The effects of gully erosion on Hafit Mountain slopes – The eastern province of United Arab Emirates.
Torab, M. M.*
* Prof. of Geomorphology, Department of Geography, Alexandria University, Faculty of Arts, Damanhour, Egypt
E-mail: magdytorab@hotmail.com.
In Some desert areas like the Arabian Sahara of the United Arab Emirates, flash flooding is very effective process of gully erosion.
Hafit Mountain is an elongated anticlinal chain, lies in the eastern portion of U.A.E., as a part of the Oman folded mountain system. Hafit carbonate mountain extents in a north / south direction for about 15 kilometers, the maximum height reaches to 1163 meters o.d.
The total study area included the surrounded piedmont plains, bahada landforms and built up area (Al-Ain City), not more than 600 kilometers squares (20X30 kilometers).
Hafit Mountain slopes are dissected by numerous radial gullies, short streams and some modifided channels into parallel drainage pattern, guided by local lineaments and strikes of steeply dipping carbonate rocks. These drainage systems are divided the mountain slopes into sharp hogbacks ridges and blocks, its certainly developed under more wet climatic conditions than present dry climate.
Meteorological data shows that short periods of heavy rainfall occur in January and February months as a result of unstable air with high humidity. The rain fall amount during last 10 years was in the range up to 400 mm.
The spatial gullies effect is localized, modification the overall landscape during single event in cultivated and urban land-use areas, such events can be a major cause of erosion and damage, but we can use this great amount of water in agriculture.
This paper deals with the implication of gulling erosion as a result of flash floods by using the following techniques:
· Field geomorphological mapping.
· Flood-hazards mapping.
· Hydro-morphometric analysis.
· Visual landsat image interpretation.
· Geographical information system.
Keywords: effects of gully erosion, Hafit Mountain, United Arab Emirates.