RIO Sciences
Geoscientific research in the Indian Ocean realm concentrates on tectonics, mineral resources, climate change, and coastal evolution. The approach is process orientated and considers timescales from minutes to millennia and covers the interaction of lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and atmosphere including feedback mechanism.
The Indian Ocean basin has active and passive continental margins. The coastline of the Indian Ocean basin is shaped for millions of years by processes like volcanism, plate conversion and subduction. This leads to natural hazards (e.g. tsunamis) but on the other hand form valuable mineral resources. Other areas along the western part of the basin are characterised by passive continental margins. Important ecosystems including mangrove forests and coral reefs exist here.
Remnants of ancient ocean basins can be found in Oman.
Inside the Indian Ocean an active spreading ridge is producing new ocean floor and is also a site of submarine vents where metals are released into the sea water. These metals can be concentrated into polymetallic nodules. Tectonic processes can be traced back in time from remnants of the Tethys Ocean floor which nowadays are incorporated into continents such as the famous Semail Ophiolite. Metallic resources associated with the ancient ocean floor have been exploited since the Early Bronze Age in Oman. Various archaeological sites indicate invasive activities of humans since these times. Human dispersal and evolution is influenced by climatic changes, which is documented in the archaeological as well as the geological record.
News
International Summer School “CO-CONSTRUCTING OMAN: Global Knowledge Production and the Making of National Identity”
September 29, 2024 - October 5, 2024
Bulletin of the International Institute for Central Asian Studies (IICAS) article publication dedicated to Prof. M. Jansen written by Dr. D. Voyakin
January 1, 2023
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Research
Inventory of Cultural Property Sindh
The Inventory of Cultural Property in the Province of Sindh, 2015 is a 4 Volume Publication listing all historical sites in the province of Sindh, Pakistan.
Historic Settlements of Oman
The research project “Historic Settlements of Oman” is an ongoing project that aims to create an electronic database and record systematically the settlemental history of Oman.
