The Dead Sea region has faced substantial environmental challenges in recent decades, including water resource scarcity, ~1m annual decreases in the water level, sinkhole development, ascending-brine freshwater pollution, and seismic... more
The Dead Sea region has faced substantial environmental challenges in recent decades, including water resource scarcity, ~1m annual decreases in the water level, sinkhole development, ascending-brine freshwater pollution, and seismic disturbance risks. Natural processes are significantly affected by human interference as well as by climate change and tectonic developments over the long term. To get a deep understanding of processes and their interactions, innovative scientific approaches that integrate disciplinary research and education are required. The research project DESERVE (Helmholtz Virtual Institute Dead Sea Research Venue) addresses these challenges in an interdisciplinary approach that includes geophysics, hydrology, and meteorology. The project is implemented by a consortiumof scientific institutions in neighboring countries of the Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine Territories) and participating German Helmholtz Centres (KIT, GFZ, UFZ). A new monitoring network of meteorological, hydrological, and seismic/geodynamic stations has been established, and extensive field research and numerical simulations have been undertaken. For the first time, innovative measurement and modeling techniques have been applied to the extreme conditions of the Dead Sea and its surroundings. The preliminary results show the potential of these methods. First time ever performed eddy covariance measurements give insight into the governing factors of Dead Sea evaporation. High-resolution bathymetric investigations reveal a strong correlation between submarine springs and neo-tectonic patterns. Based on detailed studies of stratigraphy and borehole information, the extension of the subsurface drainage basin of the Dead Sea is now reliably estimated. Originality has been achieved in monitoring flash floods in an arid basin at its outlet and simultaneously in tributaries, supplemented by spatio-temporal rainfall data. Low-altitude, high resolution photogrammetry, allied to satellite image analysis and to geophysical surveys (e.g. shear-wave reflections) has enabled a more detailed characterization of sinkhole morphology and temporal development and the possible subsurface controls thereon. All the above listed efforts and scientific results take place with the interdisciplinary education of young scientists. They are invited to attend joint thematic workshops and winter schools as well as to participate in field experiments.
Research Interests:
The Dead Sea region has faced substantial environmental challenges in recent decades, including water resource scarcity, ~1m annual decreases in the water level, sinkhole development, ascending-brine freshwater pollution, and seismic... more
The Dead Sea region has faced substantial environmental challenges in recent decades, including water resource scarcity, ~1m annual decreases in the water level, sinkhole development, ascending-brine freshwater pollution, and seismic disturbance risks. Natural processes are significantly affected by human interference as well as by climate change and tectonic developments over the long term. To get a deep understanding of processes and their interactions, innovative scientific approaches that integrate disciplinary research and education are required. The research project DESERVE (Helmholtz Virtual Institute Dead Sea Research Venue) addresses these challenges in an interdisciplinary approach that includes geophysics, hydrology, and meteorology. The project is implemented by a consortium of scientific institutions in neighboring countries of the Dead Sea (Israel, Jordan, Palestine Territories) and participating German Helmholtz Centres (KIT, GFZ, UFZ). A new monitoring network of meteorological, hydrological, and seismic/geodynamic stations has been established, and extensive field research and numerical simulations have been undertaken. For the first time, innovative measurement and modeling techniques have been applied to the extreme conditions of the Dead Sea and its surroundings. The preliminary results show the potential of these methods. First time ever performed eddy covariance measurements give insight into the governing factors of Dead Sea evaporation. High-resolution bathymetric investigations reveal a strong correlation between submarine springs and neo-tectonic patterns. Based on detailed studies of stratigraphy and borehole information, the extension of the subsurface drainage basin of the Dead Sea is now reliably estimated. Originality has been achieved in monitoring flash floods in an arid basin at its outlet and simultaneously in tributaries, supplemented by spatio-temporal rainfall data. Low-altitude, high resolution photogrammetry, allied to satellite image analysis and to geophysical surveys (e.g. shear-wave reflections) has enabled a more detailed characterization of sinkhole morphology and temporal development and the possible subsurface controls thereon. All the above listed efforts and scientific results take place with the interdisciplinary education of young scientists. They are invited to attend joint thematic workshops and winter schools as well as to participate in field experiments.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) sites act as important pathways for nutrients and contaminants that deteriorate marine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean it is estimated that 75% of freshwater input is contributed from karst aquifers.... more
Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) sites act as important pathways for nutrients and contaminants that deteriorate marine ecosystems. In the Mediterranean it is estimated that 75% of freshwater input is contributed from karst aquifers. Thermal remote sensing can be used for a pre-screening of potential SGD sites in order to optimize field surveys. Although different platforms (ground-, air-and spaceborne) may serve for thermal remote sensing, the most cost-effective are spaceborne platforms (satellites) that likewise cover the largest spatial scale (>100 km per image). Therefore an automatized and objective approach that uses thermal satellite images from Landsat 7 and Landsat 8 was used to localize potential SGD sites on a large spatial scale. The method using descriptive statistic parameter specially range and standard deviation by (Mallast et al., 2014) was adapted to the Mediterranean Sea. Since the method was developed for the Dead Sea were satellite images with cloud cov...
... 2.2. Geomorphologie Sowohl die Serra Mata da Corda, als auch die Serra de Martiniquera, sind Teile des ... neben dem Tapir, dem Faultier und den Gürteltieren, mehrere Kamelarten (Lama, Alpaka, Vinuna, Guanako), verschiedene... more
... 2.2. Geomorphologie Sowohl die Serra Mata da Corda, als auch die Serra de Martiniquera, sind Teile des ... neben dem Tapir, dem Faultier und den Gürteltieren, mehrere Kamelarten (Lama, Alpaka, Vinuna, Guanako), verschiedene Affenarten, Strauße (Nandu), Pekaris ...
Recent studies focused on the occurrence and mechanisms of submarine groundwater discharge along the Dead Sea. These springs are fed by groundwater from the Judean Mountains, which pass the unconsolidated sequence of clay minerals and... more
Recent studies focused on the occurrence and mechanisms of submarine groundwater discharge along the Dead Sea. These springs are fed by groundwater from the Judean Mountains, which pass the unconsolidated sequence of clay minerals and evaporates (e.g. aragonite, gypsum, halite) forming the lakeshore and are able to pass the flat dipping Ghyben-Herzberg interface (Yechieli et al. 2006). Diving campaigns in Kane/Samar region revealed strong submarine springs emerging along distinct lines, of which orientation resembles those of onshore lineaments, while seeping springs mostly occur randomly. To disclose pathways and transport mechanisms from the feeding mountain aquifers to the springs, hydrochemical and microbial investigations were carried out both, onshore and submarine and were combined with 2D hydraulic modelling. Microbial studies in these submarine springs revealed strong microbial reduction of dissolved sulphate and previously 'karstification' of the carbonatic mineral...
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In arid regions like the Dead Sea (DS) water supply mostly relies on restricted groundwater resources, which are in many cases defined by large inaccessible areas with scarce in-situ data. However, particularly in these regions it is... more
In arid regions like the Dead Sea (DS) water supply mostly relies on restricted groundwater resources, which are in many cases defined by large inaccessible areas with scarce in-situ data. However, particularly in these regions it is essential to obtain detailed information of this precious resource in order to develop a sustainable water management-one of the main aims of the BMBF-funded multilateral SUMAR (Sustainable Management of Arid and Semiarid Regions) project. The usage of remote sensing offers different indicators and ...