星空传媒

Earth History and Geobiology

With the use of low-temperature geochemistry (organic and inorganic), biomineralization, environmental microbiology/geomicrobiology, molecular biology, and paleontology, researchers at the Earth Science Department investigate the coevolution of life, climate, and environmental conditions throughout the Earth鈥檚 history with a particular emphasis on key events associated with major ecological changes. Faculty Members currently involved in this field of research include Thomas Steuber, Aisha Al Suwaidi, Andrea Ceriani, Frantz Gerard Ossa Ossa, Hamed Gamaleldien and Mohammed Ali.

Examples of ongoing research projects can be found below:

• Mesozoic climate change, environmental perturbations in Marine and Terrestrial sections. Chemo- and biostratigrpahy to understand the magnitude of climatic and environmental perturations (By Aisha Al Suwaidi).
• Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction in Lower Jurassic sedimentary rocks of the Paris Basin (By Andrea Ceriani).
• Late Quaternary Sea-level Change and Paleo-Environments of Coastal Abu Dhabi: The Quaternary (from 2.6 million-years-old to recent) sedimentary deposits of Abu Dhabi are archives of climate and sea-level change that have shaped the modern geomorphology of Abu Dhabi. These geological formations derive from aeolian, fluvial, or marine erosion, transport and sedimentation processes. They have not yet been systematically studied in view of a reconstruction of environmental change, and a consistent chronology of the most recent geological formations has only tentatively been established. While the global record of Late Quaternary sea-level change is well known, with amplitudes of >120m between successive glacial maxima and interglacials, the impact of these profound changes on the coastline of the Arabian Gulf is still controversially discussed because of the scarcity of reliable age datums, and differing interpretations of the chronology of sedimentary formations. This project involves the study of the Quaternary sedimentary deposits of Abu Dhabi by methods of geochronology (optically stimulated luminescence, radiocarbon), sedimentology (field and petrographic analysis), and geochemistry (elemental as well as stable oxygen and carbon isotopic composition). Remote sensing applications will aid in understanding the areal distribution of sedimentary formations, and digital elevation models will allow to trace the extent of Quaternary sea-level highstand deposits in coastal Abu Dhabi (By Thomas Steuber).
• Co-evolution of life and environmental redox conditions throughout the Earth鈥檚 history (By Frantz Gerard Ossa Ossa).
• Geochemical exploration of Early Earth potential biosignatures and Early Life ingredients; Linking deep mantle carbon cycling, LIP, and climate crisis; Tracking the Earth鈥檚 paleo-hydrosphere (By Hamed Gamaleldien).