Scientists Confirm what Happened in Jabal Habashi’s area: Landslides, Not Volcanic Activities [Archives:2000/13/Front Page]

Al-Khaba area nearby Habashi mountain, governorate of Taiz was last week a scene of a dangerous geological phenomenon bewildered even researchers as well as residents of the area. That geological phenomenon posed a source of concern and anxiety to all because of the big rifts and cracks that took place in the area’s mountains, the fall of rocks and soil drift down the slopes where many people live.
Three years ago small rifts began to appear in upper Al-Khiba’a area which is composed of agricultural soil taking the form of terraces empty of houses and residents. But a year ago and specifically during the rainy season the small rifts got wider and changed into landslides of the agricultural masses of land and falling of rocks causing damage to farms and lands planted with qat and damage could cover other agricultural lands if the phenomenon continues.
The problem is now under study by a team composed of university professors from Taiz and engineers from the authority of water resources. The team has reached some preliminary conclusions related to this phenomenon.
– Rifts and cracks caused the formation of land depression extending along the area that is laden with earth behind the mountain.
– The layer that is carrying the soil is muddy resting on basalt rocks saturated with water and helped the slide of the muddy layer.
– The random destruction and pasturing caused the removal of the vegetal cover and helped open the and widen the rifts.
The team proposed some solutions like opening canals leading to the main water course, planting the area with trees as a vegetal cover to fix the soil and prevent its slides, reclaiming the lands and filling up the rifts.
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