Makesh Ramon

Northern rim of the crater at Mitzpe Ramon

The Machtesch Ramon or Ramon Crater ( Hebrew מכתש רמון) is the largest erosion crater in the Negev desert . In the largest extent it measures almost 40 km, it is between 2 and 10 km wide and 500 m deep. The entire crater is a nature and landscape reserve, and only sustainable tourist use is allowed.

The Machtesch Ramon

The sights uncovered by the erosion process in the Machtesch Ramon are:

Primeval volcanic cones
Petrified tree trunks
Petrified coral reefs
Dikes ( magma columns )
Batholithe ( magma chamber )
Fossils
Metamorphic rocks
Multicolored layers of sandstone

On the northern edge of the crater is the desert town of Mitzpe Ramon , which has a visitor center.

Nubian ibex at the crater

The Machtesch Ramon Crater is part of the Israel National Trail , Israel's longest long-distance hiking trail. On this one hikes through the crater for a distance of 19.2 kilometers and covers an altitude distance of 747 meters.

fauna

The fauna of this desert region is particularly diverse. In addition to Dorkas gazelles and Nubian ibex also live in the area of the crater, Asian half donkeys , which have recently been released into the wild. In 1995 they had increased to 40 reproductive animals. The animals are crosses of the Turkmen half donkey ( E. h. Kulan ) and the Persian half donkey ( E. h. Onager ). The originally native subspecies, the Syrian half donkey ( E. h. Hemippus ) has become extinct.

A few small spring oases serve as water points for the animals. There are large deposits of gypsum in the crater, but mining has stopped.

Landscape in the Machtesch Ramon
Road in the crater
landscape
Nubian ibex at the crater

Web links

Commons : Makhtesh Ramon - collection of images, videos and audio files

Satellite image of the week: In the heart of the desert. In: Spiegel Online . April 13, 2020.; accessed on April 13, 2020

Individual evidence

↑ The Makhtesh Katan Crater or The Small Crater - Machtesch Katan - HaMakhtesh HaKatan. In: israel-trail.com. May 1, 2014, accessed April 13, 2020 . Christian Seebauer: Israel Trail with a Heart: The Holy Land on foot, alone and without money . SCM Hänssler, Holzgerlingen, 4th edition, 2019, ISBN 978-3-7751-5706-3 , pp. 195-2016.

↑ MJ Lawes, RF Nanni: The density, habitat use and social organization of Dorcas Gazelles (Gazella dorcas) in Makhtesh Ramon, Negev Desert, Israel. In: Journal of Arid Environments. 24/2, March 1993, pp. 177-196 , accessed on April 13, 2020 (English, abstract).

^ David Saltz David, Mary Rowen, Daniel I. Rubenstein: The Effect of Space-Use Patterns of Reintroduced Asiatic Wild Ass on Effective Population Size. In: Conservation Biology , 14/6, 2000.

30.581666666667 34.819722222222Coordinates: 30 ° 34 ′ 54 ″ N , 34 ° 49 ′ 11 ″ E

[1] The Makhtesh Katan Crater or The Small Crater - Machtesch Katan - HaMakhtesh HaKatan. In: israel-trail.com. May 1, 2014, accessed April 13, 2020 . Christian Seebauer: Israel Trail with a Heart: The Holy Land on foot, alone and without money . SCM Hänssler, Holzgerlingen, 4th edition, 2019, ISBN 978-3-7751-5706-3 , pp. 195-2016.

[2] MJ Lawes, RF Nanni: The density, habitat use and social organization of Dorcas Gazelles (Gazella dorcas) in Makhtesh Ramon, Negev Desert, Israel. In: Journal of Arid Environments. 24/2, March 1993, pp. 177-196 , accessed on April 13, 2020 (English, abstract).

[3] David Saltz David, Mary Rowen, Daniel I. Rubenstein: The Effect of Space-Use Patterns of Reintroduced Asiatic Wild Ass on Effective Population Size. In: Conservation Biology , 14/6, 2000.