A colourful geology primer

The “Small Crater” (Makhtesh Katan) is the smallest of the three major erosion depressions known as Matkeshim (geological erosion cirques) in the Negev-Sinai deserts. The north-east anticlinal ridge of the Negev – a colourful rocky desert – host these craters that show very steep walls of limestone, dolomite and sandstone.
These valleys are carved by narrow rivers that flow only a few days per year. The uniqueness of the “makhteshim” stays in their regular form and in their beauty. The steep walls open a page over 200 million years of geological history, and display an array of coloured rocks where vegetation, like the Acacia tree in the picture, struggles to survive using the little humidity in soil and air. Hikers can walk through this live natural history book and be fascinated at each corner by the many changing forms and colours.