وادي شلالات دربات

Wadi Darbat

Useful Information

Location:	(17.0761457, 54.4358704)
Open:	no restrictions. [2023]
Fee:	free. [2023]
Classification:	Tufa Deposits Karst Spring Ponor
Light:	n/a
Dimension:
Guided tours:	self guided
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Wadi Darbat Falls.
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

وادي شلالات دربات (Wadi Darbat Falls) are a special site, a series of waterfalls in an arid country. Obviously the locals are awed by this site. We are listing it because it is strongly karst related. The rocks are limestones, the aquifer reaches the surface in the Wadi Darbat about 11 km from the coast. From here on numerous karst springs produce limestone rich water. The upper springs flow only during the Khareef Season, the wet or monsoon season. But about half way down the river flows most of the year. Then it either vanishes underground or evaporates, the lowest section of the wadi is again waterless most of the year.

Such a set of karst springs in an arid area is of interest for us, a karst-related tourist site of great importance. But the sight has another, even more exceptional highlight. It is called the (Travertine Curtain), a place where the limestone rich water of the middle section drops an escarpent which is about 140 m high. During the drop, the water loses carbon dioxide, and so it is not able to keep the limestone dissolved. It precipitates forming spectacular, bulbous and stalactite-like travertine or tufa.