Dissertation defence (Geology): MSc Aimen Hussein Amer
Time
19.1.2024 at 12.15 - 16.15
MSc Aimen Hussein Amer defends the dissertation in Geology titled “NEW INSIGHT INTO THE DEPOSITIONAL AND TECTONIC CONSTRAINTS OVER THE PALEOGENE AND NEOGENE EVOLUTION WITHIN THE ARABIAN PENINSULA” at the University of Turku on 19 January 2024 at 12.15 (University of Turku, Publicum, Pub4 lecture hall, Turku)
Opponent: Professor Christian Eide (University of Bergen, Norway)
Custos: Associate Professor Esa Heilimo (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-9571-4
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Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
We are thrilled to share some incredible findings from the latest groundbreaking research on the geological wonders of the Arabian Peninsula.
Imagine digging deep into the history of rock-forming units of two Middle Eastern countries, Kuwait and Bahrain. Turns out that for years, these rocks were misinterpreted. We discovered that the rocks in Kuwait were deposited in an estuarine depositional system, as the rocks in Bahrain formed in what can be described as a tropical lagoon.
In Kuwait, the rocks exposed at the Jal Az-Zor escarpment, the largest rock exposure in northern Arabian Peninsula, are not formed in a fluvio-deltaic setting, it turns out they were shaped in a riverine to tidally influenced estuary setting.
Since these rocks were exposed at the Jal Az-Zor escarpment, we wanted to resolve a long-lasting mystery related to the origin of this escarpment. A deep dive using structural geology and seismic methods unraveled details about this mysterious escarpment in Kuwait, suggesting its more than just surface erosion. Our work revealed unprecedented folding and faulting, which not only sheds light on the geological history of the region, but also plays a role in understanding how the Arabian Plate has been doing its little rotational dance since the early Pleistocene.
The Rus Formation exposed in Bahrain also tells an interesting story, as everyone thought the rocks were mainly evaporites. Surprise! Its mostly dolomites. This finding changes a lot what we knew about the rock exposures and their facies distribution at the Arabian Peninsula. The new results open new doors for evaluating the entire regions geology, and its a call for a fresh look at how we study these majestic exposures. The excitement of the rock exposures in Bahrain did not stop at this point, but we made a major geological discovery of one of the oldest mangrove fossilized forests in the region, the fossilized tree trunks date back to around 55 million years.
In a nutshell, this dissertation is like a geological detective story, rewriting the Arabian Peninsula rock history. Its a big deal and could reshape how we see this part of the world. Cant wait to see you in the defense day.
Opponent: Professor Christian Eide (University of Bergen, Norway)
Custos: Associate Professor Esa Heilimo (University of Turku)
Doctoral Dissertation at UTUPub: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-951-29-9571-4
***
Summary of the Doctoral Dissertation:
We are thrilled to share some incredible findings from the latest groundbreaking research on the geological wonders of the Arabian Peninsula.
Imagine digging deep into the history of rock-forming units of two Middle Eastern countries, Kuwait and Bahrain. Turns out that for years, these rocks were misinterpreted. We discovered that the rocks in Kuwait were deposited in an estuarine depositional system, as the rocks in Bahrain formed in what can be described as a tropical lagoon.
In Kuwait, the rocks exposed at the Jal Az-Zor escarpment, the largest rock exposure in northern Arabian Peninsula, are not formed in a fluvio-deltaic setting, it turns out they were shaped in a riverine to tidally influenced estuary setting.
Since these rocks were exposed at the Jal Az-Zor escarpment, we wanted to resolve a long-lasting mystery related to the origin of this escarpment. A deep dive using structural geology and seismic methods unraveled details about this mysterious escarpment in Kuwait, suggesting its more than just surface erosion. Our work revealed unprecedented folding and faulting, which not only sheds light on the geological history of the region, but also plays a role in understanding how the Arabian Plate has been doing its little rotational dance since the early Pleistocene.
The Rus Formation exposed in Bahrain also tells an interesting story, as everyone thought the rocks were mainly evaporites. Surprise! Its mostly dolomites. This finding changes a lot what we knew about the rock exposures and their facies distribution at the Arabian Peninsula. The new results open new doors for evaluating the entire regions geology, and its a call for a fresh look at how we study these majestic exposures. The excitement of the rock exposures in Bahrain did not stop at this point, but we made a major geological discovery of one of the oldest mangrove fossilized forests in the region, the fossilized tree trunks date back to around 55 million years.
In a nutshell, this dissertation is like a geological detective story, rewriting the Arabian Peninsula rock history. Its a big deal and could reshape how we see this part of the world. Cant wait to see you in the defense day.
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