SPACEPHOTOS

The bright reflectance of sand and gravel serves as a background for the multitude of center pivot irrigated fields (circular features) in this desert region of southwest Saudi Arabia. This dry land farming technique is used extensively in several parts of arid Saudi Arabia. The circles are generally a kilometer in diameter and the intensively irrigated fields are used primarily for growing wheat and other cereal grains. Notice that many circular fields look faded indicating that they have not been replanted (either fallowing or taken out of production entirely), or the fields have only recently been replanted. Some of the fields also show that only parts of the fields (donut-shaped, semicircles) are currently being used for agriculture. The slightly elevated terrain near the bottom of the image with the entrenched stream drainage patterns (from formerly wetter times) is part of the Tuway Mountains. The thin, dark-looking western edge of the low mountainous terrain is a well-defined north-south oriented escarpment. Immediately adjacent to the west-facing escarpment, wadis (dry stream beds or watercourses) parallel the steep cliffs. Wadi al Hinw (bottom center) is the single east/west corridor through the escarpment.