A Geological Journey Through Oman

Join James Cresswell for a geological journey through the mountains of northern Oman. The geology of Oman is spectacular, with exceptionally well-exposed rocks and unique, often breath-taking, scenery. Mountain ranges of 10,000ft+ altitude and deeply incised canyons, with turquoise-colored perennial streams, contrast with dry but golden sand deserts. Oman’s most famous geological feature is the world’s largest and best-exposed ophiolite complex, the Semail Ophiolite; in it, you can see rocks that were part of the mantle, you can touch the moho, and you can see sheeted dikes, incredible pillow basalts, and fossilized white and black smokers.
But that is not all! The structural geology is also superb, with the world’s largest mega sheath fold, many spectacular, photogenic sequences of folded marine sediments, thrust faults, and metamorphic rocks that formed in a subduction zone.
There are also many other extraordinary geological stories to be seen, including snowball earth deposits complete with cap carbonates, Ediacaran-aged stromatolites, and rare types of volcanic rock (such as kimberlites and carbonatites). In addition to all this, the country as a whole boasts great archaeology and several World Heritage Sites.