Views /Opinion

The presence of nature’s beautiful creations and the exceptional geological features in an arid land like Qatar would take many residents, including a large number of native Qataris, by surprise.  But they should not be blamed for this misperception, because these natural features are like rough gemstones whose beauty and splendour are hidden until a master craftsman, working patiently to cut and polish them, brings out their stunning beauty. However, it must be stated up front that continued neglect of preserving these unique geological features would take a heavy toll and, perhaps, may result in losing them forever–a risk that no one can afford to take.
One of these gems is a natural cave, popularly known as the Musfer sinkhole: This term is a misnomer because sinkholes represent collapsed ground that and are shallow and not deep enough to the extent where sunlight cannot penetrate. On the other hand, a cave–according to the United States Geological Survey–“is a natural opening in the ground extending beyond the zone of light and large enough to permit the entry of man.”I propose using the word cave instead of sink hole: Musfer Cave, therefore, is the accurate scientific term and should be used henceforth.
Like the majority of well-known caves in the world, Musfer Cave is the work of water which, about half a million years ago, was plentiful in Qatar. Paleoclimatic studies have revealed that during the late Pleistocene time (some 325,000 to 560,000 years ago) the region that comprises the Gulf countries had a moist climate and received ample rainfall. Through a process known as karstification, percolating rain water, after absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and receiving additional carbon from vegetation and soil, turns into weak carbonic acid that is capable of slowly dissolving the mineral calcite which is the main constituent of limestone–a common rock formation in Qatar. As this slightly acidic water continues to find its way through pores, cracks, and other openings in limestone it dissolves away solid calcite,leaving behind voids of various sizes and shapes. Continued dissolution of limestone, under right combination of geology, biology, and, hydrology, leads to further enlargement and often coalescing of cavities that ultimately results in the formation of cave.
The Musfer Cave (GPS coordinates: N 25o10.482 E 51o 12.727’) is of medium size, 12 x 4.5 m and about 100 m deep, which gives it the distinction of being the lowest topographic point in Qatar—53 m below sea level. The floor of the cave slopes downwards at about 30 degree angle and, being filled with blown sand and falling rock debris, calls for extreme caution while descending into the cave. Cave walls and roof are composed of dolomite (similar to limestone but with some magnesite, that renders it less soluble than limestone) and limestone with brown layers of shale and silt–a kind of mud rock. Gypsum-bearing limestone occurs at the floor of the cave. These rocks were formed in ancient oceans, some 25-50 million years ago, during the Eocenetime,in the Earth’s long geological history.
Any visitor to the cave can feel the change in temperature: when I visited it with a group of my students in late April, the cool temperature was immediately felt by everyone. Although we did not explore the cave for life forms, we did find some birds inside that were apparently distracted by the visitors’ noise and one came out of their nesting place inside tiny holes in the cave wall(Photo 3). It is quite likely that bats and other species might be present in the Musfer Cave.  
The sad part of our visit was to see graffiti of all kinds  left by previous visitors that marred the natural beauty of the cave. This kind of careless and destructive practice must be stopped. One of the most effective ways to do this would be to declare the Musfer Cave a geological monument that should be placed under the control of some kind of national natural heritage department/agency, similar to the National Park Service in the USA. This department/agency in Qatar should be provided with adequate human and financial resources to protect the cave and other unique natural sites across the country. Like the US National Park Service this agency should also be charged with overall management and maintenance of the cave, making it accessible to visitors, and providing essential services to attract tourists.  This way we can prevent the vandalism that is occurring at the cave, and preserve it for future generations of Qataris to enjoy. With easy access–about an hour drive from Doha a little off the multi-lane Salwa road (turn-off near Umm Ash Shubrum)–and the unique geological and ecological nature of the cave, along with the fact that it also marks the lowest elevation in Qatar,Musfer Cave is bound to become one of the main tourist attractions in Qatar, and a great outdoor educational resource for all levels of learners.
Existence of other caves in Qatar is not documented, but given the presence of favourable rock formations, it is very likely that more caves may be discovered. Well-planned scientific studies, including geological and geophysical surveys, should be conducted not only to map out the extent of the Musfer Cave but also to discover more caves that might be buried under the shifting sands.

The writer is an environmental geologist, is a visiting Fulbright Senior Scholar from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA, and is teaching a course in waste management in the Department of Biological and Environmental
Sciences at Qatar University.