Investigating landslide hazards in Muscat area, Sultanate of Oman

Progressive urban development in the Muscat area has been made on the expense of rocks which are being excavated and cut at steep slopes without paying much attention to their geological properties. A number of slope failures caused by the over-steepening and toe removal of the slopes have recently been noticed. Quantitative measurements of slope faces, bedding and discontinuity planes have been made to investigate the landslide hazards in Muscat area. Based on the geological formations exposed in the study area, 12 different sites were selected. Stereo-net plots were drawn to establish the critical zones. The results of this study indicate that moderately weathered, rippable metamorphosed units of schistose rocks can be categorised as the most hazardous zones. This is partly because of the presence of talc and chlorite in rocks of Muti Formation. The crystalline rocks such as ophiolite, however, are stable in general but may become hazardous in the presence of fractures which daylight the slope faces at number of places.