The Black Mountain in Ma'in Hot Springs is a volcanic plug, and the black mud on the Dead Sea shore is volcanic ash.

The study conducted by scientist Abbas Haddadin indicates that the Black Mountain in Ma'in Hot Springs (Hammamat Ma’in) represents a volcanic plug trapped inside the crater. Meanwhile, the black mud on the Dead Sea shore originates from deposited volcanic ash that was carried by rainwater and valley springs to the Dead Sea, and then deposited by waves on the shore during the Paleocene epoch, about 3 to 7 million years ago, when the volcano in the Ma’in area erupted.اضافة اعلان




The magma attempted to escape from the crater, but a large portion of it solidified inside the crater and was unable to emerge, forming the volcanic plug. Pressure on its sides created horizontal and vertical cracks. Through these cracks, rainwater falling on the highlands of Ma’in seeps down into the earth, reaching different depths until it contacts the igneous rocks inside the crater. There, the water heats up and turns into highly heated steam which escapes through the cracks to the surface. A large part of this steam condenses into water with a temperature of 65°C, which then flows into the Dead Sea.

As for the origin of the black mud on the Dead Sea shore: It is volcanic ash released during the eruption, deposited on the ground, and carried by rainwater and valleys to the Dead Sea. It accumulated on the shore due to wave action, forming a black layer known as black mud, rich in salts and sulfur, which gives it unique therapeutic properties for healing diseases.

The pictures show the Black Mountain - Volcanic Obelisk and the Black mud that seeped from the volcanic ash.