Press meeting

 

Water-Rock Interaction Symposium

PhD student Netta Shalev from the Hebrew University presented her data at the WRI 14, Water-Rock Interaction Symposium in Avignon, France from 9th to 14th June 2013.

Download poster (pdf file)

Download paper preprint (pdf file)

 

Coral culturing in Israel

April - July 2013
PhD student Stephanie Schurigt visited Jerusalem and Eilat for coral culturing. From 15th April to 25th May 2013 corals of the species Pocillopora sp. were cultured under controlled environmental conditions in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. 

From 26th May to 15th July 2013 experiments on corals were conducted at the IUI in Eilat in collaboration of German and Israeli scientists. Continuous supply of natural seawater at the IUI poses ideal conditions for coral culturing. Five different coral species were grown at different temperatures under controlled conditions. At the start of the experiments corals were colour-stained with Alizarin Red. During the course of the experiment the stained skeleton was overgrown by a layer of new white skeleton which will be used for chemical analyses.

 

Advanced training course

March 12th - 21st, 2013

Participants: Mutaz AlQutob, Mahmoud AlKhatib, Hussam Malassa (AQU), Ana Kolevica (GEOMAR)

Engineer Ana Kolevica from GEOMAR visited AlQuds University to give an advanced training course on the Agilent Quadrupol mass spectrometer. During her visit clean room conditions in the laboratory were optimised. Water samples from different sites in the West Bank were taken for element analysis. After giving an intensive training on the Agilent Quadrupol, accuracy, precision and detection limits for different elements were determined.

 

Soil processing training

Since March 2013
Soil processing training for Master student from AlQuds University at the GSI. This training includes identification of the soils, soil sampling, grinding and opening of the samples for chemical analyses.

 

Joint sampling field trip

Feb 11th, 2013
Joint soil sampling field trip between AlQuds University (AQU), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ), and the Geological Survey of Israel (GSI).

Participants:
AQU: Mutaz Qutob, Mahmud AlKhatib, Husam Malassa, Jawad Sawahreh
HUJ: Boaz Lazar, Netta Shalev
GSI: Amir Sandler, Ittai Gavrieli

The aim of this field mission was to sample variable occurrences of apparently well-developed Terra Rossa in a region of relatively high mean annual precipitation (590 mm) and intensive karstic processes within the substrate rocks. The places sampled were:
Mevo-Beitar: Two sampling sites: 1. a 170 cm shallow (and well-leached brown-reddish soil profile (Terra Rossa) on dolomite (V’radim Fm.) (31°43.105 N 035°06.427' E; elevation 756 m); and 2. karst depressions filled with thicker soil (Fig. 1b) (31°43.103' N 035°06.429' E; elevation 750 m). The depression’s walls are coated by pedogenic calcite. Pedogenic calcite is also observed as white laminae filling semi-horizontal cracks in the dolomitic rock.
Begin Park: Two sampling sites: 1. ~150 cm soil profile in a karstic depression (Fig. 1c) in V’eradim Fm. dolostone (31°43.133' N 035°06.843' E; elevation 750 m) including 3 horizons Ao (upper 10 cm), A (100 cm, lighter soil, stony) and B (lower dark soil with more clays); and 2. karst field (31°43.516' N035°07.101' N; elevation 717 m) with shallow soils (Fig. 1d) on karstic limestone member of the generally dolomitic Aminadav Fm., forming pinnacles of up to 3 m height.