The Rub Al-Khali is a vast desert covering much of the southern Arabian Peninsula, with extreme temperatures and few human inhabitants. It has the highest amount of untapped oil and many dry lake beds, and was once fertile. Despite its harsh conditions, many species of birds, plants, and insects thrive there. Recent expeditions have discovered new plant and animal species, meteoric rocks, and fossils.
The Rub Al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, is the vast expanse of desert that covers much of the southern half of the Arabian Peninsula. It makes up about a third of Saudi Arabia and extends into both Yemen and Oman. Its size makes it one of the largest deserts in the world, covering approximately 25,000 square miles (40,232.45 square km) of land.
The harsh conditions of the Rub Al-Khali mean it has rarely been inhabited or even explored by humans. Nomadic Bedouins who have lived on the Arabian Peninsula for thousands of years have deliberately established travel routes that will only skirt the edges of the Rub Al-Khali. This isn’t surprising, since on an average summer day, the temperature can easily soar to 131 degrees F (55 C). Surprisingly, the extreme temperatures of the Rub Al-Khali still allow many species of birds, plants and insects to thrive.
The Rub Al-Khali is of great importance from the point of view of natural resources. It is generally believed to have the highest amount of untapped oil. Some of the world’s largest oil fields stretch across this hostile desert. However, the normal conditions of life in the desert make it difficult to stray too far in the Empty Quarter. At some point before 300 BC, some Bedouin trade routes crossed in the Rub Al-Khali, but these had to be planned very carefully. Some of the sand dunes in this desert reach heights of over 1000 feet (304.8m), making it an impossible climb for a slow caravan.
An interesting aspect of the Rub Al-Khali is the number of dry lake beds that can be found there. Scientists estimate that probably around 40,000 years ago, the Empty Quarter was a fertile place, benefiting from the monsoon seasons. Climatologists believe that the monsoons have shifted gradually, benefiting areas such as Egypt and India, and causing the drying up of many water sources in the Saudi desert. The fossil record shows freshwater shells and a thriving population of animals that could not survive the current conditions of the Empty Quarter.
The Empty Quarter isn’t actually that empty, although it may look that way to the naked eye. In addition to having the largest oil reserve on Earth, many discoveries of existing plants and animals have been made since 2006, when a huge expedition of scientists from different disciplines explored large sections of the Rub Al-Khali. Scientists have found 31 different plant species and 24 different birds that are part of Rub Al-Khali’s house. There are also impressive records of meteoric rocks and large numbers of fossils, expanding the catalog of creatures and plants that have existed or still exist on earth.
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