, the largest oil field in the world, extends southward into the northernmost parts of the Empty Quarter.
has increased through the millennia. Before desertification made the caravan
trails leading across the Rub' al Khali so difficult, the caravans of the frankincense
trade crossed now virtually impassable stretches of wasteland, until about AD 300. It has been suggested that Ubar, or Iram
, a lost city
, depended on such trade. The traces of camel tracks, unidentifable on the ground, appear in satellite images. More recently, tribal populations were also present in certain parts of the Empty Quarter, with the largest in the Najran region. A few road links were connected with these tribal settlements to the water resource and oil production centers.
's presence in the late 16th century, the first documented journeys by Westerners were made by Bertram Thomas
in 1931 and St. John Philby
in 1932. Between 1946 and 1950 Wilfred Thesiger
crossed the area several times and mapped large parts including the mountains of Oman.
In June 1950, a U.S. Air Force expedition crossed the Rub' al Khali from Dhahran
, Saudi Arabia, to central Yemen and back in trucks to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution
and to test desert survival procedures.
On February 25, 2006, a scientific excursion organized by the Saudi Geological Survey
began to explore the Empty Quarter. The expedition was led by a team of 89 environmentalist
s, geologist
s, and other scientists, from Saudi Arabia as well as experts from abroad. Various types of fossilized creatures as well as meteorites were discovered in the desert. The expedition also led to the discovery of 31 new plant species and plant varieties, as well as 24 species of birds that inhabit the region, which fascinated scientists as to how they have survived under the harsh conditions of the Empty Quarter. These findings led the geologists to nickname the area Rub' al-Ghali, or the Valuable Quarter.
Déserts
Déserts is a piece by Edgard Varèse for brass , percussion , piano, and tape. Percussion instruments are exploited for their resonant potential, rather than used solely as accompaniment...
in the world, encompassing most of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula
Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
, including most of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and areas of Oman
Oman
Oman , officially called the Sultanate of Oman , is an Arab state in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the...
, the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
, and Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
. The desert covers some 650000 square kilometres (250,966.4 sq mi) (the area between long.
Longitude
Longitude is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east-west position of a point on the Earth's surface. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees, minutes and seconds, and denoted by the Greek letter lambda ....
44°30′ −56°30′E., and lat.
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
16°30′ −23°00′N).
Description
Terrain
The desert is 1000 kilometres (621.4 mi) long, and 500 kilometres (310.7 mi) wide. Its surface elevation varies from 800 metres (2,624.7 ft) in the southwest to around sea level in the northeast. The terrain is covered with sand dunes with heights up to 250 metres (820.2 ft), interspersed with gravel and gypsumGypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
plains. The sand is a reddish-orange color due to the presence of feldspar
Feldspar
Feldspars are a group of rock-forming tectosilicate minerals which make up as much as 60% of the Earth's crust....
.
There are also brackish salt flats in some areas, such as the Umm al Samim
Umm al Samim
The Umm al Samim is a quicksand area on the eastern edge of the Rub al'khali desert within Oman's borders. The waters, such as they are, drain into this brackish low-lying closed basin area off the Omani mountains and the wadis of the Rub al'khali...
area on the desert's eastern edge.
Lake beds
Along the middle length of the desert there are a number of raised, hardened areas of calcium carbonateCalcium carbonate
Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula CaCO3. It is a common substance found in rocks in all parts of the world, and is the main component of shells of marine organisms, snails, coal balls, pearls, and eggshells. Calcium carbonate is the active ingredient in agricultural lime,...
, gypsum, marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
, or clay that were once the site of shallow lakes. These lakes existed during periods from 37,000 to 17,000 years ago and 10,000 to 5,000 years ago. The lakes are thought to have formed as a result of "cataclysmic rainfall" similar to present-day monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
rains and most probably lasted for only a few years. However, lakes in the Mundafen area in the southwest of the Rub' al Khali show evidence of lasting longer, up to 800 years, due to increased runoff from the Tuwaiq Escarpment.
Evidence suggests that the lakes were home to a variety of flora and fauna. Fossil remains indicate the presence of several animal species, such as hippopotamus
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus , or hippo, from the ancient Greek for "river horse" , is a large, mostly herbivorous mammal in sub-Saharan Africa, and one of only two extant species in the family Hippopotamidae After the elephant and rhinoceros, the hippopotamus is the third largest land mammal and the heaviest...
, water buffalo
Water buffalo
The water buffalo is a domesticated bovid widely kept in Asia, Europe and South America.Water buffalo can also refer to:*Wild water buffalo , the wild ancestor of the domestic water buffalo...
, and long-horned cattle
Aurochs
The aurochs , the ancestor of domestic cattle, were a type of large wild cattle which inhabited Europe, Asia and North Africa, but is now extinct; it survived in Europe until 1627....
. The lakes also contained small snails, ostracods, and when conditions were suitable, freshwater clams. Deposits of calcium carbonate and opal phytoliths
Phytolith
Some plants can take up silica in the soil, whereupon it is deposited within different intracellular and extracellular structures of the plant. After these plants decay, silica is redeposited in the soil in the form of phytoliths , which are rigid, microscopic structures of varying sizes and shapes...
indicate the presence of plants and algae. There is also evidence of human activity dating from 10,000 to 5,000 years ago, including chipped flint
Flint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
tools, but no actual human remains have been found.
Climate
The region is classified as "hyper-arid", with typical annual rainfall of less than 35 millimetres (1.4 in). Daily maximum temperatures average at 47 °C (116.6 °F) during July and August and can reach temperatures as high as 51 °C (123.8 °F).Biodiversity
Fauna includes arachnids and rodents while plants live throughout the Empty Quarter. As an ecoregionEcoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
, the Rub' al Khali falls within the Arabian Desert and East Saharo-Arabian xeric shrublands
Arabian Desert
The Arabian Desert is a vast desert wilderness stretching from Yemen to the Persian Gulf and Oman to Jordan and Iraq. It occupies most of the Arabian Peninsula, with an area of...
.
Oil
Geologically, the Empty Quarter is the second most oilPetroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
-rich site in the world. Vast oil reserves
Oil reserves
The total estimated amount of oil in an oil reservoir, including both producible and non-producible oil, is called oil in place. However, because of reservoir characteristics and limitations in petroleum extraction technologies, only a fraction of this oil can be brought to the surface, and it is...
have been discovered underneath the sand dunes. Sheyba, in the middle of the desert, is a major Arab light crude oil-producing site in Saudi Arabia. Also, Ghawwar Field, the largest oil field in the world, extends southward into the northernmost parts of the Empty Quarter.
History
DesertificationDesertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
has increased through the millennia. Before desertification made the caravan
Camel train
A camel train is a series of camels carrying goods or passengers in a group as part of a regular or semi-regular service between two points. Although they rarely travelled faster than the walking speed of a man, camels' ability to handle harsh conditions made camel trains a vital part of...
trails leading across the Rub' al Khali so difficult, the caravans of the frankincense
Frankincense
Frankincense, also called olibanum , is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana, and B. bhaw-dajiana...
trade crossed now virtually impassable stretches of wasteland, until about AD 300. It has been suggested that Ubar, or Iram
Iram of the Pillars
Iram of the Pillars , also called Aram, Iram, Irum, Irem, Erum, Wabar, Ubar, or the City of a Thousand Pillars, is a lost city on the Arabian Peninsula.-Introduction:Ubar, a name of a region or a name of a people, was mentioned in ancient records, and was spoken of in folk...
, a lost city
Lost city
A "Lost City" is a term that is generally considered to refer to a well-populated area which fell into terminal decline, became extensively or completely uninhabited, and whose location has been forgotten. Some lost cities whose locations have been rediscovered have been studied extensively by...
, depended on such trade. The traces of camel tracks, unidentifable on the ground, appear in satellite images. More recently, tribal populations were also present in certain parts of the Empty Quarter, with the largest in the Najran region. A few road links were connected with these tribal settlements to the water resource and oil production centers.
Expeditions
After Pedro PáezPedro Páez
Pedro Páez Jaramillo was a Spanish Jesuit missionary in Ethiopia. Páez is considered by many experts on Ethiopia to be the most effective Catholic missionary in Ethiopia...
's presence in the late 16th century, the first documented journeys by Westerners were made by Bertram Thomas
Bertram Thomas
Bertram Thomas was an English civil servant who is the first documented Westerner to cross the Rub' al Khali . He was also a scientist who practiced craniofacial anthropometry,...
in 1931 and St. John Philby
St. John Philby
Harry St John Bridger Philby CIE , also known as Jack Philby or Sheikh Abdullah , his Arabic name, was an Arabist, explorer, writer, and British colonial office intelligence officer...
in 1932. Between 1946 and 1950 Wilfred Thesiger
Wilfred Thesiger
Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger, CBE, DSO, FRAS, FRGS was a British explorer and travel writer born in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia.-Family:...
crossed the area several times and mapped large parts including the mountains of Oman.
In June 1950, a U.S. Air Force expedition crossed the Rub' al Khali from Dhahran
Dhahran
Dhahran is a city located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province, and is a major administrative center for the Saudi oil industry. Large oil reserves were first identified in the Dhahran area in 1931, and in 1935 Standard Oil of California drilled the first commercially viable oil well...
, Saudi Arabia, to central Yemen and back in trucks to collect specimens for the Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution is an educational and research institute and associated museum complex, administered and funded by the government of the United States and by funds from its endowment, contributions, and profits from its retail operations, concessions, licensing activities, and magazines...
and to test desert survival procedures.
On February 25, 2006, a scientific excursion organized by the Saudi Geological Survey
Saudi Geological Survey
The Saudi Geological Survey is the national geologic survey of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was established as an independent entity attached to the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources following a Council of Ministers Decision in 1999...
began to explore the Empty Quarter. The expedition was led by a team of 89 environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
s, geologist
Geologist
A geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s, and other scientists, from Saudi Arabia as well as experts from abroad. Various types of fossilized creatures as well as meteorites were discovered in the desert. The expedition also led to the discovery of 31 new plant species and plant varieties, as well as 24 species of birds that inhabit the region, which fascinated scientists as to how they have survived under the harsh conditions of the Empty Quarter. These findings led the geologists to nickname the area Rub' al-Ghali, or the Valuable Quarter.
In fiction
- The Empty Quarter plays an important role in Clive Barker's JerichoClive Barker's JerichoClive Barker’s Jericho is a supernatural horror-themed first person shooter video game with author Clive Barker providing the premise of the storyline...
, and in his novel WeaveworldWeaveworldWeaveworld is a novel by Clive Barker. It was published in 1987 and could be categorized as dark fantasy. It deals with a parallel world, like many of Barker's novels, and contains many horror elements....
, and in Tim PowersTim PowersTimothy Thomas "Tim" Powers is an American science fiction and fantasy author. Powers has won the World Fantasy Award twice for his critically acclaimed novels Last Call and Declare...
' DeclareDeclareDeclare is a supernatural spy novel by Tim Powers. It presents a secret history of the Cold War in which an agent for a secret British spy organization learns the true nature of several beings living on Mount Ararat. In this he is opposed by real-life communist traitor Kim Philby, who did travel...
. - It also serves as the site of Machine City, Zero-One, in the Matrix series.
- Gerald SeymourGerald SeymourGerald Seymour is a British writer.-Life:The son of two literary figures, he was educated at Kelly College at Tavistock in Devon and took a BA Hons degree in Modern History at University College London...
's novel Unknown Soldier is almost entirely set in the Rub' al Khali. - Jack HigginsJack HigginsJack Higgins is the principal pseudonym of UK novelist Harry Patterson. Patterson is the author of more than 60 novels. As Higgins, most have been thrillers of various types and, since his breakthrough novel The Eagle Has Landed in 1975, nearly all have been bestsellers...
sets much of the action in his novels Edge of Danger and Midnight RunnerMidnight RunnerMidnight Runner is a novel by Jack Higgins published in 2002. It is his tenth Sean Dillon novel.-Reviews:*"MIDNIGHT RUNNER ." Kirkus Reviews 70.2 : 65. Abstract: Reviews the book 'Midnight Runner,' by Jack Higgins....
in the Empty Quarter. - The Empty Quarter is also mentioned several times in The Black StallionThe Black StallionThe Black Stallion, known as "the Black" or "Shêtân", is the title character from author Walter Farley's bestselling series about the stallion and his young owner, Alec Ramsay...
series of books from Walter FarleyWalter FarleyWalter Farley was an American author, primarily of horse stories for children. Educated at Columbia, where he received a B.A. in 1941, his first and most famous work was The Black Stallion...
. - Much of the SIGMA Force book Sandstorm by James RollinsJames Rollins* For the American baseball pitcher, see Jim Czajkowski* For the American baseball shortstop, see Jimmy Rollins* For the 19th century American politician from Missouri, see James S. Rollins...
takes place in the Empty Quarter. - Rub' al Khali is one of the settings for the Playstation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It was...
, in which protaganist Nathan DrakeNathan Drake (character)Nathan "Nate" Drake is the fictional protagonist of the Uncharted video game series, developed by Naughty Dog. He is a playable character in Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, Uncharted: Golden Abyss, and appears in the motion comic prequel...
searches for the Iram of the PillarsIram of the PillarsIram of the Pillars , also called Aram, Iram, Irum, Irem, Erum, Wabar, Ubar, or the City of a Thousand Pillars, is a lost city on the Arabian Peninsula.-Introduction:Ubar, a name of a region or a name of a people, was mentioned in ancient records, and was spoken of in folk...
. - The Empty Quarter serves as the location of the fictional "Ocean of Fire" horse race in the 2004 film HidalgoHidalgo (film)Hidalgo is a 2004 film based on the legend of the American distance rider Frank Hopkins and his mustang Hidalgo, and recounts Hopkins' racing his horse in Arabia in 1891 against Bedouin riding pure-blooded Arabian horses. The movie was written by John Fusco and directed by Joe Johnston...
. Filming of the movie actually occurred at various locations in the U.S.A. and Morocco. - In the Japanese light novel series Zero No Tsukaima, Rub' al Khali is thought to be the place of origin of the main character, Hiraga Saito.
- In Daniel Easterman's second novel, The Seventh Sanctuary it is the location of the lost city of Iram, where the eponymous seventh sanctuary is situated.
External links
- Lost city under the Rub’ Al-Khali, Saudi Life.
- Sights & Sounds: The Empty Quarter: A National Geographic virtual tour in the Empty Quarter.
- Clear picture of some of the dunes in the Empty Quarter.
