| What are Geohazards? Geohazards include natural
disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, susceptibility to inundations and
landslides, for example, as well as those disasters caused by the influence of mankind on
the landscape. Manifestations of the latter include inundations due to the failures of man
made structures such as dams, land failure due to man made changes in the water table or
other factors which affect slope stability, ground shrinkage and collapse of man made
structures due to falling water tables and many more. AGARSS are able to investigate and
advise on geohazard risks associated with a range of development projects and can advise
on methods of monitoring change that may pre-empt disaster.
Examples of work AGARSS has been involved in
The study of the danger of landslide at a tourist picnic spot on the Red Sea escarpment
at Baha. Danger was caused by the local diversion of drainage during the development of
the site and remedied by re-establishment of normal drainage.
The study of extensive ground cracking and structural damage to buildings in the town
of Turbah caused by excessive de-watering of the subsoil as a result of increased demand
on local water supply during road construction.
The study of structural damage to buildings and differential subsidence in the town of
Mudarraj. The problems were due to the town having been built on gypsiferous clays which
exhibited substantial volume changes between their wet to dry states.
Continued monitoring of the Aqaba fault zone subsequent to the Haql earthquake in
January 1983.
Research into the structural controls and seismically active zones bordering the Red
Sea.
Agar, R.A. was principal geologist leading and coordinating a team of geologists and
engineers in the investigation of a number of geohazard projects within Saudi Arabia for 3
years.
Merghelani, H.M., Agar, R.A., Langer, C., Al-Khatib, S.O., Arab, N., Hanif, M.R.,
Plafker, G., and Landray, J., 1983. Preliminary report on the Yemen earthquake of December
13th 1982. Special report by the Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources, Ministry of
Petroleum and Minerals, Jiddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, prepared for the Government of
the Yemen Arab Republic. Saudi Arabian Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources Open-File
Report DGMR-OF-04-53, 46p.
Plafker, G., Agar, R.A., Askar, A.H., and Hanif, M.R., 1983. Surface effects and
tectonics of the 13th December 1982 Yemen earthquake.
Agar, R.A., Shouman, S., Al-Solami, A, and Owaidi, H., 1987, The nature and cause of
ground cracking and structural damage to buildings in the town of Mudarraj. Saudi Arabian
Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources Open-File Report. |
