WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide Launched
News Round Up
Oman’s Own of Bar al Hikman
Mind Over Matter
Call for Concerted Efforts to Tackle Autism
News Update
Electronic Grocery
Shopping in Oman
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 238
View Point
Love Food
As of 2011, around 1.3 billion tons of food, about one third of the global
food production, are lost or wasted annually. Loss and wastage occurs
on all steps in the food supply chain. In low-income countries most loss
occurs during production, while in developed countries much food –
about 100 kilograms per person and year – is wasted at the consumption
stage.
Humaid Abdullah Al Adwani
Editorial Supervision & Editor in Chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
A significant proportion of food waste is produced by the domestic
household. The main reasons for throwing away food can be categorised in to “cooking or preparing too much or “not using food in time”
- for example having to throw out fruit and vegetables because they’ve
gone off in the fruit bowl or in the fridge, or not eating food before it
goes past its use-by date. We know that there are lots of potential reasons why food might not get eaten in time – our plans change, we forget
what food we have in the cupboards, we forget to freeze or chill something to use at a later date, we lack the confidence or knowledge on how
to use up our leftovers.
Buying food, which is then often wasted, reduces overall supply and
pushes up the price of food, making grain less affordable for poor and
undernourished people in other parts of the world. What we should
remember at this point of time is that there are nearly a billion malnourished people in the world, but all of them could be lifted out of hunger
with less than a quarter of the food wasted in developed countries. In
his book, “Waste-Uncovering the Global Food Scandal”, Tristram Stuart says that farmers, manufacturers, supermarkets and consumers in
developed countries discard between 30 and 50 per cent of their fresh
produce - enough to feed the starving in the world six times over. Additionally, while affluent nations throw away food through neglect, up
to 40 per cent of some crops in the developing world are wasted because
farmers lack the basic infrastructure to process and store them before
they rot.
With a little creativity, and an eye toward vanquishing waste in our
lives, we can make use of more of our food before it goes to waste.
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of articles,
news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions
may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
Horizon is published three times a month by the Department of Public Relations and Information,
Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
30 March 2012 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
News Update
A new restaurant at the
female complex No. 2
The newly established restaurant at female complex no. 2 has been opened
under the patronage of HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bemani, the vice chancellor of
the university.
Dean of Student Affairs, a group of employees, nutrition’s supervisors and a
number of female students attended the opening function.HE Dr. Ali Al-Bemani said: “building this restaurant is the goal I sought to achieve after I saw
the previous restaurant two years ago, now I feel relieved after I saw that the
goal has been achieved, in order to provide all means of comfort for students
in various aspects, and there are similar projects for other female complexes “
Dr. Bader bin Hilal Al Alawi, Dean of Student Affairs, in his welcome speech
explained the importance of this project and its objectives and he thanks
all the contributors to the completion of the project, which is an important
achievement in providing the services to students at the university.
The ceremony included presentations to a group of pictures of the restaurant in order to compare between it previously and currently. Furthermore,
a group of faculty members from Department of Musical Arts played music,
ranging from Western and Eastern music. At the end of the ceremony HE Dr.
Ali Al-Bemani has honored all who has a role in this project.Then he cut the
ribbon to open the restaurant formally, and he wandered around the restaurant to see the project after two years of planning and implementation.
female students at «The Women
as Global Leaders Conference”
A number of SQU female students participated in the 4th Women as Global
Leaders Conference in Abu Dhabi, which is organized recently by Zayed University, under the theme “Creating a Sustainable Future for the World.” Over
one thousand leading women from forty countries were attended the conference. The conference was a platform for intellectual dialogues about the role
of women in the 21st century and her prominent effort in finding scientific
solutions to global issues such as environment, economy, culture and social
affairs.
In the conference they discussed a number of issues that concern to women
such as health, education and the sustainable development of the environment as well as the role of women in protecting the natural resources and
the installation of their own economic projects. The presentations that were
presented in the conference focused on the following four basic categories:
social, economic, culture and environment. Over 300 worksheets, researches,
workshops and seminars were displayed, and over 170 speakers, interlocutor
and researchers were attracted to the sessions of the conference.
Call for Concerted Efforts
to Tackle Autism
As part of an initiative to establish a national centre for autism in Oman,
“The First International Conference on Autism: Accepting Difference”
Conference was organized by the Language Centre Social Committee,
in association with the College of Medicine & Health Sciences at SQU
recently. The conference provided professionals, and parents of autistic children with a cleaner understanding of the diagnostic criteria for
autism and essential strategies for education, behaviour management
and communication. The opening ceremony of the event was held under the patronage of HE Sayyid Saud bin Hilal al Busaidi, Minister of
State and Governor of Muscat.
In his welcome address, Dr. Yahya al Farsi, Assistant Dean for Training
and Community Service at the College of Medicine & Health Sciences
and Chairperson of the Conference, said that over the last two decades,
the world has been witnessing and incredible increase in prevalence of
autism. “Despite all efforts made toe study and support autistic children, the fact is that the world appears to be not ready yet to provide
full range of services that those children deserve. People with autism
are often referred to as “autistic children”. We need to realise that they
do not remain children for ever. They grow to adulthood and look
for successful social and professional life, like any other person in the
society”, Dr. Al Farsi said.
In her keynote address, Dr. Heidi Alaudeen Alaskary, Chief Officer of
Research at Prince Salman centre for Disability Research, Saudi Arabia,
gave an outline of the challenges faced by individuals diagnosed with
autism spectrum and their families with a strong focus in the currents
scenario in the Gulf region. She addressed issues surrounding assessment, diagnosis, intervention, communication and family resources.
Speaking to the media, Anfal al Waheibi, Executive Chairperson of the
Conference, said that in Oman, autistic children are not enrolled in the
regular schools. They are taken care of by the Ministry of Social Development during the early childhood instead. Autistic people have the
rights to obtain their free education like any other disabled children
receiving benefits from the government”. She said that the conference
was successful in generating ideas for strategies for treatment and rehabilitation that would maximize the use of resources in Oman.
Al Waheibi further said that the theme of the conference is “Accepting
Difference” which calls for the society to give up indifference towards
autistic children. “People with autism are expected to cope with the
challenges for a world which can often seem bewildering and irrational. This can cause high levels of anxiety and stress, resulting in behaviours that can be difficult for other people to deal with, and creating
challenges for parents and professions. Whether it is about prevention,
early intervention or inclusion, it is important to understand the policies and services for the autistic children and their families cannot be
undertaken in isolation. Our aim is to improve the lives and futures of
children and adults affected by autism by raising public awareness and
convincing the decision makers”, Al Waheibi added.
30 March 2012 P3
Insight
Electronic Grocery
Shopping in Oman
By: Dr. Maha Al Balushi & Aqeela Al Lawati
College of Commerce & Economics
As part of nation’s development, Oman has taken very wide steps in the
technology world evolvement within no time. After having no facilities
and basement structure 40 years back, today Oman is competing with
other countries in providing convenient electronic and digital-based
services for citizens and residents. These services have spread to almost
all life aspects including essential governmental services, health and financial issues and other general services like paying utility bills. Internet made significant changes in human beings lives. Today, people all
around the world are using Internet in their life practices. This trend is in
line with internet growth and population statistics for Oman where the
percentage of population who use the internet has increased from 3.8%
to 41.7% from 2000 to 2010. According to United Nations Agency for Information and Communication Technology Issues (ITU), there are about
1,236,700 Internet users in Oman as of June 2010, which corresponds to
41.7% of Oman population.
One of the main steps in the global movement towards the digital and
electronic-based world, that is also hoped to be adopted in Oman, is providing electronic grocery (e-grocery) services. E-grocery means ordering
of the groceries on the internet. This service does not only give a luxury
service for most of the Oman residents but also creates a new market for
the several and various domestic shops. It also increases the competition in
the sale market, which consequently benefit the customers and the stores or
shops. Therefore, electronic grocery in Oman is a fascinating newly growing market which is facing multiple challenges. Although it creates new job
opportunities, it is challenged by the changes of Omani consumers’ perceptions and shopping habits. Whereas the adoption of the e-grocery requires
less consumer effort and time, it needs to be user-friendly and trusted to
utilize its full strength. Moving from the traditional way of doing business
to electronic business is a hot research topic nowadays. Although various
industries in Oman had adopted e-commerce in general, the idea of adopting e-grocery is new. E-grocery offers some advantages and disadvantages
to many stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, and country.
Advantages of e-grocery shopping
Providing the e-grocery service will turn into a lot of advantages for the customers and the sellers, collectively. One advantage relates to time and effort
saving. For instance, customers not able to go for long hours of shopping
due to physical disability, lack of transportation, and lack of time would
find e-grocery service very useful because they can purchase the needed
items by the tip of their fingers with minimal time and effort required. Another advantage relates to the expansion of the physical space. Retailers
are regularly not confined with the physical building of their businesses,
but extend to places where internet services are available. This produces
more customers, sales, and consequently more profits. It also relieves retailers from pressures on the long cashier lines which in turn lead to
less queuing time for customers and less financial errors by cashiers.
Moreover, advertising and selling new products is more convenient using the electronic services because apart from being relatively cheaper, it
is much faster to cross all boundaries to reach the customers. In addition,
it is more cost effective than the traditional market, which relatively costs
more. Additional advantage relates to job opportunities. E-grocery opens
new market for people to work and develop their country. Although it may
seem to result in decrease in labor demand (i.e. cashiers), it creates more
job opportunities at different levels. For instance, designers of computer
and web site, employees responsible for updating and renewing electronic
services, employees responsible for electronic finance and marketing and
those who up load and deliver the items to customers destinations. Therefore, there would be more net jobs created than jobs lost with the adoption
of e-grocery service. In summary, providing e-grocery service gives a big
comfort to customers, increases the customer base for retailers, creates new
job for the market, and hence contribute to market development in today’s
changing environment.
30 March 2012 P4
Aqeela Al Lawati
Dr. Maha Al Balushi
Disadvantages
The disadvantages can be perceived from two different perspectives; consumer and retailer. For the consumer, in general, there is no direct or physical contact with the items chosen via e-grocery expereince. Consequntly,
there are a lot of details and infromation that need to be provided for the
items by the retailer along with comments or reviews from previous customers. Nevertheless, this process helps and guides customers in the decision
of choosing their products. Also, e-grocery shopping demands experienced
internet users. Instead of the ordinary way of negogiating with the seller
and asking about the details of the chosen items, the same process takes
place digitally. This requires a fair knowledge in browsing the internet to
look for the best item for each individual and provide detail and reasonable
experience in paying the needed amount electronically as well. Internet users’ percentage in Oman have signifiacntly grown. Fifteen years ago, there
was no internet serivce in Oman. However today, not only wire internet
connection is available, but also wireless (WiFi) is almost everywhere (i.e.
coffee shops, universities). As a result, Omanis became familiar with the
internet services. Therefore, this disadvantage is perhaps not precieved as
a major one in Oman due to the current growth of internet usage. Additionally, e-grocery shopping demands trust. As mentioned above, using the
electronic way of buying different things deprive the customer from the
direct and physical contact with the selcted items. This requires a trusing
relationship between the customer and the seller in terms of the match of
what is shown on e-grocery with what the final prodcut looks like.
For the retailer, customers may not be willing to buy products via e-grocery
means because the quality of the product is uncertain. This is the result of
not being able to touch the product physically. In e-grocery, customer is
not able to physically touch the product the same way as in the traditional
shopping experience. Hence, some of the customers may doubt the quality
of the advertized products with actual prdoducts. Another disadvantage
relates to the quality of the web site and the information provided. Retailers need to invest in designing a quality website to secure the success of
e-grocery shopping for consumers.
Mind Over Matter
Oman’s Own of Bar al Hikman
The international conference “Oman as a Gravitational Center in the Global Flyway Network of Migratory Shorebirds”, organised recently by the
Centre for Environmental Studies & Research at SQU put forward a series
of recommendations to protect the birdlife and bird biodiversity in the region. The first and the most important recommendation is to arrange formal protection on national level for Barr al Hikman and designate the site
as of international importance under the Convention of Wetlands of International importance (Ramsar Convention). This recommendation assumes
significance because Barr al Hikman, a large pristine coastal wetland in the
Sultanate of Oman, is a key wintering and stopover site and belongs to
world’s most undisturbed tropical intertidal ecosystems, and is an important wintering site for migratory shorebirds within the West Asian - East
African Flyway. Barr al Hikman supports the largest number of wintering
and migrating shorebirds in the region. Oman (and particularly Barr al Hikman) holds a higher diversity of wader species in internationally important
numbers than any other area within Africa and Western Eurasia.
The conference also recommends increasing and enhancing involvement
and raising awareness through educational outreach at all levels: primary
schools through post graduate studies. Another suggestion is to promote
public awareness of the economic, natural and cultural value of wetlands
(highlighting Barr al Hikman wetland in particular). A multiple stakeholder approach is crucial to create the highest motivation for conservation. Involvement of all levels (e.g. youth and local community) is critical for long
term sustainable management and conservation.
The conference underlines the need for strengthening skills concerning
wetland/bird monitoring and research through workshops. Good training
is a prerequisite to collect high quality data, which can underpin wise management plans. Training the next generation of researchers and conservationists that will work in the government and private sectors is essential.
Setting up field stations with good facilities is another recommendation.
Long-term, in-depth and cutting edge field work is enhanced and facilitated by the presence of a field station. A field station provides a place where
experiments can be run, equipment can be stored, and from which scientists
and conservationists working at a site can operate. Apart from the logistic
benefits a field station provides, it also is a statement of the importance the
country places on conservation research and the location itself (e.g. Barr al
Hikman). A field station would also provide a location for public awareness
building and a centre where students from schools and universities might
be housed when they visit a site like Barr al Hikman.
Yet another important recommendation is to develop a national wetland
monitoring scheme. Monitoring of wetlands in Oman can benefit the country and be critical to regional initiatives for wetland conservation. Because
of the regional and global importance of Barr al Hikman, monitoring will be
a keystone to conservation planning on a national and international scale.
The conference suggests that the appropriate governmental, educational
and non-governmental institutions in Oman should consider participation in multi-lateral environmental agreement and initiatives. It observed
that Oman (and other countries of West Asia) can greatly enhance cooperation to achieve flyway conservation by joining multilateral environmental
agreements and initiatives. Another suggestion is to develop coordination
in water bird monitoring, conservation and management within the Middle East and along the flyway by organizing international conferences and
workshops within the region and consider joint analyses and publications
of collected material.
SQU organised “Oman as a Gravitational Center in the Global Flyway Network of Migratory Shorebirds” conference in November 2011 in association
with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA), Working
Group International Waterbird and Wetland Research (WIWO), Natural Research (NR) and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ).
The conference focused on the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and their migratory birds, and also aimed to share information on
the results and development of research on these matters. The international
and national participants of the conference stated that raising awareness
about wetlands and stressing their international importance in conserving
the world’s biodiversity are important issues. Based on the discussion and
seminars that took place during and in parallel with the technical sessions
the following recommendations have been proposed. Barr al Hikman and
other wetlands benefit Oman. These wetlands are regionally important,
and Barr al Hikman is of global importance as a wintering site and as a link
in the chain of wetlands connecting breeding and wintering grounds for
migratory shorebirds.
Barr al Hikman
Barr al Hikman is one of the most important coastal areas for wintering
waterbirds in western Asia, especially for waders. A survey between December 1989 and January 1990 counted at least 220,678 waterbirds of 52 species in this area. Although the situation has not been investigated comprehensively during the migration seasons, even larger numbers of waterbirds
are expected to occur in autumn than in winter, and numbers in spring are
also likely to be very important. A total of 119 species has been recorded.
Barr al Hikman is a raised, rocky limestone peninsula west of Masirah island, with 160 km of coastline fringed by extensive inland sabkha, at least
12,000 ha of intertidal flats and shallow seas. Inland near the coast there are
also areas of sand/gravel plain and of sand-dunes. There is much coral offshore, and the mudflats are fringed with reefs at very low tide. The area is
rather isolated and sparsely populated. Fishing is the major human activity,
predominantly in winter, and especially prawn fishing in Ghubbat al Hashish. Many people migrate to tend date groves north and inland in summer,
when prevailing very strong, cold winds make fishing very difficult.
30 March 2012 P5
News Round Up
WHO Patient Safety
Curriculum Guide Launched
A function to mark the regional launch of the World Health Organization
(WHO) Patient Safety Curriculum Guide in the East Mediterranean Region
was held recently at Crowne Plaza, Muscat. Sultan Qaboos University joined
hands with WHO in organizing this event in the Sultanate of Oman which
was held under the patronage of HE Dr. Mubarak Bin Saleh Al Khadhori,
Special Advisor of His Majesty, the Sultan.
Speaking on the occasion, HE Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed Al- Saeedy, the
Minister of Health, said that the essential support in any health system is the
existence of highly skilled professionals and a scientific regulation to facilitate providing high quality services. “The role played by WHO is an example for commitment to achieve goals and provide all tools for progression of
the medical professionals and support medical staff and achieve progress in
the health services provided to the community”, he said.
Addressing the gathering, HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor
of Sultan Qaboos University, said that in ensuring continuous quest for distinction to guarantee high quality of educational and medical services, the
College of Medicine and Health Sciences at SQU and the SQU Hospital have
always been in the forefront of obtaining high recognition and accreditation
from the relevant bodies. “It is with great pride and honor to launch the
WHO Guide for Patient Safety curriculum to the countries of the Mediterranean basin in the Sultanate of Oman, and this pride is elevated as this event
coincides with the university’s Silver Jubilee celebrations. Hence, this did
not come out of the blue, but from the fruitful efforts made by all who work
in medical and academic areas”, the Vice Chancellor said.
A film on patient safety was screened on the occasion. The Minister of Health,
HE Dr. Rawya bint Saud Al-Busaidiah, the Minister of Higher Education, the
Vice Chancellor of SQU, and representatives from different countries participated in the signage of endorsements. A Scientific program and Workshop
was on Patient Safety Curriculum was held on the second day.
Workshop on Water and
Food Security Held
On the occasion of World Water Day 2012, the Department of Soils,
Water & Agricultural Engineering at SQU organized a workshop on
“Sustainable Water User for Food Security”. The opening of the two
day workshop, the topic of which was related to World Water Day
2012 theme “Water and Food Security”, was held under the patronage of HE Eng. Ali bin Mohammed al Abri, Undersecretary for Water Resources Affairs at the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and
Water Resources.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Hayder Abdel Rahman, Chairman of the
workshop organizing committee, said that the main objective this
workshop is to acquaint food processing, and marketing specialists
with the crucial role of water in achieving food security in order to
ensure sustainability by improving on–farm water management, improving the performance of the irrigation services, augmenting water supplies and adopting innovative cultural practices. Prof. Anvar
Kacimov, Dean of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences, gave
an overview of the workshop presentations which cover the role of
water management in ensuring food security across the globe.
In the opening session, Mohammed al Lawati of Ample harvest LLC,
gave a talk on “Groasis”, a technology to restore ecosystems and vegetation cover in deserts, eroded areas, badlands and on rocks. In the
subsequent sessions, presentations on “water resource assessment
and sustainable management in the Sultanate of Oman”, “tilapia
farming developments and opportunities , “ground water value in
the agricultural sector and policy implications”, “barley production under saline conditions” and “optimisation of irrigation water
management in arid countries” were held by experts from SQU and
ministries of Agriculture, and Regional Municipalities and Water Resources.
NRE Department Holds Worksop on Data Analysis
Around 30 participants from different Ministries, other government
establishments and private sector organizations are attending a workshop on “Data Analysis for Decision Making” organised by the Department of Natural Resources Economics of the College of Agricultural &
Marine Sciences at SQU.
Dr. Houcine Boughanmi, Head of the Department of Natural Resources
Economics, said that the organization of the event is part of the vision of
the Department, the College and the University to serve the community
and contribute to the capacity building and human resources development in the Sultanate of Oman. “The participants are middle and high
level officers working in various organizations including the Ministry
of Agriculture and Fisheries, Ministry of Finance, Oman Chamber of
Commerce and industry, Public authority for food reserves, Oman Centre for Investment and Export Promotion. A limited number of seats are
reserved for the college graduate students.”, he said.
30 March 2012 P6
The objective of the workshop is to enhance the data analysis and reporting capabilities. Dr. Houcine explained that there are instances in
which large data that could contribute to national development exists
without the expertise to analyse it in the proper manner. The ongoing
workshop will give the participants an idea of how to use the best tools
and analyse data and how to communicate the results in an effective
manner to the policy makers. The results need to be communicated effectively to the decision makers to incorporate the results into the decision making process”, he added.
The topics of the workshop included data collection, different sampling
methods, different tools and approaches to analyse data, and summarising and reporting data. The trainers are from the Department of Natural Resource Economics. The opening ceremony of the workshop was
held under the patronage of Dr. Ahmed Yahya Al-Maskri, Dean of the
college of Agricultural & Marine Sciences. The workshop will continue
until tomorrow.
More than 1420 research projects worth 20 million riyals
undertaken since inception; funded through internal grants,
joints grants, strategic grants, consultancy services, and
external grants. Research findings resulted in publishing
hundreds of papers in reputed scientific journals in addition to
numerous conference presentations. Research adds to the
prestige of the university; the progress continues with more
advanced researches.
A Sun that never sets
Straight Talk
Prof. Eiichi Takazawa
Prof. Eiichi Takazawa is an Associate Professor in the
Department of Geology of the Faculty of Science at
Niigata University in Japan. Prof. Takazawa has been
visiting Oman during winter for the last ten years to
conduct field surveys as part of his study on Oman
ophiolite formations. This year, he visited SQU along
with three students to participate and present papers
in the International Conference on the Geology of the
Arabian Plate and the Oman Mountains. Dr. Takazawa spoke to Horizon about his interest in Oman
ophiolites and his research in this area.
Horizon: What makes Oman ophiolites important?
Prof. Takazawa: An ophiolite is a section of
the Earth’s oceanic
crust and the underlying upper mantle that has been uplifted and exposed above sea level and often emplaced onto continental crustal rocks.
It is widely accepted that ophiolites represent oceanic crust that had been
emplaced on land. The Oman ophiolite is one of the world’s best studied ophiolites and has been the subject of many detailed geochemical
studies. The Oman ophiolite is located along the Batinah Coast of the
Sultanate of Oman represents what was once a section of the Earth’s sea
floor or oceanic crust. The geological term “ophiolite” refers to a specific
sequence of ultramafic, mafic and sedimentary rocks which form as oceanic crust on the sea floor of our planet. An important characteristic of
Ophiolites is that they have been structurally emplaced on top of continental crust; they have been pushed, or thrusted into place. Thus a portion of oceanic crust is emplaced on the land surface. The Ophiolite belt
in northern Oman is the best preserved and most academically studied
ophiolite complexes in the world. From the bottom to the top of the ophiolite it consists of mantle section, layered gabbro, upper gabbro, sheeted
dike complex, extrusive lava sequence and pelagic sediments.
Horizon:
Why do many geologists prefer Oman as their favourite
Ophiolite destination?
Prof. Takazawa: Ophiolites are very common in the Middle East.
It occurs in elongate belts that make up an integral part of the Alpine
mountain chains. The ophiolites extend eastward and southward from
Cyprus into Syria, the Turkey-Iran boarder fold belt, through Neyriz in
Iran, then across the Arabian Gulf into Oman. The ophiolite formation in
the northern part of Oman is part of these ophiolites. It provides the best
exposure in the world to study oceanic lithosphere. The northern Oman
ophiolite crops out in a belt 600 km long and 150 km wide and between
5 and 10 km thick.
Horizon: Could you explain on your field research in Oman?
Prof Takazawa: I am mainly concerned with peridotite, a dense,
coarse-grained igneous rock, consisting mostly of the minerals such as
olivine, pyroxene and spinel. We collect samples of peridotite along the
wadis in Northern Oman located around Sohar in Al Batinah region. The
peridotite is composed mostly of harzburgite and dunite, which represent residual mantle rocks. It is also important that the Oman ophiolite
preserves the Moho Transition Zone (MTZ). Moho is the boundary between the Earth’s crust and the underlying mantle. The Moho Transition zone of ophiolites is dominantly composed of dunite, with various
types of segregations (gabbros, pyroxenites, and chromites). In the Oman
ophiolite, the Moho Transition Zone has a thickness varying from ten to
hundreds of meters; its thickness and composition are related to the geometry of the asthenospheric mantle flow: thick Moho Transition Zones
are on top of mantle diapirs characterized by vertical flow and in the
center of paleo-ridge segment, whereas thin Moho Transition Zones are
present in areas of horizontal mantle flow and in the end of paleo-ridge
segment.
Horizon:
Is there any reason for choosing northern Oman ophio-
lites?
Prof. Takazawa: The northern Oman ophiolite has a better exposure of the deeper part of the mantle section because the ophiolite body
is inclined by a few tens of degrees eastward. Also, the Ophiolites in the
southern part of Oman are well studied by Prof. Adolphe Nicolas and
his group. The northern Oman ophiloites have been less explored and
I have been doing research on this since 1997. Currently my research is
supported by JSPS and Niigata University. I am also looking forward for
collaboration with SQU in several avenues.
Horizon:
Do you have any collaboration with the researchers in the
Earth Sciences Department of SQU in furthering this study?
Prof. Takazawa: We just presented our study of Oman Ophiolite in the International Conference on the Geology of the Arabian Plate
and the Oman Mountains held in SQU. Currently we don’t have any
joint activities with SQU. However, we would like SQU scientists to be
part of our work on Oman ophiolites. I have met Prof. Sobhi Nasir and
the researchers in the SQU Earth Sciences Department in this regard. We
would like to make use of the remote sensing expertise available with
the Remote Sensing and GIS center at SQU. Dr. Andy Kwarteng, Director
and Dr. B. Babu Madhavan will be our collaborating experts in SQU in
the near future. The collaboration will be in exchanging data, providing
research ideas, supporting field work, exchange of students and capacity
building.