Al Wahbah Crater

Al Wahbah is a crater around two kilometres across and two hundred and fifty metres deep on the Harrat Kishb, a basalt lava field northeast of Taif, formed by a phreatic explosion when rising magma met groundwater rather than by an impact, which was the earlier explanation. The floor is flat and covered with a crust of white sodium phosphate salts left by evaporation, ringed by palms where seepage reaches the surface, and the contrast between the white pan, the black walls and the green palms is the reason people make the drive. A path descends the western side to the floor, taking about an hour down and considerably longer back up.

History

Geologists long thought the crater was made by a meteorite, since it resembles the Barringer Crater, but it is now accepted as a maar formed by a phreatic eruption, a steam explosion when basaltic magma met underground water. It is 250 m deep and two kilometres across, and its floor is covered in white sodium phosphate crystals (Wikipedia, Al Wahbah crater).

Highlights

• The white floor - the salt crust covering the crater bottom.
• The black walls - the basalt rim and the layered rock.
• Palm stands - the trees where seepage reaches the floor.
• The descent path - the route down the western side.

When to go

November to March; the harrat is severely hot in summer and the climb out is dangerous in heat. Camping on the rim is common. Sunrise and sunset give the best light on the crater.

Practical notes

The climb back out is steep and hard, taking well over an hour, and people get into difficulty in heat. There are no facilities, water or shade. The drive from Taif takes around three hours on desert roads. Litter on the rim is a problem.

Nearby

Taif lies southwest; the Harrat Kishb surrounds the crater.

Key facts