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Kottmeier C, Agnon A, Al-Halbouni D, et al. New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project. Sci Total Environ. 2016;544:1045-58doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003.
Kottmeier, C., Agnon, A., Al-Halbouni, D., Alpert, P., Corsmeier, U., Dahm, T., Eshel, A., Geyer, S., Haas, M., Holohan, E., Kalthoff, N., Kishcha, P., Krawczyk, C., Lati, J., Laronne, J. B., Lott, F., Mallast, U., Merz, R., Metzger, J., Mohsen, A., Morin, E., Nied, M., Rödiger, T., Salameh, E., Sawarieh, A., Shannak, B., Siebert, C., & Weber, M. (2016). New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project. The Science of the total environment, 5441045-58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003
Kottmeier, Christoph, et al. "New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project." The Science of the total environment vol. 544 (2016): 1045-58. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003
Kottmeier C, Agnon A, Al-Halbouni D, Alpert P, Corsmeier U, Dahm T, Eshel A, Geyer S, Haas M, Holohan E, Kalthoff N, Kishcha P, Krawczyk C, Lati J, Laronne JB, Lott F, Mallast U, Merz R, Metzger J, Mohsen A, Morin E, Nied M, Rödiger T, Salameh E, Sawarieh A, Shannak B, Siebert C, Weber M. New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project. Sci Total Environ. 2016 Feb 15;544:1045-58. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003. Epub 2016 Jan 09. PMID: 26779955.
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Sci Total Environ. 2016 Feb 15;544:1045-58. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003. Epub 2016 Jan 09.

New perspectives on interdisciplinary earth science at the Dead Sea: The DESERVE project.

The Science of the total environment

Christoph Kottmeier, Amotz Agnon, Djamil Al-Halbouni, Pinhas Alpert, Ulrich Corsmeier, Torsten Dahm, Adam Eshel, Stefan Geyer, Michael Haas, Eoghan Holohan, Norbert Kalthoff, Pavel Kishcha, Charlotte Krawczyk, Joseph Lati, Jonathan B Laronne, Friederike Lott, Ulf Mallast, Ralf Merz, Jutta Metzger, Ayman Mohsen, Efrat Morin, Manuela Nied, Tino Rödiger, Elias Salameh, Ali Sawarieh, Benbella Shannak, Christian Siebert, Michael Weber

Affiliations

  1. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann von Helmholtz Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany. Electronic address: [email protected].
  2. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel.
  3. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany.
  4. Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel.
  5. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Hermann von Helmholtz Platz 1, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Germany.
  6. Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research GmbH - UFZ, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, 06120 Halle, Germany.
  7. Leibniz Institute for Applied Geophysics (LIAG), Stilleweg 2, 30655 Hannover, Germany.
  8. Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel.
  9. An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
  10. The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
  11. Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Amman, Jordan.
  12. Al Balqa Applied University, As Salt, Jordan.
  13. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, 14473 Potsdam, Germany; University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.

PMID: 26779955 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.12.003

Abstract

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.

Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Climate; Education; Flash floods; Seismicity; Sinkholes; Water balance

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