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Flat Al-Stanley Visits the White Volcanoes, Saudi Arabia
We headed north along Route 15 and at about 11AM we arrived at the Khaybar Dam.
Khaybar Dam
"It is unclear when the Khaybar Dam was originally built. There is evidence that it is pre-Islamic. There are actually several dams at this site. On the left is the dam known as Sadd Qasr al-Bint. Locals say it may have been built by the Queen of Sheeba, reminiscent of the Marib Damin Yemen. This particular dam is around 135 meters long and 20 meters high. The water from the dams at Khaybar was used to irrigate large plots of date palms. These dates became famous throughout the Arabian Peninsula. In time a large village was established. It was mostly inhabited by Jewish people. During the Muslim expansion under the Prophet Mohammed, Khaybar became an important center, and the Battle for Khaybar is often mentioned in the Hadith records. (http://nabataea.net/khaybarhadith.html)" http://nabataea.net/khabardam.html
Famous Khaybar Date Palms
A bit of history: For many centuries, the oasis at Khaybar was an important caravan stopping place. The center developed around a series of ancient dams that was built to hold back run-off water from the rain. Around the water catchments date palms grew, and soon Khaybar became an important date producing center. Khaybar was an important town along the Incense Road from Ubar in modern day Yemen to Gaza(Jenysos) http://nabataea.net/kaybar.html
By lunchtime on Saturday we passed a large hill and suddenly we were sitting on the rim of the collapsed section of the Umm Jirsan lava tube getting ready to spend an hour exploring the longest lava tube in Saudi Arabia.
Harrat Khaybar is a lava field ~12,000 km2 in area, located north of Medina in western Saudi Arabia. Its lavas and volcanoes are mildly alkaline and the age of its flows ranges from five million years old to historic.
In 2007, explorers found and mapped Umm Jirsan Lava Tube System, consisting of three passages separated by two collapses. This system has a typical ceiling height of 8 to12 m and some passages as wide as 45 m. With a total length of 1481.2 m, it is the largest surveyed cave system in Saudi Arabia and the longest lava-tube system in the entire Arabian Peninsula. It is expected that much longer systems will be discovered in Harrat Khaybar because Umm Jirsan is only one of some 40 strings of collapses mapped by helicopter in the 1980s.
Caches of human and animal bones were found lying on the surface of meter-deep sediment in Umm Jirsan Cave, including a human skull fragment carbon dated at 4040±30 years BP and an unidentified animal bone 2285±30 years old. http://www.vulcanospeleology.org/articles/khaybar.pdf
Barren landscape - it rained recently
Umm Jirsan - main collapse looking east
Wolves, foxes, swifts and snakes inhabit or use the cave. Caches of human and animal bones are found in many places, lying on the surface of the floor sediment. Carbon dating revealed that various human skull parts are from 150 to 4040±30 years old and the oldest animal bone dates 2285±30 years BP.
Umm Jirsan is one of at least 40 strings of collapses appearing on the most accurate geological map of Harrat Khaybar. Some of these strings are over 15 km long, suggesting that other, much longer lava tubes may be found in this area. http://www.vulcanospeleology.org/articles/jirsan.pdf
The tracks were barely a vehicle's width and treacherous, speed rarely got higher than 10km/hr, surrounded on all sides by sharp volcanic rock threatening to rip the bottom out of the car or give us a puncture. The tracks were made worse by track erosion and water damage sustained during the recent rains.
The cars at the rim of Umm Jirsan
The Road to Umm Jirsan
The Western Lava Tube
The Eastern Lava Tube
With the volcano in front of us and the sun setting on the second day of our trip, we pitched camp in a small, tree-lined, sandy wadi between the Labat Abu Hishayyimah lava flow and the western base of the volcano, in the shadow of Jebel As Sunfurah. An exploratory hike over the lava flow, before dinner, indicated that we were on the north side of the kilometre wide flow and the track we needed was on the southern edge.
Jebel Abyad from the campsite
Campsite at base of Jebel Abyad
Location of Volcanoes (Google Maps)
Harrats of Saudi Arabia
As soon as the sun was up, we headed west and then south around the Labat Abu Hishayyimah lava flow hoping to pick up the track, indicated on the map, running along the north edge of the Labat Al Halqah lava flow. As we reached Huzaym Ad Dihad we could see the tracks heading to the volcano and with 5 minutes of our designated hour left, we turned north towards Jebel Abyad (the White Volcano). The GPS track is a continuous snake through the lava – not a straight line can be seen.
As noted by John Pint "…Now, the problem with navigating over lava is that you can't just aim for a landmark and drive towards it. No, you have to get there via somebody else's path which eventually leads you off on a diagonal. Then you have to tack back the other way, slowly zigzagging toward your goal." http://www.saudicaves.com/bnw/index.htm
We arrived at the base of Jebel Abyad just before lunchtime on Sunday, under blue skies and bright sunshine. 4km by GPS from our campsite and about 25km by track! Ian went for a walk further down the track from the "car park", while the rest of us got kitted up for the hike to the top of the volcano, looking for the track up. The incline from the base to the rim was about 33% and there were places where we needed to use hands because it was so steep!
Flat Stanley on the rim of Jebel Abyad (Jebel Qidr in background)
Flat Stanley and the cones in the centre of Jebel Abyad
After a minute or three to catch our breath at the top of the climb, take the requisite photos and admire the fantastic views from the volcano's rim, we set off to walk the circumference. This took us about an hour and we had birdseye views of Jebel Al Aqir, Jebel Bayda and Jebel Qidr, not to mention the huge lava flow between Bayda and Qidr.
Jabal Abyad, Saudi Arabia — The light-colored dome in the right background is composed of a felsic rock called comendite. Its name, Jabal Abyad, means white mountain. The lower portion of Jabal Abyad contains a previously unknown site of obsidian used to make Paleolithic tools. The dome in the foreground is composed of a more mafic rock type, called hawaiite. The flanks of the hawaiite dome are marked by neolithic stone walls. The basaltic lava in the foreground flowed over these stone monuments, indicating that the flow is younger than the neolithic walls. http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Thumblinks/abyad_page.html
Flat Stanley on top of Jebel Abyad looking at Jebel Bayda
The Black and White volcanoes of Saudi Arabia deserve a high place on the list of the world's most spectacular natural wonders, but few people have ever heard of them and very, very few indeed have ever laid eyes upon them. The two white volcanoes, standing side by side, surrounded by Harrat Khaybar, a vast ocean of jagged lava located in western Saudi Arabia, north of Medina. Jebel (also spelled Jabal) Abyad is the one on the right and at 2093 meters, is the highest volcano in the Khaybar lava field. It is a dome of rare white-to-cream-colored lava that was squeezed up out of the bowels of the earth like toothpaste. Just west of it, on the left, shaped like a giant doughnut the color of French Vanilla ice cream, lies Bayda, an ash cone 1913m high, which was formed by an explosive eruption of gas beneath the molten rock. The words abyad and bayda both mean white in Arabic and are the masculine and feminine forms of the adjective, perhaps reflecting early viewers' interpretations of their shapes. Both are mainly composed of a rare, beige lava or ash known as comendite.
Flat Stanley on top of Jebel Abyad looking towards Jebel Qidr
In stark contrast, only two kilometers to the north, a third volcano rises 2022 meters into the air. Jebel Qidr, as graceful and symmetrical as Mount Fuji, consists of hard, licorice-black basalt. Its last (and fairly recent) eruption spewed out a tar-colored flow that partially engulfs the two creamy-white volcanoes, earning Qidr the nickname "The Black Widow" as she seems to have been caught in the act of ensnaring her neighbors. The line of demarcation is so abrupt, you can actually stand with one foot on Qidr's brittle, black basalt and the other in Bayda's powdery white comendite. http://www.saudicaves.com/bnw/index.htm
Grey clouds threatened and it was agreed that we needed to head back to the road before the rain came. Off we went at 10 km/hr back along the track that we had come in on.
We went back to the petrol station in Thamad that had been our offroad starting point, filled our tanks and set off on the second part of the trip: to find Neolithic stone structures that we had discovered on Google Earth. Literature was scarce, but we were able to discover that the stone formations were dated at about 2,000 BC, making them 4,000 years old.
Our next stop of the day was the keystone tombs just south of Khaybar. Located on a rock plain at the top of a ridge, we found the keystone tombs, a circle with a tail (likely a "pendant tomb"), large cairns, a long wall and several other structures whose original shape was indiscernable. Just as the sun set on we set up came behind some trees, away from the road, at the bottom of the ridge. After a hearty dinner, we all went to bed at about 8PM.
Keystone Tomb, south of Khaybar
"Pendant tombs" are circular burial enclosures at the end of a line of small cairns. These have turned up in both the Harrat Khaybar and Al-Hayit areas. In a few instances, they have a second enclosure at the other end ("double pendant tombs"). They often turn up in large groups, forming what appear to be entire cemeteries, or parts of them, and they are to be counted in the hundreds, perhaps even in the thousands.
The "keyhole tombs" and the "gates," both novelties of the Harrat Khaybar, structures that are striking because of their unexpected, unique forms and their astonishing numbers. The keyhole tombs usually consist of a circular enclosure at the head of stone walls that form an isosceles triangle. There are numerous variations in size and in the relationships of circles and courtyards. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm
Keyhole Tombs on Google Earth
By 7:30AM we were packed up and just getting into our vehicles when the driver from one of the trucks from the midnight visit pulled up to the campsite and asked us in for breakfast and coffee. After a few thank-yous and apologies that we couldn't visit longer because we needed to be in Tabuk by 4PM, he went on his way and we headed off down the road. To be followed and cut off by another truck, whose occupant was the man who owned the farm that we had camped on the night before. He said good morning to me and was pleased to meet the rest of the group who had been 'sleeping' when he had visited the night before. We were enthusiastically invited back to his farm for breakfast and coffee and at the risk of insulting him (which I think we might have done by mistake) we made our excuses and thanked him again for the hospitality the night before and headed off to find the old city of Khaybar and the stone circles.
Old Khaybar City (from Panoramia)
The Citadel, Khaybar (from Panoramia)
The Prophet Mohamed had stayed here (see above) during his conquest of the Jews who had inhabited the town of Khaybar. We knew that we likely wouldn't be able to visit the citadel, but hoped to see it from a distance, close enough for photos at least.
As we were getting out of the vehicles and getting ready to explore the old city, a police jeep came up an old winding street. 'Iqama!(ID card) Istimara!' (vehicle registration)and 'Mamnoue!'(forbidden) was all he said. We complied and in my simple Arabic said that we wanted to see the old city for half an hour, take pictures and be on our way. We were told, politely, to follow him to the station. However, about a kilometer down the road into new Khaybar town he pulled over and approached the vehicles again. He gave us back our iqamas and istimaras and told us again 'mamnoue' and drove off, leaving us to make our own way. Glad that we had once again escaped an escort, we went down the road looking for stone circles and other shapes.
The first shape was a 'kite'. Once there we noted that the whole area was covered in rocks and there was very little vegetation. The 'houses' at the peaks of the 'kite', as proposed in one article found on the internet, seemed too small to be anything but a hunting hide. We could only assume that the very low line of rocks we saw had been a bit higher during the use of these structures. (There is one structure from the same era west of Riyadh and is in better condition. Those walls were about 2ft high.)
Kites and Wheels (Google Maps)
The most striking are the so-called "kites," the remnants of long stone walls most likely built by groups of hunters to trap game; the walls outline the shape of a child's kite. But the kites are huge: The "body" is a wall enclosing a corral-like space often 100 or more meters (328′) across. The "tails," two or more walls running out from the head, are typically each a few hundred meters long, but they can be as long as two or three kilometers (1.2–1.8 mi). On the ground, however, kites are almost impossible to find, because the walls, built of basalt boulders, are only about a meter (3′) wide and their surviving height is seldom over half a meter, making them nearly invisible on a landscape already thickly strewn with the same rock.
From above, however, they stand out clearly, and their entire shape can be seen, as well as the wider patterns of neighboring kites and other structures. Hundreds of these kites—and there may ultimately be thousands—are already widely recorded as far north as Syria.
Kites and Pendants (Google Maps)
The novelty of the kites in the Harrat Khaybar region, however, is that, with few exceptions, they appear in two shapes not found elsewhere: "barbed arrows" and "square pockets." In addition, unlike the gentle, almost freehand curves that characterize the lines of most previously known kites, many of the Khaybar kites are precisely drawn, with ruler-straight lines that often meet at acute angles.
As for the purpose of the kites, the archeological consensus has long been that they were animal traps, and that the stone walls we see may have supported wooden fence posts or piles of brush. Gazelle and, to a lesser extent, oryx and onager could be driven into the widely spaced walls at the mouth of the kite and herded through the gradually narrowing space into the "head," where more hunters awaited them for killing or capture. At Harrat Khaybar, it appears the builders may have used the "barbs" as sub-traps, or traps-within-the-trap. Although there have been dissenting scholars arguing for the use of kites as enclosures for livestock husbandry, that explanation is not convincing to most. Nonetheless, there are no definitive answers, only hypotheses. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm
Kites are basically triangular shapes with one end opened. It consists of two converging more or less straight walls, that create funnel shape which ends with narrow passage to a sort of coral enclosure. Typically there are two three or more circular enclosures on the edge of this corral. Kites can be and often are much more complex in shapes. And sizes vary. From smaller few hundred meters in length to huge kites that can span over several kilometres in length. Typical more complex shape of kite would incorporate 5 or more circular enclosures joint with curve shaped walls. And more than one leading wall, creating the funnel to herd the game in the ending enclosure. http://alsahra.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/khaybar-desert-kites.pdf
Jordanian fieldwork has concluded that kites and at least some of the associated structures date back to around the fifth millennium BC, to a time characterized by a wetter, lusher environment with far more vegetation, perennial water and the kind of abundant wildlife so richly depicted in the rock art. Whether that is also true, even broadly, of the Khaybar kites is too soon to tell, for their more sophisticated forms and rather sharper appearance may imply less decay and thus a younger age.
Kites seen on Google Earth
As for the cemeteries, many of the keyhole and gate types are entirely new forms, but the pendants have parallels in Jordan, where a recent discovery of a necropolis from between the late Neolithic and the early Bronze ages, with hundreds of tombs and ritual structures dating back an estimated 9000 years, includes pendant tombs like those in Saudi Arabia. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm
We took half an hour to walk around the area, which contained a second 'kite' on the other side of a low hill. At the bottom of the ridge I found a clearly marked path, strewn with rocks that had fallen from the structures along the top of the ridge. In all, there were 2 'kites', a cairn with a tail (pendant tomb??) and several other larger structures that could have been old habitations.
We carried on further down the track in search of stone circles. The track was bumpy but driveable; the rocks smoother and less sharp than the basalt and lava fields of the day before. We found several small stone circles and noted that there were 5 or 6 clearly marked graves near them. Online articles noted that there were graves in the middle of some 'kites', as well as the stone circles. The authors were unsure about the dates for these two anomalies, but it was generally felt that the circles and other stone structures came first and then the graves were made by another culture.
At this point, the 2nd car in our convoy decided that he needed to head home and we agreed to go back to the road after 3 days of hard driving. The 3rd day of our offroad trip ended and further exploration of these fascinating stone structures stopped.
Other shapes that we had intended to find were:
Neolithic cairns (likely a pendant tomb)
1.	"wheels" often located close to kites. They come in a variety of forms, most simply a near-perfect circle of 20 to 50 meters' (65–165′) diameter in which six or more spokes create wedge-shaped chambers around a central hub. Others have a succession of small cairns running round the outside of the rim. In the windows visible over Saudi Arabia, these wheels are rare. Their purpose may be funerary, but that is no more than a conjecture. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm
2.	"post" and "rails" looking like simple gates laid flat: a "post" at either end with two (but occasionally three to five) "rails" in between. They can vary a great deal in size, from five or 10 meters long (16–32′) to a hundred meters (320′) or more. The key element is surely the posts, which appear to be dense heaps of boulders, and which may again be burial places. http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm
Hunting Relic (stone circle with tail)
3.	"comets" which are stone circles with a long tail, likely used for hunting, had two ormore walls running out from the head, are typically each a few hundred meters long, but they can be as long as two or three kilometers (1.2–1.8 mi) http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200904/desktop.archeology.htm; http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/200602/volcanic.arabia.htm
The English-language daily newspaper Arab News has speculated that a cluster of stone rings 60 km north of the Red Sea port of Jedda may be ancient grave sites. The walls were too low to have served as sheep or goat pens, the newspaper reasoned. Mr. Ron Worl, of the US Geological Survey [12], … concluded that the stone rings could be the desert equivalent of rock carvings, ancient signposts that point the way to freshwater springs or caravan routes. Several of the "tails" led to water or old desert paths" [11-13].
After his survey with satellite, the author of [11] noted that only basic shapes were used and that these structures are not distributed evenly or at random. They appear most often along what must have been travel routes, usually found at prominent points of sorts (see for instance, Figure 3).
Stone Circles/Villages (Google Maps)
In [11], the different shapes of these Neolithic structures are listed: stone circles, often perfectly round with a cairn at the centre, stone circles with triangles, triangles and mounds of two kinds, round with flat top or with a depression or hole in the middle. In fact, as observed in [11], some mounds may be small volcano vents or cones, because from satellite imagery only, it is hard to tell whether they are man-made or geological features. Other structures have the shape of needles, lines or tails. There are enclosures, sometimes with round structures or irregulars: according to [11], these enclosures were very old dwelling and/or livestock areas. http://www.archaeogate.org/classica/article.php?id=1327
All in all, it was a good trip. We got to set 2 new Earthcaches, got to see the old city for a brief minute, and avoided getting a police escort!
More photos are online at http://theadventuresofmenu.shutterfly.com [Disclaimer: while Flat Stanley is not in all of these photos, he was with us the entire trip, albeit in the backseat.]
February 28th, 2011 | Category: Flat Stanley Pictures
2 comments to Flat Al-Stanley Visits the White Volcanoes, Saudi Arabia
goblin423
Thats alot of interesting info about the volcanoes.
The Flat Stanley Geology Project – Saudi Arabia « Official Flat Stanley Project Picture Gallery Blog
[…] Flat Stanley's Visit to the Lava Tubes and White Volcanoes: http://gallery.flatstanley.com/?p=4414 […]


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Casey Jordan, Executive Director
Casey Jordan joined TDHP as our executive director in February 2020. Casey graduated from the University of Texas at Austin School of Architecture with a Master of Science in Historic Preservation in 2009. She has worked on preservation projects that include President Lincoln's Cottage, historic Texas cemeteries, the Texas Governor's Mansion, and the Alamo, as well as several projects for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Before her career in preservation, she worked in non-profit art centers as an education director. Raised in an Air Force family, Casey has lived all over the country but counts Texas as her home. When she's not out discovering dance halls, she spends time with her husband, three daughters, and two step-kids.
director@texasdancehall.org | 512-400-4315
Deborah Fleming, Outreach Coordinator
Deb Fleming served as the president of the Board of Directors for Texas Dance Hall Preservation from 2014–2017 and became TDHP's first executive director in June 2017. Deb is the current business/tour manager for five-time Grammy Nominee and 10-time Blues Music Award winner Marcia Ball and her international tour band, based in Austin, Texas. Deb migrated into the music business after a 20+-year tenure as a healthcare executive running large risk-management companies in Texas, South Carolina, and Georgia. In 2005, she bought and managed a 1200-person-capacity live music venue just east of Austin, before being recruited by Ball. A fifth-generation Texan and San Antonio native, Deb discovered her long Texas lineage on a dance hall visit to Panna Maria, and thus began her love and interest in the historic halls.
(Past Board President)
outreach@texasdancehall.org | 512-400-4315
TDHP Board and Advisory Board Members, 2017
(front row, L to R): Sam Seifert (for Ray Benson), Charles John, Steve Ray; (back row, L to R): Cynthia Inman, Jo Nell Haas, Deb Fleming, Linda Henderson, Steph McDougal, Kelley Russell.
Kelley Russell (President)
Growing up in Houston, this almost- native Texan didn't discover her love of dancing and dance halls until she moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas, where she studied archeology and anthropology. After graduation, Kelley worked as an archeologist, with projects that took her all over the state, exposing her to Texas' unique cultural history. Through her travels, Kelley's interest began to shift "above ground." Her love of Texas history and architecture eventually led her back to UT, where she received her MS in Historic Preservation. Kelley is currently an architectural historian and historian for an engineering firm in Austin. In her free time, she enjoys hiking with her dog, Franklin; listening to live music; road trips, dancing, and continuing the search to find the perfect pair of boots.
Stephen Ray (Secretary)
Texas Music Office Program Specialist Steve Ray administers the TMO License Plate Grant program, the TMO internship program, and the day-to-day office operations. Additionally Steve heads up the TMO's music history program, including developing a Texas Music Trails program that promotes music history tourism around the state. He is co-owner of both a 1953 Art Deco movie theater and a 1960s era drive-in restaurant in north Texas.
Josh Conrad
Josh Conrad is a historic preservation consultant with HHM & Associates in Austin and has worked as a preservationist in Texas since 2010. He specializes in developing new preservation data management and analysis systems. He is currently a doctoral student in the University of Texas School of Architecture.
Marie Oehlerking-Read
Marie Oehlerking-Read is a historic preservation specialist and architectural designer for Komatsu Architecture in Fort Worth, where she helps Texas counties their historic courthouses. Marie's love for Texas history and its music started from a young age due in large part to her dad who always had country music on the radio and made sure she saw every major historic site in the state. Marie holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture from the UT Arlington and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from UT. Previously, Marie worked for Texas Main Street, a program of the Texas Historical Commission in Austin. At Main Street, Marie traveled the state to assist historic building and small business owners in the rehabilitation of their unique places.
Steph McDougal (Past President)
Steph McDougal is the founder of McDoux Preservation, a data-driven, community-driven historic preservation consulting practice in Houston, Texas. She holds a Master's degree in Technical and Scientific Communication from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation from the University of Texas at Austin, where her thesis explored the construction technology of Texas' "round" dance halls. Steph is currently pursuing a PhD in Public History at Middle Tennessee State University. She is the author of Lighthouses of Texas (Arcadia Publishing, 2014) and was a very minor contributor to The Buildings of Texas, Volume One (Society of Architectural Historians, 2013). A swing dancer since the 1990s, Steph loves lindy hop, jump blues, and urban ballrooms of the big-band era.
Clellan Hyatt (Treasurer)
Clellan Hyatt brings a unique amalgamation of skill sets, blending the worlds of finance and music. As a Private Wealth Advisor with e3 Wealth, he currently holds his Series 7, 63, & 65 Securities Licenses and various State Life and Health Insurance Licenses. Clellan is also the co-owner of Lauritzen & Hyatt Business Management LLC, an Austin based music business management firm servicing national and global musical artists. Musically, he is a professional drummer that plays with Emily Wolfe, Otis the Destroyer and endorses Q Drum Co., Dream Cymbals, and Vater Drumsticks. A native Texan, Clellan currently resides in Austin with his wife Kelley and their Siamese cat, Nefertiti.
Charles John, AIA
With more than 40 years of experience as an architect, Charles John, AIA, has been involved with an array of building types with a specialization in the restoration and renovation of historic properties. His historic preservation projects make bold statements about the history of a significant place, and his adaptive reuse projects have led to the transformation of urban spaces by renewing their economic vitality, restoring their architectural character, and re-establishing their place in the historic context of the urban fabric of a city. He has received several awards for his preservation projects. Charles has spent time with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, was on the Boards of the San Antonio Conservation Society and Mission Heritage Partners, served for 12 years on the Bexar County Historical Commission, and currently serves on the Board of Preservation Texas, and the Power of Preservation Foundation.
For over a decade, owner Natalie Roberts has been helping residential home builders, and community and civic organizations build social strategies that engage and deepen relationships with their brand. She brings a wealth of knowledge beneficial to both private, public and non-profit organizations of any size.
Her unique expertise spans community and civic relationship building, large- and -small scale branding, unique project selling proposition, social media, product design and selection, concept planning, sales staffing and more.
Tracy Rohrbacher (President-Elect)
With more than 20 years of marketing experience in the real estate industry, Tracy Rohrbacher transitioned to tourism in 2013 and currently holds a marketing position with a Houston-area convention and visitors bureau. She creates and curates content for marketing channels geared toward leisure travel, in addition to event planning. Rohrbacher earned the Certified Tourism Executive (CTE) designation by Texas Travel Industry Association and the Texas Destination Marketer (TDM) certification by the Texas Association of Convention and Visitors Bureau in 2017. A native Houstonian, Rohrbacher is also an active volunteer with the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo.
At a towering 6'7", Philadelphia-born Ray Benson is considered a giant in the industry, but his contributions to music history, not his height, have made him a dominant figure on the music scene since 1970. As the frontman and founder of the world-renowned Western swing band Asleep at the Wheel, Ray has overseen the release of more than 25 albums, toured more than 150 dates each year, and won 10 GRAMMY™ Awards. He has been honored as the official Texas State Musician (2004) and Texan of the Year (2011) and has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association; the NAMM Foundation's Les Paul Award for Technical Excellence & Creativity (2008); and the Texas Medal of the Arts Award for Multimedia (2011). As a producer, Ray has worked with such artists as Willie Nelson, The Avett Brothers, Aaron Neville, Aaron Watson, and Suzy Bogguss, to name a few. Benson is an active advocate and founding board member for the Health Alliance for Austin Musicians (HAAM) and also serves on the St. David's Foundation Board. He is the author of the 2015 memoir, Comin' Right at Ya: How a Jewish Yankee Hippie Went Country, or, the Often Outrageous History of Asleep at the Wheel. Currently, Ray hosts "Austin Outer Limits," a bi-weekly segment on Sirius XM's "Willie's Roadhouse," featuring hand-picked songs from all kinds of genres from his personal collection.
Jason Mellard
Jason Mellard is the Director of the Center for Texas Music History and Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Texas State University in San Marcos. He is the co-editor of The Journal of Texas Music History, general editor of the John and Robin Dickson Series in Texas Music History with Texas A & M University Press, and author of Progressive Country: How the 1970s Transformed the Texan in Popular Culture.
Laura Acuna
Brendan Anthony
Amber Leigh Becerra, Schneider Hall
Noelle Bridges
Jeff Campbell
Patrick Cox, Ph.D.
Morgan DiBona
Bobby Galvan, Jr., Galvan Ballroom
Jo Nell Haas, Twin Sisters Dance Hall
Elaine Hanks
Linda Henderson
Gary McKee
Julie McGilvray
Marsha Milam
Abbey Road, Coupland Dance Hall
Joseph Stallone
Dan Utley
James Villafranca, Club Westerner Dance Hall

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Kerala SSLC Class 9 Solutions for Physical Sciences – The World of Carbon
Kerala SSLC Class 9 Solutions for Physical Sciences – The World of Carbon (English Medium) Part-2
Page No.139:
Question 1.
Sometimes, while cooking, food gets charred when overheated. What other things get charred when heated?
Materials such as paper, sugar, wool, silk, jute get charred on heating.
Take some sugar in a steel spoon and heat it. Watch the changes. What is the substance that you get in the end?
Sugar gets charred on heating and a brownish black sticky mass is obtained. Carbon and water are formed on heating the sugar.
The blackish mass obtained in the end is carbon.
How are wood charcoal and coconut shell charcoal made?
Wood charcoal and coconut shell charcoal are made by heating wood and coconut shell respectively in the absence of air.
Food articles, wood, paper, wool, silk, jute etc. get charred when heated. Why does this happen?
Substances which do not vaporise during burning do not form flames and get charred. Thus, the carbon containing materials such as food articles, wood, paper, wool, silk, jute gets charred when heated.
What happens when CaCO3 is heated? Do you get charcoal?
On heating CaCO3, calcium oxide and carbon dioxide are formed. We do not get charcoal.
Which is the gas whose quantity is mainly determined during emission test in motor vehicles?
The quantity of carbon monoxide gas is mainly determined during emission test in motor vehicles.
What are the other materials containing carbon known to you? List them.
From the list, identify the organic compounds or materials containing them.
Which are the inorganic compounds or materials containing them?
The following materials contain carbon in them:
From the list,Wax, kerosene, methane, diesel, petrol, rubber, cotton, nylon, polyester, LPG, CNG, paper, plastic, sugar, wool, silk, jute are organic compounds or materials.
Marble, dyes, graphite, diamond, charcoal are the inorganic compounds or materials.
Locate carbon in the periodic table. Find out the following and complete table given below and make a record of it in your science diary.
Electronic configuration
Valency
Metal/Non-metal
Metals in the group
Metalloids in the group
Carbon atom is present in the fourteenth group and second period of the periodic table.
Mass number 12
Atomic number 6
Electronic configuration 2, 4
Period 2nd period
Group 14th group
Valency 4
Metal/Non-metal Non-metal
Family Carbon family
Metals in the group Tin, Lead
Metalloids in the group Germanium, Silicon
What are the forms of carbon that you are familiar with? List them.
Wood charcoal
List of the forms of carbon atom is as follows:
Lamp black
Bone Charcoal
Coconut shell charcoal
What could be the reasons for using diamond in ornaments? Make a note in the science diary.
Diamond is used in the preparation of ornaments because
It is transparent, shiny and crystalline in nature.
It gets an attractive lustre when reflected by light.
It is the hardest substance in nature.
You might have heard of the use of diamond for cutting glass. Which quality of diamond is put to use here?
Diamonds are the hardest substance in nature. This property of hardness is put in use while cutting glass.
What are the reasons for using graphite for making pencils? Write a note in the science diary.
Ash colour
The reasons for using graphite to make pencils are
Ash in colour
Soft and smooth
Ability to make a mark on paper, hence can stay for long period of time.
More adhesion force on paper
Lubricant in nature
Therefore graphite is used to make lead pencil.
Connect pencil lead into a circuit as shown in figure given below.
What do you observe?
Which characteristic property of graphite could you find out from this?
Is this not the reason for using graphite for making electrodes?
We observe that
Current passes through the circuit and the bulb glows.
The black central portion of the pencil is graphite.
Graphite is a good conductor of electricity.
It is a good conductor of electricity.
Yes, this is the reason for using graphite for making electrodes.
Page No. 141:
Which is the main carbon compound in the atmosphere?
What is the main compound formed when carbon or carbon containing substances burn in air?
You have already learned the activity of heating a shell. Put a piece of shell in a test tube. Add dilute HCl to it.
Insert a burning splinter into the test tube and watch. What happened to the flame? What is the reason?
Which gas was produced as a result of the chemical reaction?
Complete the equation of this chemical reaction.
CaCO3 + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O + …………….
Carbon dioxide is the main carbon compound in the atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide is the main compound formed when carbon or carbon containing substances are burnt in air.
Flame goes off because carbon dioxide gas is not a supporter of combustion. It is not a combustible gas.
Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) was produced as a result of the chemical reaction.
CaCO3 + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O + CO2(g)↑
Will the result be the same if the experiment is done with other carbonates? Try it out with sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate.
All carbonates except sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate decompose to give CO2 on heating.
When carbonates react with acids, CO2 gas is produced.
Carbon dioxide gas can be prepared by arranging the apparatus as shown in the figure given below.
Activiy: Let us perform an activity to study the reaction between sodium carbonate or (potassium carbonate) and hydrochloric acid
Take about 0.5 gram of sodium carbonate in a test tube and clamp it to the stand.
Add about 2 millilitre (ml) of dilute hydrochloric acid in it.
Close the test tube with the rubber cork of the glass delivery tube. Dip the lower end of the delivery tube in a test tube containing lime water.
We will observe brisk effervescence of a gas. This gas reacts with lime water, making it milky.
Sodium carbonate reacts with dilutehydrochloric acid to give sodium chloride, carbon dioxide and water
This shows that the gas produced in the reaction is carbon dioxide.
This activity shows that all metal carbonates react with acids to give the corresponding metal salt, carbon dioxide and water.
Pass CO2 gas through clear lime water in a test tube and through water in another test tube. Lime water is calcium hydroxide [Ca (OH)2] solution.
What happened to the limewater?
What could be the reason for this?
Analyse the equation for this chemical reaction to find out the reason.
Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 + H2O
Haven't you identified the substance which gave milky colour to the solution? Write the chemical name of this substance.
The lime water turned milky.
On passing CO2 through limewater, it dissolves in it to form carbonic acid. The lime water turns milky because of the formation of undissolved calcium carbonate in the solution.Ca(OH)2 + CO2 → CaCO3 + H2O
The substance which gave milky colour to the solution is calcium carbonate.
How will you find out whether a given substance is carbonate or not? Add dilute HC1 to various carbonates.
Introduce a glass rod dipped in clear lime water into the gas coming out. Record the findings in the science diary.
Now, using litmus, test the water through which carbon dioxide has been passed.
Lime water turns milky.
Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to form carbonic acid and thus, making the solution acidic in nature. Due to this, the blue litmus paper turns red when passed through that water.
The chemical formula of carbonic acid can be found out by completing the following equation.
H2O + CO2 → …………….
The complete reaction is given as
H2O + CO2 → H2CO3
Carbonic acid
Place lighted candles of different heights in a trough as shown in the given figure. Using a delivery tube, pass CO2 gas into the trough.
What is the reason for the candle flame getting extinguished?
Which was the first candle to be put out?
Can you find the reason for the tallest candle to be the last to get extinguished?
What can be guessed about the density of CO2 gas? Less or more than that of air?
All the candles get extinguished when CO2 gas is passed into the trough.
CO2 is not a supporter of combustion. Hence, when the CO2 gas is passed into the trough, all the candle flame extinguishes.
The smallest candle will be put out first.
The level of CO2 reaches the flame of the tallest candle only at the end when the CO2 gas is passed into the trough.
The weight and density of CO2 gas is more than that of air. The density of CO2 is 22 and that of air is 14.4.
Making a Fire Extinguisher
Take 20ml baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) solution in a wash bottle. Take a little vinegar in a small test tube and suspend it in the wash bottle, as shown in figure given below. Close the wash bottle. Hold the bottle tilted and observe.
Direct the gas coming out of the tube towards a lighted candle. What happened?
What features of CO2 gas enable it to function as a fire extinguisher? Think it over.
Not a supporter of combustion
The foam containing carbon dioxide gas comes out through the tube.
The flame of the lighted candle gets extinguished.
The following features enable carbon dioxide gas to function as a fire extinguisher:
Not a supporter of combustion. When carbon dioxide gas is released through a jet it spreads like a thick sheet and hence fire does not spread.
Is CO2 the only product obtained when carbon reacts with oxygen?
Yes, carbon combines with oxygen to only to form CO2 gas.
CO readily reacts with the haemoglobin in blood and a compound carboxyhaemoglobin is formed. Due to this, blood loses its ability to carry oxygen.
What would be the consequence?
The reaction of carbon monoxide with the haemoglobin forms carboxyhaemoglobin which leads to lack of oxygen in blood. This can cause death of the person.
What are the possibilities of CO being formed in the following real life situations?
At home ………………………….
In vehicles ………………………….
In factories ………………………….
At home:Carbon monoxide is produced by devices that burn fuels. Therefore, any fuel-burning appliance in our homes is a potential source of carbon monoxide gas.Common sources of CO include the wood, oil or gas fuelled appliances such as Boilers, room heaters, furnaces, charcoal grills, water heaters, fireplaces, portable generators, wood burning stoves.
Improperly operating or improperly vented appliances can produce fatal carbon monoxide concentrations in our homes. Using kerosene heaters or charcoal grills indoors can cause levels high enough to result in CO poisoning.
In vehicles:Vehicles emit gases like carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons. They spread in the atmosphere and pollute the air. Car idling in garage releases high amount of carbon monoxide gas into the atmosphere.
In factories:Combustion of substances in various factories produces carbon monoxide which is highly poisonous to animals and man.
It is dangerous to start and keep idling vehicles in closed garages. Find out the reason and note it in the science diary.
When the vehicles kept in closed garages are started the smoke emitted by them accumulates in the garage. This smoke contains carbon monoxide which is highly poisonous. Inhaling of this gas can cause suffocation and may even cause death.
Look at the figure given below depicting the cyclic changes of carbon on the earth in different ways. This is the carbon cycle.
Analyse the carbon cycle
Which is the compound that plays a major role in the cyclic changes of carbon?
What are the main processes through which the cyclic transformation of carbon takes place?
Carbon Cycle:Atmosphere contains about 0.03% carbon dioxide by volume. It is an important constituent of all the organic compounds. From atmosphere, the carbon dioxide moves to green plants which by the process of photosynthesis transform it into carbohydrates. From the producers it goes to the consumers and finally to microorganisms like bacteria and fungi (decomposers). By the decomposition of dead organic matter, it is returned to the atmosphere. In aquatic ecosystem, carbon dioxide reaches the atmosphere from the lime deposits. Some part of the green plants goes into the formation of coal deposits, rocks. This is due to weathering and combustion that carbon dioxide is given back to atmosphere. Respiration by animals and plants also returns free carbon dioxide to atmosphere.
Carbon dioxide plays a major role in the cyclic change of carbon.
The main processes through which the cyclic transformation of carbon takes place are
Thermal decomposition
What is the activity in which the CO2 in the atmosphere is made use of?
The CO2 in the atmosphere is made use by the plants for the process of photosynthesis. In this process, green plants use sunlight to synthesize nutrients and carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water.
What are the activities which increase the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere?
Activities such as burning of fuels, deforestation and wildfire, increasing number of factories, emission of smoke from automobiles and vehicles increase the quantity of CO2 in the atmosphere.
If the amount of CO2 increases in the atmospheric beyond a limit, is it a welcome change?
No. The amount of CO2 increases in the atmospheric beyond a limit is not a welcome change.
If the proportion of CO2 increases, more infrared rays will be retained. What will be the result of such an event?
If the proportion of CO2 increases, more infrared rays will be retained. Due to this, the atmospheric temperature will increase and it will ultimately lead to global warming.
What are the possible repercussions of global warming?
The possible repercussions of global warming are
Big natural calamities
Rise in sea level due to melting of polar ice caps and glaciers
Abnormal weather conditions
Flooding and submergence of coastal regions
Damage to our eco-system
Why are these compounds called hydrocarbons?
Compounds containing carbon and hydrogen are called hydrocarbons.
With how many other atoms has one carbon atom in the given compounds combined? What is the valency of carbon?
In CH4 (methane), one carbon atom combines with 4 hydrogen atoms.
In C2H6 (ethane), 2 carbon atoms combine with 6 hydrogen atoms.
Valency of carbon is 4.
Is the bonding seen in these compounds ionic or covalent?
The bonding seen in these compounds is covalent.
In the listed compounds, what is the type of covalent bond between the carbon atoms? (✓) the correct one (single bond / double bond / triple bond).
Single bond
How does the number of hydrogen atoms change, when the number of carbon atoms increases in the alkanes?
In alkanes, as the number of carbon atoms increase the number of hydrogen atoms also increase.
Is it possible to indicate alkanes by a general formula? Complete the following table and make an attempt.
Name of alkane Chemical formula No. of carbon atoms No. of hydrogen atoms
Methane CH4 1 2 × 1 + 2 = 4
Ethane C2H6 2 2 × 2 + 2 = 6
Propane C3H8 3 ————-
Butane ————- 4 ————-
Propane C3H8 3 2 × 3 + 2 = 8
Butane C4H10 4 2 × 4 + 2 = 10
Pentane C5H12 5 2 × 5 + 2 = 12
Hexane C6H14 6 2 × 6 + 2 = 14
What will be the general formula of alkanes if the number of carbon atoms is 'n'?
CnH2n+2 is the general formula of alkanes where n = number of carbon atoms.
Look at the structure of some other hydrocarbons in the given figure.
• In these compounds, is the carbon-carbon bond the same as that in alkanes?
• What is the ratio of the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms?
No. The carbon-carbon bond is not the same as that in alkanes.
The ratio of the number of carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms is 1 : 2.
Complete the table given below.
Can you indicate alkenes by a general formula?
The general formula of alkenes is CnH2n.
Complete the table given below
Find out the general formula for alkynes:
The general formula of alkynes is CnH2n-2.
How are the hydrocarbons classified based on the bonding between carbon atoms?
The Hydrocarbons are classified as alkanes, alkenes and alkynes on the basis of the bonding present between the carbon atoms.
The carbon atoms linked with each other through single bonds are called alkanes.
The carbon atoms linked with each other through double bonds are called alkenes.
The carbon atoms linked with each other through triple bonds are called alkynes.
Is there any connection between the names of the hydrocarbons and the chemical bonding between the carbon atoms? Try to find out.
Yes. The second part of the name of the members of hydrocarbons (alkane, alkene and alkyne) denotes the nature of chemical bond.
Type of bond Suffix Hydrocarbon
Single bond -ane Alkane
Double bond – ene Alkene
Triple bond – yne Alkyne
Open chain and ring, Look at the structures of hydrocarbons given below:
How are the compounds on the left and right sides different from each other? Write down the carbon chain excluding all hydrogen atoms.
The compounds on the left side are in the open chain form and those on the right side are in the form of closed chain (Cyclic).
The carbon chain structure excluding all hydrogen atoms of the given compounds is
What difference do you find? Is it not possible to classify hydrocarbons on the basis of carbon chain too? How is it done?
The Classification of Hydrocarbons