I have seen several breathtaking wonders of nature and every time the first expression that came to my mind was ‘Subhan Allah’ (glory be to Allah), for only HE can create such wonders. But the first expression that came to my mouth, on seeing the Wahbah crater, was ‘Auzu Billah’ (I seek the protection of Allah).
Reaching The Wahbah Crater
First, let me provide some context so you have an idea of what I was feeling when I reached the Wahbah crater. From Kuwait, I drove to a city in Saudi Arabia called Dhulm which took around 1,000 km and 11 hours of continuous driving. We reached Dhulm around sunset and did nothing except eat and sleep. The sleep was as comfortable as it can be in a new place with my brain flooded with various concerns regarding the trip. We left Dhulm immediately after Fajr prayers since our plan was to reach the Wahbah crater before the sun started to produce unbearable heat. The drive of around 200 km was on an impressive road infrastructure and we did not face a single stretch of off-road driving, even though the last leg of the drive was between various mountains and hills.
After Dhulm our next destination was Al-Baha where we planned to make an overnight stop and then move towards the hill station of Abha. The long journey ahead made me question whether this 200 KM detour to the Wahbah crater was even worth the time and effort. An inner voice was telling me ‘What is there to see, some mountains and a hole?’
With these apprehensions, I parked my car in the provided parking area. There were some facilities such as washrooms, Masjid, and a visitor center but all were closed. I don’t know if the closure was because it was off-season or because we were early. Anyway, it didn’t matter. We were not there for the facilities, but rather for the crater, which was open 24/7.
From the parking, I was not able to see the crater, but I started feeling a bit anxious. Maybe it was my paternal instinct to sound alarms about the safety of the place. From the parking lot, I remember climbing to the nearest viewing gallery and seeing the crater for the first time.
Immediately, I was taken aback by a haunting feeling, and the words ‘Auzu Billah’, came automatically to my mouth.
Before I begin describing my observations, it’s essential to emphasize that for me safety always takes precedence, especially when it involves my family and children. Prior to our visit to this location, I conducted thorough research, watching videos and viewing images of people not only admiring the crater from a secure distance but also descending to its base. I saw entire families, including toddlers, exploring the depths of the crater and even tasting the salt on its floor. So, in my mind, this adventure seemed perfectly safe.
However, upon reaching the designated viewing point and gazing into the crater, a sense of unease washed over me. Perhaps it was due to the crater’s sheer size and depth, which hadn’t been adequately conveyed in the pictures and videos that I had seen earlier. It might have been the presence of a mysterious white mist rising from the crater’s base and extending to several hundred meters into the surrounding mountains or the fact that we were entirely alone at the site. Or maybe it was a combination of all these factors that left me with a feeling of uncertainty.
How the Wahbah Crater Looked
The diameter of the crater was about the size of 8 full-sized soccer fields and the depth was almost about 100 stories of a standard apartment building
The crater has a diameter of 2 kilometers, which is around the size of 8 full-sized soccer fields, and a steep fall of around 300 meters (about 984.25 ft) which is almost 100 stories of a standard apartment building. The floor of the crater was white as it was covered by white sodium phosphate crystals creating a striking contrast with the surrounding dark volcanic rocks. I noticed a foggy mist rising from the base of the crater to a few hundred meters above the mountains, something that I had not seen in any of the videos or pictures. The fog was something that was adding to the overall haunting feel of the Wahbah crater.
Volcanic Fog or VOG
The weather around was pleasant but there was no sign of any fog or mist except for what was rising from within the crater to a few hundred meters above the highest point of the crater. The mist, as I later found out, was due to a phenomenon called volcanic fog or vog. Vog is formed when volcanic gases, such as sulfur dioxide and other particles, react with moisture in the air, creating a hazy and misty atmosphere. This volcanic fog can sometimes be localized and confined to specific areas, like the inside of the crater, even when there is no fog present in the surrounding regions. The pleasant weather might have played a role in facilitating the formation of vog, as temperature and humidity conditions contribute to this occurrence. In all the videos that I had seen and the material I had read online, there was no mention of Vogs. The Vog that we were witnessing could contain harmful gases and particles, so I was not sure if we should be climbing down or even being so close to it.
Climbing Down
The kids were excited and wanted to climb down. In multiple videos that I had seen on YouTube, I had seen a path specially created for people wishing to climb down into the crater. It was a maximum descent of about 30-40 minutes for small kids while adults could have climbed down a bit faster. So initially I did not see a problem, except that I could not find that path. And wherever the path could have been it seemed to be closed by some sort of human-caused landfall. Kids tried to discover some paths of their own, but it did not look safe, so we went back up to the designated viewing areas. Later I found out that Saudi authorities had closed the path as it was unsafe because of the VOG. Some locals had to be rushed to hospitals because of breathing issues. So in the end it was good that we did not risk climbing down in the crater.
Whispering Gallery Effect
Another extraordinary experience was that we could talk to each other without shouting even if we were around a kilometer away from each other. That felt creepy and fun at the same time. This phenomenon that we experienced, where sound travels exceptionally well over long distances in a specific area, is known as acoustic mirroring or the “whispering gallery effect.” This effect occurs due to specific acoustic properties of the landscape, such as the crater’s unique shape and the presence of natural reflectors that help sound waves travel long distances with minimal loss of energy. Natural reflectors in the context of the Wahbah crater can be the surrounding hills or cliffs and/or the temperature and wind patterns redirecting sound waves toward specific locations. Temperature inversions can, in some cases, create layers of air with varying densities leading to sound refraction and reflection.
In such natural formations, sound waves can be directed and focused, allowing them to travel great distances even when there are obstacles in between. This can result in clear and audible communication between individuals who are far apart without the need for shouting or using loudspeakers.
The whispering gallery effect is an interesting and remarkable acoustic phenomenon that occurs in various natural and man-made structures, and it was so fascinating to experience it firsthand!
How was the Wahbah crater formed?
The Wahbah Crater, also known as Al Wahbah, is a volcanic crater, and its formation is attributed to volcanic activity. The general process of crater formation might have involved the following steps:
A Volcanic Eruption during which molten magma, ash, and gases are expelled from the Earth’s interior onto the surface. The eruption might have been explosive, leading to the ejection of substantial amounts of volcanic material, including rocks, ash, and gas, into the atmosphere. After the eruption, the emptied magma chamber beneath the volcano could have collapsed due to the loss of support, leading to the formation of a large depression on the Earth’s surface. Over time, the depression might have undergone various erosion processes, including weathering, rainfall, and wind, which shaped the crater’s final form. The white sodium phosphate crystals on the crater floor are likely the result of evaporative processes that occurred when water from rain or other sources interacted with the volcanic material, leaving behind these mineral deposits.
It’s important to note that the exact details of the crater’s formation may vary depending on the specific volcanic activity and geological processes involved.
Conclusion
Wahbah Crater is a remarkable geological feature that offers insights into the volcanic history of the region and continues to attract curious visitors like us. After spending around 30-40 minutes on the various viewing points around the crater, I was quite thankful that I took the 200 KM detour. After all, that is what adventure is all about, you never know whether the destination you are going to will be a boom or a bust. The only thing we missed doing, was climbing down to the base of the crater and experiencing it from there. However due to the mist, it was not safe to be outside the viewing areas, let alone climbing down to the crater.
For more blogs on my traveling experiences, stay tuned to the ‘thepakistandream.com’.