<strong>Fossil dunes:</strong> These unusual forms rising from the desert are one of the highlights of a trip to Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba region.
Fossil dunes: These unusual forms rising from the desert are one of the highlights of a trip to Abu Dhabi's Al Wathba region.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Years in the making:</strong> Scientists say the fossil dunes of Abu Dhabi were formed anywhere between 200,000 and 7,000 years ago.
Years in the making: Scientists say the fossil dunes of Abu Dhabi were formed anywhere between 200,000 and 7,000 years ago.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Rising waters:</strong> The dunes were formed when moisture from higher water tables caused calcium carbonate in the sand to react and turn into a form of cement. The solid sand was then shaped by wind erosion over many thousands of years.
Rising waters: The dunes were formed when moisture from higher water tables caused calcium carbonate in the sand to react and turn into a form of cement. The solid sand was then shaped by wind erosion over many thousands of years.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Stroll in the sands:</strong> Abu Dhabi's fossil dunes opened as a free visitor attraction in 2022. There's now car parking, toilets, a souvenir shop and a roped-off trail.
Stroll in the sands: Abu Dhabi's fossil dunes opened as a free visitor attraction in 2022. There's now car parking, toilets, a souvenir shop and a roped-off trail.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Magic hour: </strong>The dunes are best visited in the evening when the harsh daylight gives way to mellow sunset colors and long shadows.
Magic hour: The dunes are best visited in the evening when the harsh daylight gives way to mellow sunset colors and long shadows.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Climate change:</strong> Thomas Steuber, a professor in the Earth Science Department of Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University of Science and Technology, has studied the dunes and says they were created in times of historic climate change.
Climate change: Thomas Steuber, a professor in the Earth Science Department of Abu Dhabi's Khalifa University of Science and Technology, has studied the dunes and says they were created in times of historic climate change.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Ice impact: </strong>Prof. Steuber says that during ice ages, ocean levels lowered, emptying the shallow basin of the Arabian Gulf. That led to sand being blown by prevailing winds into what is now Abu Dhabi.
Ice impact: Prof. Steuber says that during ice ages, ocean levels lowered, emptying the shallow basin of the Arabian Gulf. That led to sand being blown by prevailing winds into what is now Abu Dhabi.
<strong>Wind and water:</strong> When wetter times returned -- an event Prof. Steuber says may have inspired the story of Noah's flood -- the sand solidified and then the wind did the rest.
Wind and water: When wetter times returned -- an event Prof. Steuber says may have inspired the story of Noah's flood -- the sand solidified and then the wind did the rest.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Power lines:</strong> The dune site is flanked by large electricity pylons, which add a striking modern dimension to the otherwise timeless desert scenes.
Power lines: The dune site is flanked by large electricity pylons, which add a striking modern dimension to the otherwise timeless desert scenes.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Take your time: </strong>The site takes about an hour to explore, although there's no rush if you want to spend longer contemplating the beauty of the empty desert and the thousands of years of history its geology contains.
Take your time: The site takes about an hour to explore, although there's no rush if you want to spend longer contemplating the beauty of the empty desert and the thousands of years of history its geology contains.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Light show: </strong>After dark, the dunes take on another dimension as they're illuminated.
Light show: After dark, the dunes take on another dimension as they're illuminated.
Department of Culture and Tourism -- Abu Dhabi
<strong>Color field:</strong> Sometimes the evening illuminations get a splash of color.
Color field: Sometimes the evening illuminations get a splash of color.
Department of Culture and Tourism -- Abu Dhabi
<strong>Man-made mountain:</strong> Another unusual sight in the Al Wathba region is this under-construction mountain.
Man-made mountain: Another unusual sight in the Al Wathba region is this under-construction mountain.
Barry Neild/CNN
<strong>Water world:</strong> The <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fcnn.com%2Fvideos%2Ftravel%2F2019%2F11%2F18%2Fal-wathba-wetland-reserve-destination-abu-dhabi-lon-orig.cnn" target="_blank">Al Wathba Wetland Reserve</a>, also nearby, is a haven for wildlife and was supposedly created by accident after water was released from a nearby treatment plant.
Water world: The Al Wathba Wetland Reserve, also nearby, is a haven for wildlife and was supposedly created by accident after water was released from a nearby treatment plant.
CNN