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August 2025 | Congratulations to Olabayo Olaopa for completing his MSc research!
We are delighted to share the exciting news that our MSc student, Olabayo, has successfully completed and defended his master’s thesis. His research journey at PetroLab has been marked by dedication, persistence, and a strong commitment to scientific excellence. The successful defense of his thesis is a significant milestone, not only reflecting his individual achievement but also contributing to the broader academic efforts of our laboratory.
We are very proud of Olabayo’s accomplishments and the progress he has made throughout his studies. This success highlights the strength of our MSc program and the supportive environment we strive to provide. We warmly congratulate him and wish him the very best as he moves forward in his professional and academic career.
Some of the results shown by Olabayo during the thesis defense.
July 2025 | Congratulations to Mfoniso Anieti for completing his MSc research!
Recently Mfoniso finished his thesis research on the paleomagnetic record from lakes Fagnano and Cardiel in southernmost South America. His thesis defense was excellent and currently he is working on a publication out of his thesis. We are looking forwards for a great continuation of his career in a PhD!
Mfoniso giving his thesis defense on zoom
May 2025 | Olabayo presents his research at the 1st SaltAges Conference in Krakow, Poland!
Olabayo traveled all the way to Krakow in Poland to present the latest results from his research thesis entitled: "Hydrological Shift in the Southern Levant during the Pliocene: Insights from an Intrasalt Archive of the Dead Sea Basin ". He had great success in the conference and his presentation got attention from many scientists participating in this conference. The 1st SaltAges conference gathered researchers and innovators from Europe and beyond to assess the consequences of salt giant formation on biota, biogeochemical cycles, global and regional climate and ocean circulation; to investigate the interaction between salt giants, climate and plate tectonics; to clarify the relationship between local and regional tectonics and marine gateway restriction; to review the role of evaporites in the evolution of human civilization; and to identify the importance, environmental effects and geohazards associated with their exploitation.
January 2025 | New paper just out of the oven at Quaternary International!
The Dead Sea Transform (DST), a prominent tectonic feature on Earth's crust, provides an exceptional natural laboratory for investigating the dynamic processes associated with continental rifting and its subsequent evolution. This study focuses on the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of the Yesha Fault, a marginal fault of the DST. Along the Yesha Fault, a distinct, elongated depression, known as the Yesha Valley was formed. Through detailed analysis of sedimentary sequences from boreholes and geochronological data obtained by optically stimulated luminescence and magnetostratigraphy, this research aims to refine the understanding of sedimentation patterns, rates, and tectonic activity associated with this marginal fault. The initial formation of the Yesha Valley, postdating the Brunhes-Matuyama reversal (∼773 ka), was driven by normal faulting, resulting in an accommodation space progressively infilled with clastic and aeolian sediments. The sedimentary record reveals four distinct cycles of calcic soil between ∼780 ka and ∼450 ka, indicative of short episodes of tectonic subsidence, each followed by a period of tectonic quiescence, during which carbonate accumulated and calcic soils have developed. Following ∼450 ka, the sedimentary sequence accumulated in the subsiding valley lacks evidence of abrupt tectonic events, suggesting a transition to a tectonic regime dominated by gradual creep. During the last glacial period, sedimentation is characterized by clay deposition, with more hydric conditions and increased organic content observed between 4 and 6.5 m, whereas the uppermost 2 m of the soil reflects the influence of recent anthropogenic activity. Sediment accumulation rates within the Yesha Valley exhibit considerable variability, ranging from 20.8 cm/ka to 1.8 cm/ka, with an average of 3.2 cm/ka. These rates are an order of magnitude lower than those observed in the adjacent Hula Basin, indicating a slower tectonic regime along the marginal Yesha Fault and valley. For more details, please follow this link.
Typical soil facies of the four segments: Segment A - dark reddish brownish clay; Segment B – brownish clay with very few rock fragments; Segment C – reddish clay with carbonate concretions; Segment D – alternating calcic layers and reddish clay with carbonate concretions.
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