Khaybar Lava Field

Khaybar Lava Field is a volcanic field in the Madinah Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it is the largest harrat in the Kingdom by area, estimated at about 21,500 square kilometers. [3] It contains Jabal Al-Qidr, which was listed among the world's top 100 geological sites issued by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in cooperation with UNESCO. [2]

Khaybar Lava Field holds hundreds of volcanic cones, and these formations are part of the natural features of the Madinah Region. [7]

Khaybar Lava Field lies in the Madinah Region, and alongside Harrat Rahat it is one of the most prominent volcanic harrats in the region; the two are part of the formations that shaped its natural features. [1]

The volcanoes in Khaybar Lava Field alone number about 400, while the number of volcanoes in Harrat Rahat between Makkah and Madinah is about 700, and across the Kingdom about 2,000. [7] The harrats in the Kingdom occupy about 89,720 square kilometers, or about 4.6% of its area, the most among the Arab countries. [3]

The distribution of the harrats in the Kingdom is linked to the fracturing and faulting movements that accompanied the opening of the Red Sea rift, which originated about 25 million years ago, and these harrats cover large areas of the western part of the Arabian continental shelf, estimated at about 180,000 square kilometers. [8]

Some harrats align with the northwest trend of the Najd fault, among them the harrats of Uwayrid, Hutaymah, Khaybar, and Rahat, and the harrats of Khaybar, Rahat, and Kishb contain volcanic cones of varied rock composition. [8]

Jabal Al-Qidr lies in the Khaybar volcanic harrat north of the Madinah Region, and it forms one of the most prominent witnesses to the recent volcanic geology of the Arabian Peninsula, which qualified it to be among the world's top 100 geological sites issued by the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) in cooperation with UNESCO. [2]

The mountain features a well-defined volcanic cone rising about 400 meters; it is one of the most recently historically active volcanoes in the Kingdom, and its last eruption occurred about a thousand years ago. [2] Jabal Al-Qidr is also one of the largest volcanic fields and the last volcano to erupt about 1,000 years ago, and it is among the most beautiful global geological landmarks under the classification of the International Union of Geological Sciences and UNESCO. [3]

Khaybar Lava Field contains three rare volcanoes — Jabal Al-Bayda, Jabal Al-Abyad, and Jabal Al-Mansaf — composed of acidic volcanic rocks of light gray with volcanic glass, and they are rare and unique in the Arabian Peninsula. [6]

The crater of Jabal Al-Bayda in the middle of the harrat is distinguished by its whitish color, formed of volcanic rocks of the comendite type, which made it one of the rarest geological landmarks in the Arabian Peninsula; it rises about 2,000 meters above sea level, and within it grow various desert plants and trees. [6]

Umm Ghurayfil Cave, recently discovered in Khaybar Lava Field, is part of a huge lava tube; it is about 6 meters high and 12 meters wide inside, and it holds the remains of the bones of various animals from hundreds of years ago and large quantities of birds' nests. [5]

The Umm Hushaywi lava tube in the harrat is among the longest lava tubes in the Arab world, followed by the Umm Al-Jarsan tube. [5]

Khaybar Lava Field holds a number of animals, the most famous of which are wolves, hyenas, the tufah (caracal), porcupines, and foxes, alongside birds, bats, and insects. [3]

Its trees and plants include the acacias, arfaj, talh, dahyan, sidr, aljan, and himmat (wild fig). [3]

Harrat basalt was approved as the first Saudi heritage stone to be listed on the global heritage stone list of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), and the harrats of the Madinah Region preserve prominent evidence of this geological heritage, among them Harrat Rahat and Harrat Khaybar. [1]

The volcanic flows from Jabal Al-Qidr covered huge stone structures known as desert kites, which are wide-ranging ancient stone structures thought to date back to the Bronze Age about 5,000 years ago, giving the site a dual scientific and heritage character. [2]

The Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate established Khaybar Volcano Camp for camping among the volcanic rocks of the harrat; it is distinguished by its proximity to Jabal Al-Qidr, and it offers exploratory tours and hiking and climbing of the volcanic mountains under the supervision of Saudi staff. [4] The harrat gathers a number of volcanoes dormant for thousands of years, which has made it a destination for adventure and exploration. [4]

The camp is linked to the surroundings of the geography of AlUla in the northwest of the Kingdom. [4]

Q: Where is Khaybar Lava Field located? A: In the Madinah Region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and it is one of the most prominent volcanic harrats there alongside Harrat Rahat. [1]

Q: What is the area of Khaybar Lava Field? A: About 21,500 square kilometers, and it is the largest harrat in the Kingdom by area. [3]

Q: What are the most famous geological landmarks in Khaybar Lava Field? A: Jabal Al-Qidr, listed among the world's top 100 geological sites, three rare volcanoes — Jabal Al-Bayda, Jabal Al-Abyad, and Jabal Al-Mansaf — and Umm Ghurayfil Cave and the Umm Hushaywi tube. [2][5][6]

Q: When did the last volcanic eruption in the harrat occur? A: About a thousand years ago. [2]

Q: How can Khaybar Lava Field be visited? A: Through Khaybar Volcano Camp, established by the Royal Commission for AlUla Governorate for camping among the volcanic rocks near Jabal Al-Qidr, with exploratory tours and hiking and climbing under the supervision of Saudi staff. [4]

Khaybar Lava Field combines its largest area among the harrats of the Kingdom [3], its geological landmarks of Jabal Al-Qidr, the rare volcanoes, and the lava tubes [2][5][6], its scientific and heritage value recognized globally [1][2], and its elements of geological tourism [4].

Related topics on the platform include Harrat Al-Harrah Protected Area, Jabal Al-Lawz, and the Great An-Nafud Desert.