About Sabkhas of Qatar
Sabkhas are among Qatar’s most distinctive and scientifically significant environments. These coastal and inland saline flats—such as Dohat Faishakh, Dukhan, and Khor Al Udeid—are shaped by intense evaporation, high salinity, and dynamic interactions among sediments, brines, and microbial communities. For more than six decades, Qatari sabkhas have been central to global research on evaporite–carbonate systems, low-temperature dolomite formation, and early diagenetic processes. Recently, sabkhas have also been recognized as emerging CO₂ sinks, contributing to climate-change mitigation. Modern geochemical studies show that sabkhas can store and fix carbon through microbial mediation, brine and geochemical trapping, and carbon burial in anoxic sediments. With their unique combination of geological complexity and biological activity, these systems serve as natural laboratories for understanding mineral formation, geomicrobiology, and environmental change. Their relevance extends beyond Earth, offering valuable analogues for ancient environments and potential extraterrestrial habitats.