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Al-Waba Crater: One of World’s Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites

Al-Waba Crater has been selected by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) as one of the world’s top 100 heritage geological sites for 2024, announced the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS).

Al-Waba Crater, also spelled (Al-Wahbah) and known as the Tamiya Quarry or scientifically as maar volcano, is located in Hurrat Khishb, about 270 km northeast of Jeddah.

Al-Waba Crater: One of World's Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites

The SGS official spokesperson, Tariq Abaalkhail, said that Al-Waba Crater is one of the largest and most fascinating volcanic craters in the world. It is also one of the largest dry Maar volcanoes around the world.

He added that Al-Waba Crater is part of a monogenetic volcanic field that includes 175 small volcanoes, ranging in age from two million to a few hundred thousand years, and covering an area of about 6,000 square kilometers.

Al-Waba Crater: One of World's Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites

According to Abaalkhail, Al-Waba Crater was formed about 1.1 million years ago and is around 250 meters deep with a diameter of 2.3 kilometers. This is nearly 3 times the average diameter of other volcanoes. Moreover, the Crater has a salt basin or shallow lake that was formed as a result of the accumulation of rainwater.

Furthermore, Abaalkhail noted that Al-Waba Crater, along with the other selected geological sites worldwide, are inspiring destinations that contribute to promoting geological tourism and developing geological sciences, providing unique opportunities for spreading knowledge in the field of earth sciences.

Al-Waba Crater: One of World's Top 100 Geological Heritage Sites

The selection of Al-Waba Crater came after an evaluation done by a committee of 89 international experts. The Crater was chosen from 174 nominated sites submitted by 64 countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United States, Italy, Canada, New Zealand, China, Iceland, Egypt, and Finland, among others.

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