Research Centres > Research Centers > Earth Sciences Research Center

For many years Oman has been regarded by the geoscience community world-wide as being the home of a significant number of world-class research opportunities. These include:

The many and varied types of oil and gas reservoir in Oman, including unique Neoproterozoic oil source rocks and reservoirs,
The Oman Ophiolite, in the Oman Mountains, the world’s largest and most complete fragment of the ocean floor,
A rich record of Quaternary climate change preserved in deserts, sabkhas, caves, wadis, marine terraces and offshore sediments,
A sedimentary record of the extent and effects of geological hazards such as flash floods, tsunamis and cyclones, and
A treasure trove of meteorite occurrences in the south of Oman, including rare Martian and lunar meteorites.

Prof. Sobhi Nasr

Director

The Earth Sciences Research Centers (ESRC) at Sultan Qaboos University was established in 2014 to utilize these opportunities to conduct research in different subdisciplines of earth sciences in collaboration with different colleges and centers within Sultan Qaboos University. Moreover, ESRC provides consultancy, analytical services, and training to industry and academia nationally and internationally and focuses on capacity building.

The significance of research output is held in high regard, and there is a warm welcome and deep appreciation for any form of support that enables the continuation and dissemination of this research. If you wish to contribute to the support of research and researchers, please get in touch with us at esrc@squ.edu.om. Your assistance will be greatly valued.

Facilities

In-House Facilities
Facilities in Collaboration (at SQU)
Facilities in Collaboration (Overseas)

X-ray Diffractometer (XRD Lab)

Micromilling system

Thin-section Lab

Portable Gamma Ray

Portable Air-Permeability

Point Counter

Cathodoluminescence

Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF)

Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

Inductive Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES)

H-isotopes for clay minerals and K-age dating for clay minerals	Poland
Carbon-Oxygen Isotopes in Carbonates	Ireland
Clumped Oxygen Isotopes in Carbonates	China
Sr Isotopes in Carbonates	Hong Kong
U-Pb Age Dating of Carbonates	Canada
Micro-XRF Scanning	Saudi Arabia
Triple Oxygen Isotope Analysis by Fluorination Technique	South Korea
Major, Minor, and REE Analysis; Carbon-Oxygen Isotope Measurements	Brazil

Events

Organized Conference
Seminars Organized
Invited Talks
Outreach
ESRC Gallery

International Conference on earth Sciences and Energy Transition, ESRC-SQU, 2023 (ICESET2023)
International Conference of Ophiolites and the Oceanic Lithosphere, ESRC-SQU, 2020 (ICOOL2020)

#	Topic	Date Time	Presenter	Working Place	Online/ In person	Abstract
1	Microfacies and depositional model of the KS-1 cycle of lower Mahil Formation (Khuff-equivalent) in northern Oman	23 September 2021 13:00-14:00	Rasha Al Raqaishi s97655@student.squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
2	Depositional Environments, provenance, hydrocarbon potential, and evolution of the Oman Foreland Basin	07 October 2021 13:00-14:00	Jenan Attar s91419@student.squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
3	Diagenesis investigation: A Case Study from Early Miocene Carbonate Succession, Sawadi Islands, Northeast Oman, Oman	21 October 2021 13:00-14:00	Mohamed Moustafa m.moustafa@squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
4	Diagenetic alterations of the KS-1 cycle of lower Mahil Formation (Khuff-equivalent) in northern Oman	04 November 2021 13:00-14:00	Rana Al Rab’Ani s102178@student.squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
5	Grain-coating clays origin, texture, and control on the development of quartz and feldspar overgrowths: A case study from the lower Paleozoic Barik Formation sandstones, Huqf region, Central Oman	18 November 2021 13:00-14:00	Mohamed El-Ghali melghali@squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
6	Correlation uncertainties of Al Khlata reservoir impact on field development and reservoir’s volume [Subjected to approval from PDO]	02 December 2021 13:00-14:00	Bshara Al-Mahrooqi bshara.hamood@gmail.com	PDO	Online	PDF
7	Multi-Hazard Assessment: A Case Study Muscat Governorate	16 December 2021 13:00-14:00	Hanan Al Hinai s24410@student.squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
8	Gemstones formation and key characteristics (diamond and the big three)	06 January 2021 13:00-14:00	Maram Al Belushi maramalialbalushi@hotmail.com	MEM	Online	PDF
9	Diagenesis investigation: A case study from the Middle-Late Triassic Al Aziziyah Formation, northwest Libya	20 January 2021 13:00-14:00	Mohamed Moustafa m.moustafa@squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF
10	Oman concession blocks and regional stratigraphy variations across Oman [Subjected to approval from MEM]	03 February 2021 13:00-14:00	Maram Al Belushi maramalialbalushi@hotmail.com	MEM	Online	PDF
11	Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, and Reservoir Quality of Abu Mahara Group, based on Surface and Subsurface Data	17 February 2021 13:00-14:00	Razan Al-Naabi s128592@student.squ.edu.om	SQU	Online	PDF

SQU = Sultan Qaboos University MEM = Ministry of Energy and Minerals PDO = Petroleum Development of Oman

2023

Ali A. The Muslim Bagh Ophiolite (MBO): A potential site for climate change mitigation at 4th International Conference on Emerging Trends in earth and Environmental Sciences (ETEES 2023). 5 December 2023, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
Ali A. Natural CO2 Sequestration Leads to Carbon Mineralization in Oman: Can Pakistan Adopt this Strategy to Mitigate Climate Change? at Pak-Austria Institute, Haripur, KPK, Pakistan.

2022

Exploring Stable Isotope Signatures in Planetary Systems; Methodology and Mass Spectrometry: Triple O-Si and Clumped Isotope Science, Hiroshima University, Japan
Natural CO2 Sequestration Drives Carbon Mineralization in Oman: A Climate Change Solution Right Under Our Feet, Hiroshima University, Japan

2021

Ali. A. Natural CO2 Sequestration by Ophiolite-Derived Carbonates from the Barzaman Formation, Oman: Evidence from the C-O Isotopic Investigation via Google Meet for King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, KSA.

Ali, A. (2023) Carbon dioxide storage experiment designed for students to understand negative impacts of climate change on our planet Earth: A low-cost experimental design and execution. Online presentation for school teachers and students in Oman.

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