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of the sea exposed the area to terrestrial weathering processes that eroded the tops of the anticlines. The upper layers made of hard limestone were eroded, and the soft sandstone inside the anticline was exposed. The layer of sandstone eroded quickly and was carried away by Nahal Hatira. The removal of the sandstone layer caused the hard limestone layers to collapse, expanding the crater and creating its vertical walls.
155:. The stream passes through an opening in the southeastern wall of the crater (known as the Gate of Asmodeus or the Devil's Gate), which is part of the Hatira Ridge. The small crater is known for its colorful sandstone. The color of the sandstone varies between gray, brown, yellow, red, purple, and white. The colors of the stone result from small amounts of iron
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The small crater is part of the Negev
Craters Nature Reserve and is considered a natural asset of global importance due to its unique geological features and great beauty. Consequently, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority carries out conservation and restoration activities in and around the crater.
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Around 90 million years ago, folding forces began to operate in the area. These forces acted for about 40 million years, creating the Negev anticlines (ridges formed from ground folding), including the Hatira anticline. About 30 million years ago, the sea retreated from the Negev region. The retreat
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The craters in the Negev are a rare formation, as a combination of several conditions is required for a crater to form: an asymmetrical anticline, rock layers of varying hardness (hard rock layers such as limestone or dolomite on top, and softer rock layers below), a river that erodes the crater's
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The shape of the crater is almost circular. Its maximum length reaches approximately 8 kilometers, its width about 6 kilometers, and its depth about 400 meters. There are two main trails descending into the crater: the first is "Ma'ale Eli" at the southwestern corner of the crater, coming from
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The
Newcombe Map was unknown to the Jewish settlement, and the crater was discovered by chance during a tour by members of the HaMachanot HaOlim movement in 1942. According to them, the discovery of the "pit," as they called it, surprised even their Bedouin guide.
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It was named after Ali ben Zvi, the son of
Yitzchak ben-Zvi who during one of the journeys in the small crater felt bad and his friends rescued him from the crater through this passage named after him. Fell in the battle of Beit Keshet on March 16,
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In
December 1958, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) completed the opening of a 13-kilometer road connecting the small crater to the Be'er Sheva-Sedom road. The road was opened for the national oil company searching for oil in the area.
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In the first stage, a layer of sandstone was deposited in a terrestrial environment. The flooding of the Tethys Sea led to the deposition of marine sedimentary rocks - limestone and dolomite - on top of the soft sandstones.
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Near the outlet of the crater in Nahal Hatira, water drilling is carried out, bringing up salty water. The water is pumped up to factories operating in the area, including the "Arad
Complex Plants."
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desert. At 5 km by 7 km, it is the third largest of the five makhteshim in the Negev, from a total of seven known major makhteshim, of which two are in
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contents with a low erosion base, and a desert climate (dryness that preserves the crater walls from weathering).
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The outer side of the rim of the crater. You can see the sharp angle of the soil layers
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In June 2019, the State of Israel declared the crater a nature reserve.
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is the stream that drains the small crater towards Nahal Zin and the
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to Metzad Tamar and descends at the northeastern side of the crater.
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The size of the small crater allows viewing its complete form
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This article about a regional geological feature is a
333:"מסלול טיול אל המכתש הקטן | מסלול למשפחות | צפון הנגב"
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298:"אחרי יותר מ-30 שנה: המכתש הקטן הוכרז כשמורת טבע"
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258:The rim of the crater rising above its bottom
296:קוריאל, אילנה; לוקש, אלכסנדרה (2019-06-22).
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234:Colored sandstone in a crater
1082:. You can help Knowledge by
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90:The Small Crater) or simply
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922:Judea and Samaria Area
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109:landform, situated in
992:30.96194°N 35.19861°E
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761:Bitan Aharon
738:Tel Shikmona
728:Mount Carmel
634:Nahal Dishon
629:Nahal Betzet
558:Mount Gilboa
520:Nahal Hermon
482:Rosh HaNikra
477:Nahal Yehiam
435:Te'omim Cave
341:. Retrieved
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306:. Retrieved
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186:Newcombe Map
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862:Coral Beach
836:Mevo Ashdod
791:Tel Yitzhak
781:Nahal Poleg
718:Ein Nymphit
663:Mount Meron
653:Hurshat Tal
648:Hula Valley
596:Mount Arbel
568:Nahal Tavor
563:Mount Tabor
548:Gilboa Iris
538:Alonei Abba
467:Nahal Gamal
425:Nahal Sorek
339:(in Hebrew)
304:(in Hebrew)
132:Description
1123:Categories
983:35°11′55″E
980:30°57′43″N
857:Nahal Abuv
841:Yam Shikma
668:Pa'ar Cave
638:Ein Avazim
624:Nahal Ayun
619:Nahal Amud
472:Nahal Kziv
343:2024-08-04
308:2024-08-04
284:References
104:geological
964:West Bank
850:Beersheba
756:Bnei Zion
678:Tel Anafa
644:Ein Te'oh
543:Balfouria
410:Ein Hemed
163:Formation
143:Nahal Zin
107:erosional
867:Ein Gedi
814:Ashkelon
705:Ein Afek
641:Ein Elah
583:Kinneret
415:HaMasrek
272:See also
100:makhtesh
48:Southern
44:Location
945:Wadi Og
766:Hadasim
683:Tel Dan
591:Ein Nun
573:Shimron
530:Jezreel
400:Adullam
337:מסלולים
212:Gallery
180:History
98:, is a
901:Eshkol
510:Hermon
157:oxides
153:Arabah
111:Israel
80:Hebrew
58:Length
52:Israel
1021:This
723:Gador
611:Safed
500:Gamla
492:Golan
420:Lifta
322:1948.
119:Egypt
115:Negev
66:Width
1080:stub
1027:stub
962:and
796:Udim
454:Acre
302:Ynet
102:, a
88:lit.
121:'s
113:'s
94:or
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78:(
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
