Chair: Talal Al Hosni

 

Abstract:

Ophiolite-oceanic crust makes more than 70 % of the earth. Fragments of ancient oceanic lithosphere (ophiolite) provide access to complete cross-sections of ocean.  Direct information about the oceanic crust is still very limited. The occurrence of the oceanic lithosphere on land presents geoscientists with the opportunity to explore far below the ocean floor providing crucial insights into processes taking place deep in the ocean crust.  Research on ophiolites in the 1980s and 1990s revealed that they are much more complicated than first thought. The Oman ophiolite is perhaps the world’s best exposed section of oceanic crust and mantle.  As such, it provides earth scientists with an opportunity to examine features at a scale and detail that is not possible in the marine environment.  The Oman Mountains, with its internationally renowned Samail ophiolite, attracts geologists from all over the world because of its unique stratigraphic completeness, preservation and exposure, its numerous ancient and contemporary mines, its quarries, and its beautiful natural landscape. It is an area of unique ecological, cultural and historical interest at both local and international levels, and it represents an important geological model for the creation and preservation of oceanic crust and mid-oceanic ridge and well preserved transform fault analogues. Since the late 1970s, Oman ophiolite has been the subject of intensive study by a large number of different research groups, notably those from the USA, UK, France, Germany, and Japan.  The UNESCO Chair on Ophiolite Studies was established in April 2018 and it is the only chair for ophiolite studies.

The purpose of the UNESCO Chair on Ophiolite studies is to promote an integrated system of research, training and information in the field of ophiolite and related oceanic crust studies. The Chair was active on capacity building and training of young Omani and international students. The Chair secured research funding in different fields of Ophiolite. Results of scientific work were disseminated to public. Several international ophiolite conferences and workshops were organized in 2018, 2020, 2021 and 2023. The Chair complement existing training and research activities already carried out at Sultan Qaboos University and, in particular, at the Department of Earth Sciences and the Earth Sciences Research Centre, by enlarging their scope and by offering some of the curricular and extra-curricular activities to higher education students.

The UNESCO Chair on Ophiolite Studies-Earth Sciences is multidisciplinary in its nature and is directly related to many UNESCO domains, disciplines, and priorities, such as geoscience, environment, global warming, climate change, science education, geohazards, science and technology. It focuses on research with primary interest in the ophiolite geology; groundwater in ophiolite aquifer, hyperalkaline springs in the ophiolite, failure incidents of ophiolite slopes, listwaenite formation related to ancient hydrothermal carbon sequestration during ophiolite obduction, the reactivity and CO2 mineralization potential of partially serpentinized peridotites of the ophiolite, etc. Looking towards the future, these applied and participatory research (multi-discipline) are urgently needed. The unique contribution and added value of the chair building bridges across disciplines and sectors, bridging the gap between academia and industry and playing an increasingly important role in society. Additionally, the Chair contributes to UNESCO’s mission, mandate and priorities.

 

Objectives:

The main objectives of the chair are

• To promote an integrated interdisciplinary system of research, information and development activities in the fields of ophiolite and geodynamics of oceanic crust along with other related topics; ophiolite aquifer, hyperalkaline springs, failure of ophiolite slopes, hydrothermal carbon sequestration, etc.
• To promote community development and capacity building in geoscience subjects through education and high-level training focusing on geosciences, ophiolite and oceanic crust with traditional curricula and distance learning. 
• To enhance opportunities to develop educational networks and information exchange in understanding ophiolite and oceanic crust geodynamic.
• To implement scientific and thematic workshops and meetings focusing on ocean crust and geodynamics towards interested stakeholders from both Oman and other countries and to enhance the knowledge of participants.
• To work towards sustainable societies and protecting the environment through the promotion of science, technology, innovation and the natural heritage.
• To enhance knowledge for climate action, biodiversity, water and ocean management, and disaster risk reduction.

 

Outcomes:

The expected outputs and activities of the UNESCO Chair include research and knowledge production, scientific publications, websites and social media, teaching and lecturing, training and institutional capacity development, student mobility and exchanges, visiting professorships and fellowships, conferences and events, seminars and webinars, networking and partnerships, inter-university cooperation and other.

Main key achievements of the UNESCO Chair on Ophiolite Studies are participation in international and local projects, organizing international conferences and workshops, conducting local training workshops, publishing peer-reviewed scientific papers and local media awareness, building research collaborations and capacity for local stakeholders, strengthening inter-university inter­disciplinary cooperation and international partnerships, etc.