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| Harrat ash Shaam | |
|---|---|
| Name | Harrat ash Shaam |
| Other name | Harrat al-Sham |
| Location | Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia |
| Type | Volcanic field |
| Area km2 | 45000 |
| Highest | Jabal al-Harra |
Harrat ash Shaam is a vast basaltic volcanic field spanning parts of Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. It comprises extensive lava fields, scoria cones, and maars formed during the Late Neogene to Holocene, influencing regional Levant geomorphology and hydrology. The region has attracted study from institutions such as the United States Geological Survey, British Geological Survey, and regional universities including the University of Damascus and the University of Jordan.
The volcanic field covers roughly 45,000 km2 across the Syrian Desert, Jafr Basin, and the Sirhan Valley, stretching from near Damascus to the outskirts of Amman and into northwestern Saudi Arabia. Major geographic landmarks within or adjacent to the field include Jabal al-Harra, the Azraq wetlands, the Wadi al-Qattinah, and the Euphrates corridor, connecting to transportation routes such as the Damascus–Amman highway and historical trade routes like the Incense Route. Administrative divisions intersecting the field incorporate the Rif Dimashq Governorate, Amman Governorate, and al-Rub' al-Khali peripheries.
The field lies on the Arabian Plate margin influenced by the tectonics of the Dead Sea Transform, the Red Sea rift system, and the broader East African Rift stress regime. Mantle processes beneath the Arabian Plate, interacting with lithospheric structures such as the Sinesine Shear Zone and local fault systems like the Yammouneh Fault, have controlled magma generation and pathways. Research institutions including the Geological Society of America and the European Geosciences Union have highlighted the role of lithospheric thinning, asthenospheric upwelling, and metasomatized mantle domains in producing alkaline basaltic magmatism across the field.
The volcanic field displays diverse constructs: pahoehoe and aa lava flows, cinder cones, scoria rings, tuff rings, and maar craters. Prominent volcanic complexes include the Jabal ed Druze (nearby), the Tell al-Sultan basalt platforms, and isolated cones like Tell Azraq; these features are comparable to volcanic provinces such as the Harrat Khaybar and Harrat Rahat in the Arabian Peninsula. Lava field morphology affects surface drainage into basins like the Azraq Basin and creates geomorphic markers used by remote sensing teams at agencies like NASA and the European Space Agency.
Radiometric dating using K–Ar, 40Ar/39Ar, and cosmogenic nuclide methods indicates volcanism initiated in the late Miocene to Pliocene with pulses continuing through the Pleistocene into the Holocene. Key dated events correlate with regional climatic and archaeological horizons such as the Younger Dryas and Neolithic occupation phases. Studies published by researchers affiliated with the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, the Smithsonian Institution, and national geological surveys document episodic eruptive centers with recurrence intervals varying from hundreds of thousands to a few thousand years; some scholars debate evidence for historical eruptions during classical antiquity.
Basaltic compositions dominate, ranging from olivine basalts to nepheline-bearing basanites, with mineral assemblages including olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase. Geochemical signatures display enrichment in incompatible trace elements and variable isotopic ratios (Sr–Nd–Pb) indicative of mantle source heterogeneity and crustal assimilation. Comparative studies reference mantle end-members identified in the Afar Depression, the Arabian Shield, and the Levantine Basin, with analytical work conducted at laboratories like GEOMAR and university petrology departments across France, Germany, and Jordan.
Human occupation in and around the volcanic field spans Paleolithic through Islamic periods, with archaeological sites linked to cultures such as the Natufian, Neolithic agricultural communities, Bronze Age polities including Amorites and Hurrians, and later Roman and Byzantine settlements. Lava flows and stone pavements were exploited for construction and fortification by societies documented in inscriptions and itineraries like the Tabula Peutingeriana; archaeological investigations by teams from the British Museum, the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, and Syrian universities have uncovered lithic scatters, obsidian trade evidence, and basalt-built structures associated with oasis settlements and caravanserai along routes such as the King's Highway.
The basaltic landscape influences soil development, water retention, and vegetation patterns, supporting steppe and desert scrub typical of the Syrian Desert and Badia zones. Faunal assemblages include species recorded in regional studies by organizations like the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Wildlife Fund, with habitats for migratory birds using wetlands such as Azraq and grazing by pastoralist communities historically linked to tribes like the Bani Sakhr. Contemporary land use encompasses pastoralism, limited dryland agriculture near aquifers, quarrying for construction stone, and conservation efforts coordinated with agencies such as the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature and regional ministries responsible for natural resources.
Category:Volcanic fields of Asia Category:Volcanism of the Middle East