This chapter explores the evolving legal and regulatory landscape within the Gulf states, focusing on Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, as these countries strive to curtail carbon emissions. This chapter also offers a prescriptive analysis, proposing custom-designed legal and regulatory frameworks specifically tailored to the unique economic and legal environments of each nation. This analysis details viable carbon reduction strategies that not only promote environmental sustainability and meet their climate pledges but also bolster economic growth, fostering a win–win scenario for the Gulf states. This chapter presents a strategic roadmap for implementing these initiatives within each country’s specific macroeconomic context. By offering actionable and contextually relevant strategies for impactful climate action, this chapter aims to significantly enrich the dialogue on environmental policy and climate change mitigation efforts in the Gulf region.

This chapter narrates the historical context that shaped the contemporary economic landscape of the Gulf states and critically examines the enduring impact of colonialism on the region’s economic fabric and how the entrenched “dual economic framework” imposed limitations on development. This chapter also sheds light on the emergence of resource nationalism as a transformative strategy for Gulf states to assert control over their natural resources and challenge this dependency. The creation of OPEC serves as a core moment in the realm of global energy politics, symbolizing a strategic move towards economic autonomy and the collective bargaining power of developing countries. Building upon this historical foundation, the chapter deconstructs the philosophical and theoretical frameworks that underpin development strategies during this era of rapid modernization in the Gulf and explores how Gulf policymakers creatively adapted these models to their unique socio-political and economic contexts, paving the way for their ascent as significant players in the global energy market.

Despite five decades of analysis, many aspects of Mars crater morphology and evolution remain enigmatic, and it seems likely that new types of data will be needed to find the answers. As a final section in this chapter, we offer new approaches to solving these questions. Finding the answers will require a new orbital data set. Our recommendation is for a new data set that is comparable to many that have been collected for other planets in the Solar System and thus well within the capabilities of the National Air and Space Administration (NASA) and other international space agencies.

We take the younger examples, as illustrated in Chapter 4, and show some of the common ways that craters may be modified. Even craters that are classified as morphologically fresh may have experienced modification. This might take the form of chemical weathering of the floor or deposition of eolian or ice deposits within the crater cavity.

This chapter reviews impact craters throughout the Solar System, looking first at craters formed on Earth, where we have the best field knowledge. We then investigate craters formed on airless rocky bodies (the Moon and Mercury), where the cratering process is not affected by atmospheric effects. We follow this with a glimpse of craters on volatile-rich bodies that also lack an atmosphere, specifically Ganymede, 1 Ceres, and Charon. Here the target material is most likely water ice. Finally, we examine craters formed on bodies with thick atmospheres (Venus and Titan) to see what landforms may have been formed by the interaction of the projectile and the ejecta with the atmosphere.

Here we delve into greater detail of the morphology of individual craters. We review what the freshest, and hence the most likely youngest, craters look like.

This chapter embarks on a rigorous examination of the evolving social contracts within the Gulf states delineating their foundational role in facilitating the region’s pursuit of decarbonization, climate change adaptation, and socioeconomic diversification. The analysis delves into the intricate web of socioeconomic, political, national security, and sociocultural transformations inextricably linked to the ongoing economic restructuring within the region and assesses how these countries navigate this multifaceted transition amid a complex interplay of domestic and global pressures.

We introduce the mode of formation of craters on planetary surfaces to set the stage for comparisons of crater morphology throughout the Solar System and on Mars specifically.

This chapter offers a critical analysis of the Gulf region’s industrial transformation, identifying the 1973 oil embargo as a key moment that accelerated industrial investment. It undertakes a rigorous exploration of the geopolitical forces that sculpted the region’s economic and industrial trajectory during this pivotal era. By meticulously tracing the enduring geopolitical repercussions from the early 1970s to their contemporary manifestations, the analysis exposes the strategic economic restructuring undertaken by Gulf states in the wake of the embargo. This investigation illuminates the intrinsic interconnectedness of global politics, economic ambitions, and industrial growth within the Gulf and illustrates the profound and enduring legacy of these historical events in shaping the region’s modernization and evolving global status.

This chapter serves as the book’s culminating exploration and synthesizes the book’s core arguments, offering a critical evaluation of the Gulf states’ transformative responses to the global imperative of decarbonization. Through an assessment of historical trends, economic projections, and potential shifts in geopolitical power dynamics, the chapter constructs a comprehensive potential outlook for the Gulf region within a rapidly evolving global energy landscape. Notably, the chapter’s focus is on the critical 10–20-year window, a period during which the Gulf states must strategically navigate the complexities, capitalize on the opportunities, and effectively address the multifaceted challenges posed by decarbonization. Importantly, this chapter offers penetrating insights into the potential challenges awaiting the Gulf states. By posing the essential questions that policymakers must confront, it provides a conceptual roadmap for developing proactive strategies designed to address these challenges head-on. This focus on foresight and strategic management is fundamental to the chapter’s significance.

We review the principal types of Martian ejecta morphology. We then delve more deeply into the attributes of these ejecta deposits.