Figure 22.17Easterly view of the escarpment along the Arabian Sea at the Yemen-Oman border. This three-dimensional satellite image illustrates how topography determines local climate, which in turn controls erosion and landscape development. Although the Arabian Peninsula is arid, the steep escarpment of the Qara Mountains wrings moisture from the seasonal rains. That moisture allows natural vegetation to grow (green areas along the mountain fronts and in the canyons) and soil to develop (dark brown areas). In contrast, the light-colored areas are mostly dry desert. This climate focuses erosion on the ocean side of the mountain range. That intense erosion, in turn, has caused the escarpment to retreat landward, from right to left.