Geometry and Kinematics of the Hormuz Salt at Jebel Al Dhanna, United Arab Emirates: Implications for Salt Tectonics and Subsurface Storage

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates government is assessing the potential of Hormuz Salt domes for subsurface storage, aligning with the transition toward clean energy systems and carbon reduction goals. However, the geometry, kinematics, and halokinetic evolution of these salt structures remain poorly constrained. This study focuses on Jebel Al Dhanna salt dome, the only onshore exposure of Hormuz Salt in Abu Dhabi Emirate. It utilizes 3D seismic reflection data, wireline logs and sequential kinematic restoration modeling to analyze its morphology and tectonic evolution. The dome displays an elliptical geometry elongated north–south, measuring 1.2–3.2 km east–west and 2.5–4.5 km north–south, with irregular crests, steep flanks, and topographic highs. It is interpreted as a plug-shaped salt stock with a complex bulb-and-neck morphology formed by multiple phases of salt mobilization. Restoration modeling indicates salt movement began shortly after the precipitation of the Hormuz Salt in the Late Ediacaran–Early Cambrian and continued to the present. An initial phase of passive rise through downbuilding occurred between the Cambrian and Carboniferous, followed by four reactivation episodes associated with regional tectonics: Permian and Late Jurassic rifting, and Late Cretaceous and Late Oligocene–Miocene compression. Tilted Upper Miocene and Quaternary strata within and around the dome indicate ongoing salt evacuation. Several wedge- and hook-shaped halokinetic sequences further constrain the timing and intensity of salt movement. Our findings provide valuable insights into salt tectonics and have broader implications for subsurface storage potential and energy-transition strategies in salt-bearing basins.