IRES US-Ethiopia: Modeling Drainage Incision on the Ethiopian Plateau

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Professor Mohamed Abdel-Salam of the Missouri University of Science and Technology will conduct an International Research and Experience for Students (IRES) program to support research and educational activities for 9 undergraduate and 3 MS students (3 undergraduate and 1 MS students each year) from the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering. Students will be conducting field-based research within a multi-disciplinary framework focused on modeling drainage systems incision on the Ethiopian Plateau and examining possible structural controls induced by the opening of the Afar Depression and the Main Ethiopian Rift. Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia will be the partner to Missouri S&T where 4 Ethiopian students will participate in the project each year. The work plan of the project is designed to ensure effective supervision and mentoring of all students, and full and equal participation of PIs and students. Students will conduct geological mapping, geomorphologic studies, remote sensing analysis, geochronological studies, and Geographic Information System (GIS) modeling to specifically test two hypothesis: (1) Incision rate of major drainage systems on the Ethiopian Plateau has been episodic and has significantly increased at ~10 and ~6 Ma as suggested by preliminary results of recent NSF-funded research on the Gorge of the Nile. (2) These drainage systems are controlled by extensional structures associated with the opening of the Afar Depression and the Main Ethiopian Rift. To address these hypotheses the project will focus on 3 independent drainage systems; the Blue Nile in year 1, the Tekeze in year 2, and the Ter Shet in year 3 where the following research activities will be conducted: (1) Analysis of the Advanced Space-borne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) extracted from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data to guide field studies to map spatial extent, and structural and stratigraphic positions of volcanic remnants of different ages; (2) Obtaining 40Ar/39Ar ages of these volcanic remnants. (3) Using GIS modeling to calculate magnitude and rate of incision. (4) Using the combined remote sensing and field studies to examine temporal and spatial relationship between local structures and drainage distribution. Intellectual Merit: The intellectual merit of the project lies in that: (1) It will produce quantitative data to evaluate the relative roles of tectonic uplift and climate in increasing the rate of incision of drainage systems in regions dominated by extensional tectonics. (2) It will have significant impact in understanding uplift history of the Ethiopian Plateau and the dynamics of the Afar Mantle Plume. (3) It will contribute to the understanding of sediment budget of the Nile Basin, removal rate of geological material from the Ethiopian Plateau through time and its transportation to Egypt to form the fertile floodplain of the Egyptian Nile. (4) The timing and rate of uplift of the Ethiopian Plateau deduced from drainage incision history have significant importance for understanding early hominin evolution through forcing an arid-adaptive evolutionary path for Homo sapiens.Broader Impact: Research and educational activities of the project will contribute to the following broader impacts: (1) Reciprocal understanding of academic and social culture between US and Ethiopian students and researchers. The US students will be provided an international perspective and experience, enriching cultural experience, and building relationships that will form the core of future international research collaborations. (2) Integration of international research and education for students and broaden participation of under-represented groups are a primary objective of NSF-IRES program. Collaboration between US and Ethiopian institutions will contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged, science and engineering workforce. (3) Results from the project are expected to produce a series of presentations in national and international meetings as well as manuscripts prepared by students to be published in peer reviewed journals. In addition, data produced from the proposed research can be used for teaching at Missouri S&T and Addis Ababa University as well as other universities in the US and Ethiopia. (4) The project will involve a female assistant professor within 6 years of the PhD. The project will provide her the opportunity to establish her research program.