Al Hajjar Mountains

The Al Hajjar Mountains of the United Arab Emirates are often referred to as the Journey to the Center of the Earth. Located in the Musandam Peninsula, these mountains represent the largest surface exposure of rocks of the upper mantle and oceanic crust.

Together, these surfaces are called Ophiolites, making them a geologist haven. In fact, just 15 years ago, a major geological symposium was held in Oman whereby more than 300 geologists from around the globe gathered for the 12-day trip and lecture session to learn more about these fascinating rocks.

When visiting the Al Hajjar Mountains, you can walk or drive across the Moho, which is a compositional boundary that lies between the upper mantle and crust. The intriguing aspect of this is as you travel to the west, you begin to move downward into the rock area of the oceanic crust or onto the upper mantle. As you make your way on this journey, you will notice things other than rock surface to include pillow lavas and deposits that look like metal brines.

The rocks of the upper mantle and lower crust are exposed with the majority being the large mass of the Hajjar Mountains running from Al-Ain in the south to Hatta Road in the west. As you look from the Hatta Road to Khaid Masafi Fujairah Road, you will notice the mountain’s interior shows primarily wehrlites and gabbros. Then as you go north to Dibba, the mountains are primarily mantle peridotites. Then, from the Masafi Dibba Road, you will notice a beautiful area of silver-white rocks, representing a place there is contact of metamorphism below the ophiolite thrust sheet.

The Hajjar Mountains were formed between 95 and 110 millions years ago. The area was then subjected to more deformation and uplift during the mid-Tertiary, which was a period around 20 to 40 millions years ago. Since that time, these mountains have remained a topographic high, erosion of rising mountains that have left behind somewhat coarse sediments in the Gulf of Oman. It is important to understand that the creation of the Hajjar Mountains is truly a marvelous phenomenon where today, geologists along with nature lovers and hikers visiting the United Arab Emirates can go to experience something extraordinary.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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