| UMR Professor recognized for his research |
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| Written by Aseem Khana | |
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Dr. Mohamed Abdelsalam, an associate professor of geology at UMR, has co-authored a paper that has been featured as the cover article in the September issue of GSA Today, a publication of the Geological Society of America. Using satellite imagery, Abdelsalam and his colleagues discovered the uplifting of the Ethiopian Plateau caused by the Blue Nile, a major tributary of the Nile River, had increased its erosion rate by nearly three-and-a-half times about six million years ago. The Nile River is 30 million years old and the occurrence of erosion coincides with the adaptive change in the African Savannah. The cliffs that rise above the Blue Nile contain 750 million years of exposed geologic history. “The change in geography caused the area to go from woodland to grassland, and likely correspond with major changes in early human evolution. This might be the time where adaptation resulted in Homo erectus,” Abdelsalam said. The research is part of a dissertation of Nahid Ghani, a former PhD student under Abdelsalam. Nahid Ghani, and M. Royhan Gani, are the co-authors with Abdelsalam on the paper submitted to GSA. The research of Abdelsalam and his colleagues now provides more proof of significant geological changes in the area corresponding with the time it is believed man began to walk upright. “Our research was primarily funded by National Science Foundation. We made several field trips to the Ethiopian Plateau for gathering data. We had great support from Solomon Gera from Geological Survey of Ethiopia. Other resources were the satellite data which helped us to do the 3-D simulation of the terrain,” said Abdelsalam. In addition to satellite images, Abdelsalam and his team relied on data from a Space Shuttle Endeavour flight in 2000. By employing new 3-D technology, the group was able to trace the evolution of the gorge of the Nile back in time about 30 million years. In the Blue Nile, 93,000 cubic kilometers of material, arable land, has moved from Ethiopia to areas such as Egypt, and it has changed the geography of the region. Abdelsalam and his colleagues never expected to uncover findings of such a rapid increase in the rate of erosion along the Blue Nile. “I have dedicated my last 28 years to the study of geological sciences. It is a curiosity driven science and students have an interest in protecting the environment while choosing this field. Apart from these, geological sciences offer very good career opportunities for the students”, said Abdelsalam. Currently Dr. Abdelsalam and his research students are working on various projects like studying the geological history of Darfur Paleo lake, evolution of the Red Sea, evolution of the Egyptian Nile and sediment budgeting. |
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