Off to the Desert! But why should we?

What was initially intended as an “advertising measure” to make the Geoverbund better known among students has since developed into a real flagship for the joint geoscientific network of RWTH Aachen University, Bonn University, Cologne University and Forschungszentrum Jülich. There is hardly any other place on Earth where, thanks to the arid climate and the lack of soil coverage, such first class outcrops (this is what the geologist calls places where the rock is visibly exposed) can be observed. Where else can you go for a walk on the so-called “Moho“? A boundary layer that marks the transition from the Earth’s crust to the Earth’s mantle and that usually lies several kilometres deep inside the Earth?

„Students on the rock”. Unobtrusive and spectacular at the same time: students standing on the so-called “Moho”. The layer marks the transition from the Earth’s crust to the Earth’s mantle and is usually located between 5 (under oceans) and 50 (under continents) kilometers deep in the Earth’s interior. © Geoverbund ABC/J

End of an era

We’ve often talked about what it would be like. What would happen if he, Sultan Qabus bin Said bin Taimur Al Said, his empire located at the south-eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, with Yemen to the west and Iran on the other side of the Gulf of Oman as a neighbour, were to cease to govern? He, the great Sultan who “replaced” his father as ruler, at a time when the city gates of Muscat were closed at 6 in the evening. Whose country is rich in fossil resources such as oil and natural gas and which has largely untapped mineral deposits. He, the universally popular but absolute Sultan, who took advantage of this wealth and catapulted the country and its population economically from the Middle Ages into modern times, investing in infrastructure, education and health care. He, who left no descendants of his own.

Sultan Qabus bin Said died on 10 January 2020 at the age of 79 after almost 50 years of rule. But, as was to be expected, he knew how to avoid the country from a state of vacuum and made his succession in his will by appointing his cousin.

Desert can be so beautiful! Night camp during the excursion 2017. © Jörn Bittner

“The same procedure as last year, Miss Sophie?”

For the Geoverbund it is the fifth excursion to Oman and the first with the new sultan. It is likely that the excursion will go as smoothly as it has in recent years, thanks to the perfect organization of our experienced excursion leader PD Dr. Gösta Hoffmann. Gösta, who represents the Chair of General Geology at the Institute of Geosciences at the University of Bonn and also heads the Environmental Geology Working Group there, has himself lived in Oman for many years and continues to teach at GUTech, the German University of Technology in Oman. He has conducted countless excursions to the geological and cultural (e.g. mountain oases) sights of Oman. His two children were born in Oman. He is supported by the two doctoral students Valeska Decker and Michaela Falkenroth. We will learn much more from Michaela in this blog, because she will report about her experiences during the ABC/J excursion 2020.

Coming from the valley, the mountain oasis of Misfat al Abriyyin with its traditional clay buildings is hardly visible. © Geoverbund ABC/J

After four excursions to Oman, it is clear that our “plan” has worked out: Many students hear about the excursion for the first time from their fellow students and thereby usually also for the very first time about the Geoverbund. When I then tell the students during the preparatory meeting that they are also members of this network – and that without being asked and without having done anything for it – the surprise is usually complete. It must be said that all professors, scientific staff and students of the institutes and courses of study affiliated to the Geoverbund ABC/J are automatically members. Well, the good thing is that being a member of the Geoverbund actually only has advantages, because: ABC/J students can, for example, attend courses at the partner universities without having to pay a second student fee and can participate in summer schools free of charge in most cases. The ABC/J region offers many advantages and the Geoverbund would like to inspire students with its offers for a later scientific career in the ABC/J region.

Commode chair: That’s all you need and you can choose the view! © Geoverbund ABC/J

To get back to the field trip: It is also an advantage that 20 students per annum receive a scholarship of 500 Euro from the Geoverbund ABC/J to participate in the excursion. At the same time, the excursion can usually also be credited as an academic achievement. But with the prospect of a two-week field trip without a shower and toilet, this is far from convincing everyone!

As Geoverbund’s coordinator who stayed at home this time round, I am looking forward to the blog posts in the next weeks and wish everyone who follows the blog a lot of fun reading. I wish our excursionists an exciting time in Oman! It will become a lasting memory in many ways!

„Guten Morgen, guten Morgen, guten Morgen Sonnenschein!“ Off to the desert!