Exploring the Significance of Karst-Prone Areas in KSA: Causes, Impacts, and Future Trends

Sinkholes, the most observed and occurring geohazards in Saudi Arabia, pose significant risks, spreading over 60% of the country. Karst features, associated with carbonate and evaporite rocks’ dissolution activities, represent the most observed geohazards in the eastern and northern portions of Saudi Arabia. Sinkholes, the prominent features of the karst activities, are associated with human and natural activities, such as extracting large quantities of groundwater from the subsurface aquifers, dumping water into the desert depressions, and precipitations due to rainstorms. This work shows a detailed analysis of the distribution of karst zones in Saudi Arabia. It emphasizes the main formations susceptible to karstification, various techniques for detecting sinkholes, and classification of sinkhole types. In addition, it highlights the environmental and geological hazards associated with karst zones in the Ar-Riyadh region. Finally, the future trend in karst hazard assessments was discussed.