JEDDAH — United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) have selected and nominated Al-Wahbah Crater of Saudi Arabia as one among the top 100 geological heritage sites in the world for the year 2024. This was announced by Tariq Aba Al-Khail, spokesman of the Saudi Geological Survey. Al-Wahbah Crater, which is also known as the Tamiya Quarry or scientifically "Maar Volcano," is located in Harrat Kishb, about 270 km northeast of Jeddah. Aba Al-Khail said that the nomination of the crater came after an evaluation conducted by a committee of 89 international experts. The crater has been chosen from among 174 nominated sites submitted by 64 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United States of America, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, China, Iceland, Egypt, and Finland. He said that Al-Wahbah Crater is considered as one of the largest and most amazing volcanic craters and one of the largest dry volcanoes in the world. It is part of a single-origin volcanic field that includes 175 small volcanoes, ranging in age from two million to a few hundred thousand years, and covering an area estimated at about 6,000 square kilometers. Aba Al-Khail said that the crater itself was formed about 1.1 million years ago and is characterized by a depth of about 250 meters and a diameter of 2.3 kilometers, which is about three times the average diameter of other volcanoes. It contains a salt basin or a shallow lake formed by the accumulation of rainwater. "Al-Wahbah Crater, along with other selected geological sites around the world, are inspiring destinations that contribute to promoting geological tourism and developing geological sciences, providing unique opportunities to spread knowledge in the field of earth sciences," he added. The bottom of the crater is covered with white sodium phosphate crystals. While it was thought for some time that the crater was formed by a meteorite, as its appearance resembles that of the Barringer Crater, with its circular form and high sides, it is now commonly accepted by geologists that the crater is a maar crater, and was formed by volcanic activity in the form of an underground phreatic eruption – a massive steam explosion generated by molten basaltic magma coming into contact with subterranean water.
