Traveling through Jordan is like flipping through the pages of an ancient book, each chapter written in stone.

The South: Aqaba and Wadi Rum

In Aqaba, travelers encounter the Precambrian crystalline basement—granites and metamorphic rocks that form the foundation of the Arabian Plate. Just beyond, the red and golden cliffs of Wadi Rum rise from the desert floor, their layers carved by wind and water over millions of years. At sunrise and sunset, the cliffs glow, revealing cross-bedded sandstones and iron-rich strata that quietly record a history of rivers, seas, and deserts.

Central Jordan: Petra and Dana

Petra is where geology meets human ingenuity. The Nabataeans carved façades directly into the rose-red sandstones, whose softness and durability shaped one of the ancient world’s most extraordinary cities. Nearby, the Dana Biosphere Reserve offers sweeping views across multiple geological layers—from ancient sandstones to limestones and marls—showing millions of years of environmental change in a single vista.

Descending from Dana, the landscape leads to Faynan, home to some of the world’s earliest copper mining sites. Here, copper-rich rocks formed through geological processes gave rise to mining and metallurgy thousands of years ago. Visitors can explore ancient shafts, slag heaps, and smelting sites—a rare encounter where geology and human history converge.

The Dead Sea: Earth in Motion

The Dead Sea lies in a tectonic basin shaped by the ongoing movement of the Arabian Plate. Mineral-rich waters, salt formations, and exposed sedimentary layers reveal a landscape still evolving today. Limestone cliffs above the valley recall the seas that once flooded the region, while evaporite deposits reflect cycles of flooding and evaporation over millions of years.

Northern Jordan and Al-Harra

In the north and northeast, Al-Harra showcases Jordan’s volcanic heritage. Vast basaltic plains, cones, and lava flows contrast sharply with the sandstone deserts of the south. These volcanic soils have enriched agriculture, while the dramatic terrain offers travelers a striking glimpse of the Earth’s fiery forces.

Geological Resources: Jordan’s Hidden Wealth

Beneath its scenic beauty, Jordan holds natural resources formed over millions of years:

• Phosphate deposits in southern Jordan, created in nutrient-rich marine conditions, remain critical to agriculture worldwide.
• Oil shale formations, preserved from calm ancient seas, can be seen across central Jordan.
• Limestone formations, widespread in central and northern regions, have long supported Jordan’s architecture and heritage.
• Basaltic rocks from volcanic activity not only shaped the land but enriched soils in northern Jordan.

These resources reveal how geology has shaped not just the landscape, but life and civilization in Jordan across millennia.