Earth Sciences Remote Sensing Lab
Earth Sciences Remote Sensing Lab |
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Appointments
2004- Professor and Chairman - Department of Geosciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 2004- Research Professor -Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 2002-2004 Professor - Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 1996- 2002 Project Manager – International Programs: Environmental Research Division, Argonne National Lab, Argonne Illinois 1997- Adjunct Associate Professor – Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL 1996- Adjunct Professor – Department of Geophysics, Cairo University (CU), Giza, Egypt. 1988-1996 Senior Research Scientist ‑ NASA's Earth and Planetary Remote Sensing facility, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO. 1984-1987 Research Associate ‑ Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Education Washington University, St. Louis, MO Remote Sensing Post doc. 1985-88 Washington University, St. Louis, MO Geochemistry Ph.D. 1984 Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt Stratigraphy M.Sc. 1978 Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt Geology B.Sc. 1974 Research Interests I apply an interdisciplinary research approach that takes advantage of available tools and disciplines (e.g., remote sensing, GIS, geochemistry, geochronology, hydrology, surface runoff and groundwater flow modeling, field geology, etc.) to address a wide range of complex geological and environmental problems. Ongoing projects address the potential influences of natural processes, global change, and regional human activities on the water and carbon cycles and ecosystems. For example, I am developing and applying an integrated systems approach to assess, monitor, and model the recent and future impacts of changes in landscape and land cover associated with major agricultural development projects in Saharan Africa. Additional ongoing/forthcoming projects include assessment of alternative renewable groundwater resources in arid and semi-arid areas, modeling storage variability in artificial lakes (Lake Nasser), and evaluation of the water quality and potential pollution sources for urban and semi-urban aquifers in the Central Valley of Costa Rica. Geoinformatics is an area that is becoming of increasing importance to geologists. I am involved in the development of an interdisciplinary GIS database (TETHYS) as a tool for studying plate collision responses in the Tethyan belt. It is predicated on a widely-perceived need for a 'synergistic' approach to developing and testing plate collision models. The database will include digitized geological maps, structural indicators, geodetic data, remote sensing data, sample-based major and trace element abundances, radiometric ages, isotopic abundances for ophiolites, ultra-high pressure metamorphic rocks, collision-related magmatic bodies, and seismic data pertaining to mantle and crustal fabric and structure. Projects that were recently conducted include evaluation of the origin and extent of groundwater resources, hydrologic impacts of major engineering projects (e.g., Tushka Canal, SW Egypt), mapping and predicting vector-borne diseases, assessment of encroachment of urbanization on agricultural lands, identification of sources of lead in particulates and non-methane volatile organic compounds in ambient air, and evaluation of seismic risks. To expand our research activities in the general area of environmental sciences, we are in the process of establishing a direct downlink and processing system for remote sensing data. Specifically, we are acquiring real-time access to the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) L-band sensor data transmitted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites, as well as the Orbview-2 satellite that carries the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument in real time. This added capability will facilitate new environmental research and application activities in aquatic optics, forest-fire monitoring, and atmospheric sciences. Research activities that were previously funded encompass Quaternary research and Tectonics. |
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