A social media post, first spotted on April 28, 2023, at 11:35 PM Libyan time, claims that rivers have started appearing in the Saudi Arabian desert. The post, which garnered around 635 interactions and 51 comments by May 22, 2023, features a map of Saudi Arabia from Google Maps, supposedly showing the emergence of rivers in cities. The claim has been shared on multiple pages, sparking curiosity and concern about the sudden change in the region's geography.
An investigation by Annir, a fact-checking organization, has found the claim to be misleading. Using keyword searches, researchers were led to a Google Maps image of Saudi Arabia, which showed no new rivers in the region compared to a similar map from ten years ago. This suggests that the claim of sudden river appearances is unfounded.
The image used in the social media post, upon closer inspection, appears to be a representation of wadis, or dry riverbeds, rather than actual rivers. A similar image, captured by a Spectroradiometer device on January 24, 2005, was published on the Earth Observatory website, a NASA-affiliated platform. The image uses false colors to highlight floodplains that formed after a storm.
While the Wadi Ar-Rumah, visible on the map, did experience a flow of water in January 2023, covering a distance of 600 km in six days, this event was not unprecedented. The wadi flowed again on April 17, 2023, following heavy rainfall that exceeded 28 mm in the region. These events, however, do not indicate the permanent presence of rivers in the area.
The Annir team has concluded that the claim is misleading, as the image does not depict permanent rivers but rather wadis with false colors used to illustrate their occasional flow. This flow occurs sporadically and then dwindles, contradicting the narrative of a sudden and sustained appearance of rivers in the Saudi Arabian desert.
The investigation highlights the importance of verifying information, especially when it comes to environmental and geographical claims. Misleading information can spread quickly on social media, potentially causing confusion and misinformed discussions about significant topics such as climate change and its effects on different regions.
In related news, Annir has previously debunked other false claims circulating on social media, including a report about Libyan girls producing a drama series based on the life of an American girl and a story about Argentina issuing a currency note featuring Lionel Messi.
Key points
- The claim of rivers suddenly appearing in the Saudi Arabian desert is misleading.
- The image used in the claim represents wadis, or dry riverbeds, rather than permanent rivers.
- The Wadi Ar-Rumah experienced temporary flows of water in 2023, but this does not indicate a permanent change in the region's geography.
