Petrogypsids; Hatta, UAE - a photo on Flickriver

Hatta is an exclave (a portion of territory of one state surrounded by territory of another) of the Dubai Emirate, in the United Arab Emirates. Formerly an Omani territory, its ownership was transferred to Dubai in or around 1850. It's located high in the Hajar Mountains. The restored, centuries-old Hatta Heritage Village features a defensive tower and stone houses with palm-frond roofs. Exhibits in the complex include traditional weapons, furniture and crockery. At the nearby Hatta Dam, the Hatta Reservoir Visitor Point overlooks the striking green water.

The old village of Hatta includes two prominent military towers from the 18th century and the Juma mosque, which was built in 1780 and is the oldest building in the city.

Since it is located in the mountains, traditionally it was the summer habitation of Dubai-based families escaping the heat and humidity of the coast. Since the early 1980s, Hatta has been a popular destination for adventuring tourists as well as local families.

Petrogypsids are the dominant soils in the valley. These soils are moderately deep and sandy overlying a petrogypsic layer. The soils are typically moderately well to excessively drained. They occur on flats and gentle slopes within level to gently undulating deflation plains and occasionally on sand sheets. They are formed from eolian sands that overlie petrogypsic materials.

These soils are used for rangeland grazing of camels though vegetation cover is frequently less than 5%. Common vegetation species recorded are Haloxylon salicornicum with occasional Zygophyllum spp. and Stipagrostis plumosa.

The main feature of this soil is the moderate depth (<100cm) to a petrogypsic horizon. The soil material above the hardpan is sandy and also contains a gypsum horizon. The limited depth to the hardpan layer is the main restriction for this soil. This restricts water movement, moisture retention and presents a barrier to root development further restricting the availability of nutrients. The presence of gypsum suggests that salinity might be a problem under irrigation. Soil subsidence may also be an issue as gypsum is leached from the soil under irrigation. This soil is considered unsuitable for irrigated agriculture.l

For more information about describing soils using the USDA-Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, visit:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_052523..

For more information about soil classification using the UAE Keys to Soil Taxonomy, visit:
agrifs.ir/sites/default/files/United%20Arab%20Emirates%20...

Taken in: United Arab Emirates / Dubai / Hatta (show map)

Taken on: January 20, 2012

Tags:

John Kelley

John A. Kelley

Environment

Agriculture

USDA-NRCS

Soil

Soil Science

Soil Survey

Hatta

UAE « less

Sets appears in: • Soilscapes

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