The salt dome cluster in the Zagros Mountains was formed millions of years ago and is unique in terms of diversity, shape, formation processes, and development.
Impressive salt structure in Iran. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
Millions of years ago, the Persian Gulf was a much larger body of water than it is today, with many areas of the Arabian Peninsula to the south and Iran to the west submerged. Over time, the water evaporated, leaving behind a vast amount of salt. The salt layer was covered by sediments carried down from the mountains by rainwater. Over time, these sediments thickened, hardened, and pressed down on the salt layer beneath.
Under such conditions, the salt began to behave like a fluid (a substance that flows and does not have a fixed shape), leading to an interesting phenomenon known as salt tectonics. The weight of thousands of feet of sediments and rocks pressed down on the salt, causing it to rise through the rock layers. When it found a weak point in the overlying sediments, the salt would surge through and form salt domes. Occasionally, a salt dome would push up to the surface and spread horizontally, becoming a salt glacier.
All of these impressive salt structures can be seen in the southern, southwestern, and central regions of Iran. However, the most notable examples are found in the Zagros Mountains, which run parallel to the Iranian coastline along the Persian Gulf. The Zagros Mountains were formed when the Arabian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate, creating numerous mountain ranges and faults that facilitated the emergence of salt domes.
Salt domes (light-colored areas) and salt glaciers (dark areas) in the Zagros Mountains, southern Iran. (Photo: Amusing Planet).
According to UNESCO, there is no other place on Earth with such a concentration of salt domes. This site is under consideration for World Heritage status. The salt dome cluster in Iran is unique in terms of diversity, shape, formation processes, and development.
In the southern part of the Zagros Mountains alone, there are over 130 salt domes. In addition to the salt domes, there are many salt caves, including the longest salt cave in the world, which stretches over 6.4 kilometers in Namakdan Mountain, along with salt glaciers, salt valleys, karst sinkholes, and salt springs.
The salt dome cluster in Iran may face threats of damage due to future oil exploration activities. This is because the impermeable rock layers in the salt domes often trap oil beneath other rock layers. Salt domes in other locations, such as the United States, Mexico, the North Sea, Germany, and Romania, are major oil sources that have been exploited for many years.
