Al-Wahbah Volcanic Maar Crater & Salt Dome

Gazing down into Al-Wahbah Crater on the western edge of the Haflat Kishb volcanic basalt plateau, travelers behold one of Saudi Arabia's most dramatic geological spectacles. Stretching over two kilometers in diameter and plunging two hundred and fifty meters deep, this colossal crater was long believed to have been formed by a meteor strike, but was proven by geologists to be a volcanic 'maar' created by underground phreatomagmatic steam explosions when subterranean water met molten lava. At the center of the dark volcanic crater floor lies a dazzling, snow-white expanse of crystalline sodium phosphate salt that glitters like a mirage under the Arabian sun. Following seasonal winter rains, a shallow pearl-colored brine lake forms across the basin before evaporating into crystalline patterns. A paved viewpoint and walking path along the rim provide sweeping panoramas of the surrounding volcanic cones and lava fields. Fit adventurers can hike down the marked trail to the crater floor, experiencing the silent, lunar majesty of the subterranean salt basin.