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

美国-埃塞俄比亚 IRES：埃塞俄比亚高原排水切口建模

• 批准号: 0927906
• 负责人: Mohamed Abdelsalam
• 金额: $ 14.93万
• 依托单位: Missouri University of Science and Technology
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-09-01 至 2012-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0927906&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: IRES; US; Ethiopia; Modeling; Drainage

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.

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案资助的（公法111-5）。密苏里州科技大学的Mohamed Abdel-Salam教授将开展国际研究和学生体验（IRES）计划，以支持9名本科生和3名MS学生的研究和教育活动（每年3名本科生和1名硕士生）来自地质科学与工程系。学生将在多学科框架内进行实地研究，重点是模拟埃塞俄比亚高原上的排水系统切口，并研究阿法尔凹陷和埃塞俄比亚主裂谷开放引起的可能的结构控制。埃塞俄比亚的阿迪斯大学将成为密苏里州S T的合作伙伴，每年将有4名埃塞俄比亚学生参加该项目。该项目的工作计划旨在确保对所有学生进行有效的监督和指导，以及PI和学生的充分和平等参与。学生将进行地质测绘，地貌研究，遥感分析，地质年代学研究和地理信息系统（GIS）建模，以具体测试两个假设：（1）埃塞俄比亚高原的主要排水系统的切割率一直是偶发性的，并已显着增加，在~10和~6 Ma的建议，最近NSF资助的尼罗河峡谷研究的初步结果。(2)这些排水系统受与阿法尔凹陷和埃塞俄比亚主裂谷的开口有关的伸展结构控制。为了解决这些假设，该项目将侧重于3个独立的排水系统;第1年为青尼罗河，第2年为Tekeze，第3年为Ter Shet，并将开展以下研究活动：（1）分析从航天飞机雷达地形使命中提取的高级星载热发射和反射辐射计数据和数字高程模型（2）获得了这些火山遗迹的~（40）Ar/~（39）Ar年龄。(3)利用GIS建模计算切割量和切割率。(4)利用遥感与野外调查相结合的方法，研究了区域结构与流域分布的时空关系。智力优势：该项目的智力价值在于：（1）它将提供定量数据，以评估在以伸展构造为主的地区，构造抬升和气候在增加水系下切速率方面的相对作用。(2)这对了解埃塞俄比亚高原的隆升历史和阿法尔地幔柱的动力学具有重要意义。(3)它将有助于了解尼罗河流域的沉积物收支、地质物质随时间推移从埃塞俄比亚高原的迁移速度及其向埃及的迁移，以形成埃及尼罗河肥沃的洪泛区。(4)从排水切口历史推断出的埃塞俄比亚高原隆起的时间和速率对于理解早期人类的进化具有重要意义，通过迫使智人走上适应干旱的进化道路。更广泛的影响：该项目的研究和教育活动将产生以下更广泛的影响：（1）美国和埃塞俄比亚学生和研究人员之间对学术和社会文化的相互理解。美国学生将提供国际视野和经验，丰富的文化经验，并建立关系，将形成未来的国际研究合作的核心。(2)整合国际研究和学生教育以及扩大代表性不足群体的参与是NSF-IRES计划的主要目标。美国和埃塞俄比亚机构之间的合作将有助于发展多元化，全球参与，科学和工程劳动力。(3)该项目的成果预计将在国家和国际会议上发表一系列演讲，并由学生编写手稿，在同行评审的期刊上发表。此外，拟议研究产生的数据可用于密苏里州S T和阿迪斯大学以及美国和埃塞俄比亚的其他大学的教学。(4)该项目将涉及一名女助理教授在6年内的博士学位。该项目将为她提供建立研究计划的机会。