The existence of frozen waves seems to be impossible in abu dhabi. however, the vestiges of frozen waves remained in the al wathba region where tourists can discover the inhospitable part of the desert that can harbor magical stories, which can provide clues about the history of humanity.
In this region, a 60-minute drive from abu dhabi, one of the most precious jewels of the desert is hidden. these are the fossil dunes of the site, which show how climate change significantly affected the geographical history of the place and gifted it with whimsical figures that are of imposing appeal.
frozen waves of abu dhabi, a treasure trove of human history
This attraction in the al wathba region was closed to tourism until 2022, when it was decided to adapt and guarantee easy access. those who want to visit can do so for free and with abundant information about its formation and origin. one of the explanations from experts at the site asserts that these attractive dunes were formed due to moisture in the soil. this condition caused the calcium carbonate in the sand to harden, after aggressive wind activity in the area.
Beyond these explanations, thomas steuber, a professor in the department of earth sciences at khalifa university of science and technology in abu dhabi, undertook to analyze these true geological gems, in which he discovered that they were formed by cycles of ice ages and thaws that occurred between 200,000 and 7,000 years ago. according to the expert’s research, these attractive formations were created due to the reduction of ocean levels when frozen water accumulated at the poles. this confirms that this area was once filled with water and its waves formed these incredible landscapes.
The frozen waves of al wathba: their religious history and connection to noah
Beyond its geological studies, which help to understand in depth the origin of the region, steuber emphasized that there is a religious background to this site. apparently, these dunes would have a connection with the story of the universal flood, in which noah built the great ark with species, which appears in the quran, the bible and the torah.
According to the expert, this site is faithful proof of what could have been the flooding of the arabian gulf at the end of the ice ages, because the rise in sea level was very rapid. according to steuber’s studies, the tigris and euphrates rivers would have discharged into the indian ocean, and what is now the gulf would have been a fairly fertile low-lying area that 8,000 years ago would have been inhabited.
