Description

Since Dr. Sultan established the ESRS Lab at WMU in 2005 http://www.esrs.wmich.edu/), it has attracted funding from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NATO, the National Science Foundation and other agencies. He has been carrying out research pertaining to the hydrology of the regions where water resources are limited. The latest ongoing projects that he will be talking about are related to detailed studies on Landslides in Jazan area and groundwater resources in the Empty Quarter Saudi Arabia. These are collaborative projects with the Saudi Geological Survey (SGS), King Saud University and King Abdul Aziz University. Using an integrated approach involving the utilization of geophysical (e.g. VLF, resistivity), geochemical (solute chemistry), modeling (continuous rainfall-runoff), remote sensing (GRACE, TRMM), and GIS they addressed the following: (1) the hydrologic settings conducive for groundwater accumulation and groundwater flow in extensional (e.g. Red Sea rift) and compressive regimes (Najd transcurrent fault system), (2) the origin and history of the investigated aquifers, (3) the modern contributions to fossil aquifers, and (4) and sustainable extraction practices. These integrated approaches were adopted to assess the origin, history, and the sustainable utilization of groundwater in Egypt's Deserts (Western, Eastern and Sinai) and in the Empty Quarter of Saudi Arabia.