Dhofar Region, Oman. Much of Oman is desert, but the Arabian Sea coast in the Dhofar region represents a startling difference in climate. This coastal region catches the monsoon rains, or khareef, during the summer months. Drenching rains fall primarily on the mountainous ridge that separates the lush, fertile areas along the coast from the arid interior, recharging streams, waterfalls and springs that provide plentiful water supplies in the fertile lowlands for the remainder of the year. Image taken by Landsat 5 on April 2, 2005. (Photo by USGS/NASA)

Palestinians hit injured Israeli settlers, center, detained by Palestinian villagers in a building under construction near the West Bank village of Qusra, southeast of the city of Nablus, Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Palestinians held more than a dozen Israeli settlers for about two hours Tuesday in retaliation for the latest in a string of settler attacks on villages in the area, witnesses said. The military said the chain of events apparently began after Israeli authorities removed an illegally built structure in Esh Kodesh, a rogue Israeli settlement in the area. In recent years, militant settlers have often responded to any attempts by the Israeli military to remove parts of dozens of rogue settlements, or outposts, by attacking Palestinians and their property. The tactic, begun in 2008, is known as “price tag”. (Photo by Nasser Ishtayeh/AP Photo)

Japanese Macaque monkeys soak in the warmth of mountain hotsprings at Jigokudani Monkey Park, in Yamanouchi, central Japan, 19 January 2014. The Japanese Macaques (Macaca fuscata), also referred to as Snow Monkeys, live freely in this area that is covered by snow one third of the year. Jigokudani is the only known place in the world where monkeys bathe in natural hot springs. As a habit, they come down from the mountains where they spend the night and bath during the day. (Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA)

A Kurdish female fighter from the People's Protection Units (YPG) gestures as she carries her weapon near al-Hawl area where fighting between Islamic State fighters and fighters from Democratic Forces of Syria are taking place in south-eastern city of Hasaka, Syria November 10, 2015. (Photo by Rodi Said/Reuters)

Kurdish guard women from the civilian protection unit which supports the Democratic Forces of Syria, cheer near the Syrian town of al Houl in Hasaka province, after the Democratic Forces of Syria took control of the area, November 14, 2015. A U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance on Friday captured the town of al Houl in Hasaka province, which had been held by Islamic State militants, a spokesman for the Kurdish fighters, part of the grouping, said. It was the first significant advance against IS by the Democratic Forces of Syria, which was formed last month. (Photo by Rodi Said/Reuters)

A man prepares plastic strings, used to produce mats, inside a mat factory in the rebel-controlled area of Maarshureen town in Idlib province, Syria, December 22, 2015. The town is known for the significant number of mat factories which exports its production mainly to nearby Iraq through checkpoints controlled by insurgents. But in the past months the business has declined due to heavy airstrikes against insurgents, vendors said. (Photo by Khalil Ashawi/Reuters)

A damaged traffic signal is pictured along a street at a residential area flooded by the Kinugawa river, caused by typhoon Etau in Joso, Ibaraki prefecture, Japan, September 11, 2015. Unprecedented rain in Japan unleashed heavy floods on Friday that tore houses from their foundations, uprooted trees and forced more than 100,000 people from their homes. (Photo by Issei Kato/Reuters)

A Palestinian protester sets fire to himself as he throws a molotov cocktail during clashes with the members of the Israeli armed forces in the West Bank city of Hebron, 13 October 2015. The past 12 days have seen the worst spell of street violence in Israel and the Palestinian areas in years, stirred in part by Muslim anger over perceived changes to the status quo observed at a disputed Jerusalem holy site. Sixteen Palestinians from the West Bank and Jerusalem have been killed, but more than half of them have been attackers shot dead after or during attempts to stab Israelis. (Photo by Abed Al Hashlamoun/EPA)