Page 80 - Arabian Studies (V)

70 Arabian Studies V
diversification within the next few years. Indeed, as will be shown,
present groundwater supplies are likely to be exhausted or have
deteriorated to an unusable quality within the next two decades and
possibly well before oil reserves are finally consumed. A similar
situation is likely to arise in other states bordering the southern
Gulf where oil production has led to an immigrant population
explosion, capital infra-structural and social welfare development
and moves to diversify the economy towards industrialisation and
agriculture upon a meagre natural resource base in a hostile
climatic environment.

2. Topography and geology
The surface of the Qatar peninsula is of low to moderate relief,
with the highest elevation of 103 m. above sea level being attained
in southern Qatar where mesa type hills and large barchan sand
dunes serve to break the monotony of an otherwise flat eroded
landscape. The peninsula forms part of the extensive Saudi
Arabian land-mass and is the eastern extremity of the central
Arabian arch and east of the homoclinal structure that separates
the two structural provinces of the Arabian shelf (Powers, et al,
1966)
Cavalier (1970) has defined the peninsula as a wide anticlinal
arch or dome, the north-south axis of which being central to the
peninsula and culminating in the centre of the country. This arch is
complicated by the presence of several other more pronounced
structures, of which the Dukhan anticline (the main oil-bearing
structure of Qatar), the Sawda Nathil dome and the Simsimah
dome are apparent. The Dukhan anticline is a pronounced feature
with both limbs of the anticline exposed and trending north-south
along the western shore of the country. Major faulting has not been
observed in the field but a geophysical survey and a photo-
geological interpretation of satellite imagery has identified two
pronounced major lineations, forming a ‘V’ that intersect in the
vicinity of Rawdat Rashid in the centre of the country, as well as a
wide-spread system of fracturing. This system of fracturing is of
considerable importance ot the regional hydrogeology as not only
do the major fracture systems form a boundary between two
distinct aquifer systems but are also areas of high secondary perme­
ability brought about by karstification and solution of the lime­
stones. The age of folding dates from slight uplift at the end of the
lower Eocene, with further uplift at the end of the Eocene and
during the Oligocene when the Qatar arch attained its present
amplitude.