The oldest volcanic rocks in the Meidob volcanic field have been dated by potassium-argon dating, yielding ages of 6.8 ± 0.2 and 6.5 ± 0.2 million years ago. The Jebel Sireif vent has yielded ages of 1.3 ± 0.4 to 0.6 ± 0.2 million years ago. Volcanism at first took the form of lava emissions. Later, during the Pliocene to Holocene, it was dominated by pyroclastics and lavas.