Ghubbah (Socotra) Explained

Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Yemen
Pushpin Relief:1
Ghubbah
Timezone:Asia
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Governorate
Subdivision Name1:Socotra Governorate
Subdivision Type2:Island
Subdivision Name2:Socotra
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Hidaybu District
Utc Offset:+03:00

Ghubbah (; alt. Gubba or Ghoba)[1] is a village on the main island of Socotra, Yemen in the Hidaybu District. Located at the north-west coast halfway between Hadibu and Qulensya, it is situated on a barren coralline plateau 5 m above sea level.The settlement has a cenote located between its Awdaf neighbourhood and the sea. It is of deep blue colour and has an oval measurement of 50 m x 40 m and is 37 m deep. Fresh water feeds into it from the sea.[2]

Another water pool is located just south of the main road bypassing the village. It is a brackish and muddy salty sink hole of larger dimensions, 120 m x 90 m but barely 2 m deep. On the shallow surrounding ledges the villagers have built small salt evaporation pans for salt winning.[2] This water pool is also dubbed Socotra Crater as some scholars hold that it is a meteor crater.[3] But this theory is controversial.[4]

In the area of Ghubbah are ongoing initiatives to replant and to restore Grey Mangroves.[5]

See also

Notes and References

  1. List of local Socotran geographical names used in entomological literature, in: Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae, Published 17.xii.2012 Volume 52 (supplementum 2), pp. 27–67.
  2. John & Valerie Middleton, Karst & Caves on Soqotra Island, in: YRC Journal, Series 13, Issue 7, Summer 2009, pp.35-46.
  3. Moore, Patrick, 1958, A meteor crater in Socotra: British Astron. Assoc., Jour., v. 68, no. 5, p.195.
  4. http://labmpg.sscc.ru/impact/index1.html Probability of the Socotra Crater is questionable
  5. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000381003?posInSet=8&queryId=84896d88-79b6-4a07-92a4-82a6352fa98d Mangrove replantantion project in Ghubbah