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Harrat Khaybar Volcano | John Seach
Saudi Arabia
25.00 N, 39.92 E
summit elevation 2093 m
Volcanic field
Harrat Khaybar volcano is located 66 km NE of Al Madinah (Medina) in western Saudi Arabia. The volcanic field covers 14,000 sq km. The 100 km long linear vent system contains lava domes, tuff rings, the Jabal Qidr stratovolcano.
Three coalesced basaltic lava fields, Harats Khaybar, Ithnayn, and Kura comprise the largest contiguous area of Cenozoic basalt in Saudi Arabia. It is similar in extent (20,564 sq km) to Harrat Rahat, located 25 km south.
Harrat Khaybar is the largest (14,064 sq km) of the three harrats. It consists of a 100 km long linear vent system, with a spectacular high central region containing white felsic domes and tuff cones.
Eruptions at Harrat Khaybar Volcano
Volcanic activity began at Harrat Volcano 5 million years ago and has continued up to the present. Seven post Neolithic eruptions and eight historical eruptions have been identified at the volcano.
Whaleback Lava Flows
Harrat Khaybar volcano contains an unusual landform which consists of a chain of coalesced shield volcanoes fed from a string of open craters. They have been termed "whalebacks". The line of cratrers are up to 20 km long, and linked by lava tunnels 10 m in diameter.
Further reading
Sulieman, Magboul M., et al. "Early indicators of pedogenesis at Harrat Khaybar volcano, Saudi Arabia." Geoderma 383 (2021): 114743.
Németh, Károly, and Mohammed Rashad Moufti. "Geoheritage values of a mature monogenetic volcanic field in intra-continental settings: Harrat Khaybar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." Geoheritage 9.3 (2017): 311-328.
Moufti, Mohammed Rashad, and Károly Németh. "The White Mountains of Harrat Khaybar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia." International Journal of Earth Sciences 103.6 (2014): 1641-1643.
Harrat Khaybar Volcano Eruptions
650 AD