Sandstone Geomorphology of South-West Jordan, Middle East

Abstract

In the desert environment of south-west Jordan thick sequences of continental sandstones of Cambrian-Ordovician age support spectacular scenery, comparable with that of the Colorado Plateau of south-west USA or the central Sahara and similar in many aspects to the Danxia landform of southern China. Dissection of a sandstone tableland has given rise to numerous inselbergs and large mesas, rising from the sand-covered desert floor. The height of the hills varies from a few tens to 500-700 m in the Wadi Rum area, whereas their slope shapes are controlled by lithological properties of particular sandstone units. Rock walls of the sandstone inselbergs are subject to frequent rock falls and rock slides and host an impressive array of tafoni and honeycombs due to selective weathering, as well as a number of rock arches. Lithological differences within the sandstone sequence are crucial controls on the shape and evolution of rock slopes, exerting the influence via contrasting patterns of weathering and slope failures. The presence of ferruginous layers in the Umm 'Ishrin Sandstone is of major importance and explains the fundamental morphological differences between the otherwise similar Umm 'Ishrin and Disi sandstone units. © 2014 Faculty of Geographical and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University.

Full text

QUAESTIONES GEOGRAPHICAE 33(3) • 2014
SANDSTONE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF SOUTH-WEST JORDAN,
MIDDLE EAST
Piotr Migoń1, Andrew Goudie2
1
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
Migoń P., goudie A
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    
  

Key words:
Piotr Migoń, Instytut Geograi i Rozwoju Regionalnego, Uniwersytet Wrocławski, Pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław,
Poland; e-mail: piotr.migon@uni.wroc.pl
Andrew Goudie, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3QY Oxford, Great
Britain; e-mail: andrew.goudie@stx.ox.ac.uk
Introduction





 
        
 
     


   




   
 
        


 


120 
     
    


    
      
      

      

       
     






 
      

     
     


    
 

       

    
        
    

    

Geographical setting
     







      
    



     

     
      


     
      
 

 
  
    

 
       

 
      


  



2).
 
      




 121
      




Landform diversity and its relationship
to geology
Geology






    

      


     




  
       


  


    
    


  
         
   

        
      
      


  

   

 
     








Landform diversity





     

      
       
  
    
    

   
   
  

       

       


     
      
      
      


       

   
     
     
  

122 
        
      

  
    
     

     
     
      
      
      
      
      

       
     

       

     

    


       
  

      


      


    
         
     

      

       
      
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       
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  
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  

    
       
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      
     
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     
    
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      
      
       
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      
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     
     
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    
   
    
  




       

Rock slope failures and patterns
of slope evolution



   
       


     
     


       
    
     
  



    






124 


    







       

       

      

      
      



   



      
     




 
      

    






 125
      


    
     
     
     

        

    
      
       
      

Conclusion
     

     
     
    
        
     

      
    
     

    



     
  

     
     
 




    
     
      
   
  

    
      
 
   
     

     
     
      


     
  


References
The geology of the Jabal Umm Ishrin area
(Wadi Rum)
      
   Mitteilungen der
Fränkischen Geographischen Gesellschaft

       
Geolines

        

Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie
und Paläontologie, Monatshefte

 The Natural Arch and Bridge Society website 
 



Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N. F.




126 
    Karst and
Pseudokarst in Northern Australia. Report on the eld study
of June-August 2008    

        

 Koedoe 


Sandstone Landscapes
       
   First International Symposium on Danxia
Landform. World Danxia. The 1st Collection 

       
      
Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie N.
F.
       
  
Sedimentary Geology
  



Earth and Planetary Science Letters
       
 
   
Rekonstrukcja dy-
namiki procesów geomorfologicznych – formy rzeźby i osady.
   
     



Journal of Arid Envi-
ronments 

Palaeogeography, Palaeocli-
matology, Palaeoecology

Palestine
Exploration Quarterly
Danxia Geomorphology of China and Its Pro-
gress in Research Work   

  The geology of the Al Quwayra area 

Geologischer Führer durch das Elbsandsteingebirge.



Rock Weathering and Landform Evo-
lution

   
Journal of Geological Society London
     
     Earth Surface
Processes and Landforms

Journal of Ge-
ology
       Sandstone
Landforms
        First
International Symposium on Danxia Landform. World Danx-
ia. The 1st Collection   
