ABSTRACT
In Oman and Central Europe, the same basic floors of geomorphic units developed during the Neozoic. Specifically in Oman, this means that Quaternary wadi systems incised the Tertiary peneplains and peneplain steps. During this process, eleven main wadi and sea-level terraces were formed. In the Bay of Sur region, the Pleistocene wadi accumulations are underlain by a Tertiary basement composed of almost pure marine sediments.
During the Quaternary, the deposition of wadi sediments along the Oman coast occurred only during the interglacial pluvials, whereas erosional processes predominated during the slightly cooler aridials. Indications were found that three marine terraces (18 m, 8 m and 5 m) originated during the Eemian pluvial. Some indications show that sea level was lower during the pre-Eemian pluvial than during the Eemian.
During the last aridial when strong erosion probably occurred, erosion within the tidal bays appeared to be rather weak. Beach ridge-lagoon complexes formed during the last pluvial and during the main Flandrian transgression of the Middle Holocene. Most of the Holocene coastal and wadi terraced bodies were accumulated or leveled in bedrock during the higher sea-levels of the Atlantic and Subboreal periods. They were later eroded during the Sub-atlanticum. However, some terraces and beach barriers formed entirely during this final Holocene climatic interval. Holocene coastal dunes were dated in the Capital Area. Pre-Holocene and Holocene pluvial beach rock has been found at different coastal sites.
