Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

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Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 24, 2012 11:36 am

The International Union of Speleology (IUS) Commission on Volcanic Caves presents this trip report:

15th International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology
March 15 to March 22, 2012
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan


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INTRODUCTION

The IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves held another successful international symposium in Jordan in March 2012. These symposia bring together scientists and cavers who are interested in volcanoes, volcanic caves and international travel. Since 1972 these symposia have been held at various locations around the world, including Iceland, Kenya, the Azores, Korea, Mexico, Italy and the United States.

Map of Jordan
Amman - capital city
Zarka - site of the symposium at Hashemite University
As Safawi - site of the post-symposium caving field trip
Wadi Rum - site of my pre-symposium hiking and climbing excursion
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This symposium was held in Jordan just outside of the capital city of Amman in Jarka on the campus of Hashemite University from March 15-18, 2012. Hashemite University is the largest university in Jordan, with a student population that is almost two-thirds women. The primary organizer was Professor Ahmad Al-Malabeh, PhD, director of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Hashemite University.

The post-symposium field trip (March 19-22, 2012) was hosted in the basaltic “black desert” of eastern Jordan by Doctor Odeh Al-Meshan, PhD and the Al Badia Center at the National Center for Research and Development in the town of As-Safawi, Jordan.

The following countries were represented at this year’s symposium in Jordan:

Australia
Belgium
Germany
Iraq
Jordan
Netherlands
Switzerland
United States of America

Only two NSS members attended the symposium: David Foran and myself.

The symposium was a success thanks to the generosity of the administration and people of the Hashemite University, the Badia Research Program, Dr. Al-Malabeh, Dr. Al-Meshan, and the kindness and hospitality of the Jordanian people. Everywhere we went we were greeted with beaming smiles and shouts of “Welcome to Jordan!”

More information and photos to follow in additional posts.
Last edited by harrym on Mar 24, 2012 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Harry Marinakis
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Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 24, 2012 12:31 pm

GEOGRAPHY & GEOLOGY OF JORDAN

Jordan can be divided in four ecological zones:

1. Jordan rift valley
2. Highlands
3. Plains
4. Badia (or desert)

The Badia, or the "black desert," is part of the vast Harrat Al-Shaam volcanic field that covers 45,000 square kilometers and stretches from Syria to Saudia Arabia. There have been 6 major eruptions, dating from 5.4 million years ago to about 400,000 years ago. This volcanic field has some of the oldest lava caves in the world.

Map of Jordan showing the extent of Harrat Al-Shaam volcanic field
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Typical terrain in the "black desert" of Jordan
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More information and photos to follow in additional posts.
Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
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Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 24, 2012 12:46 pm

WADI RUM & THE RUM MOUNTAINS

Many of us combine the symposium with a tour of the hosting country. In Jordan, this gave us the opportunity to visit places like the ancient Nabatean city of Petra and the beautiful desert of the Bedouin, the Wadi Rum.

I flew out to Jordan several days before the symposium to hike and climb in the Wadi Rum with some Bedouin guides. I stayed in a Bedouin camp out in the desert for 3 days, traveling around the desert during the day by jeep. I also hired a Bedouin guide for some rock-climbing of some of the towers in the area, including Jebel Khazali (1,420 meters) via Sabbah's Route (Grade III, Class 5.4) and Burdah Arch via the North Ridge (Grade II, Class 5.4)

The Wadi Rum is remote desert area in southern Jordan. There are canyons filled with red sand surrounded by surreal sandstone towers that rise almost 800 meters. These are some of the highest summits in Jordan at over 1,750 meters.

The Rum Mountains of Jordan
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Scattered throughout the Rum mountains and canyons are dozens of semi-permanent Bedouin tent camps. This area has been home to the semi-nomadic Bedouin and their ancestors for thousands of years. A long, long time ago the Bedouin claimed many of the first ascents of the peaks in the region via some rather “sporty” scrambling and free-solo rock-climbing routes (up to class 5.6). Follow in their footsteps and you will have an appreciation for the skill and stoutness of our brethren climbers, the Bedouins.

GEOLOGY OF THE RUM MOUNTAINS

Generally, the Rum Mountains are long ridges of sandstone towers, separated by long valleys (“wadis”) filled with sand. The sandstone towers are composed of tilted layers of grey, purple, pink and white sandstone that rest on an igneous basement (granite or basalt). The sandstone layers are quite defined and are 100 to 300 meters thick. Interspersed with the sandstones are layers of lavender, purple and red shale, giving the Wadi Rum a delightful kaleidoscope of colors.

Purple fossiliferous shales on the summit of Jebel Khazali in the Rum Mountains
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The ridges of the Rum generally run north-northeast (NNE) to south-southeast (SSE), split by several faults. These faults form the sandy canyons that are known locally as “wadis."

Jebel Rum is the highest tower in the Rum at 1,754 meters. There are also a scattering of sandstone domes and other sandstone peaks in the area, but the geography is complex and too difficult to characterize as simply as the three ridges described above. These scattered towers include the massive block of Jebel Khazali (1,420 meters), and the imposing massive big walls of Jebel Qattar. Just south of the Rum group is the highest peak in Jordan, Jebel Um Adaami (1,830 meters).

A satellite image of the Rum Mountains with the village of Rum
1. Jebel Rum massif (Jebel Rum, 1,754 m)
2. Wadi Rum
3. Jebel Um Ishrin massif (Jebel Um Ishrin, 1,753 m)
4. Wadi Um Ishrin
5. Jebel Barrah massif (Jebel Barrah, 1,584 m)
6. Jebel Khazali (1,420 m)
7. Jebel Burdah (1,574 m)
Image

More information and photos to follow in additional posts.
Last edited by harrym on Mar 24, 2012 1:33 pm, edited 5 times in total.
Harry Marinakis
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Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 24, 2012 1:16 pm

GEOLOGIC STRATIGRAPHY OF THE RUM MOUNTAINS

The geologic stratigraphy of the Rum Mountains can be summarized as follows (from top to bottom):

1. White Rum Sandstone
2. Purple Um Sahn Sandstone
3. Igneous Basement (granite or basalt)

Diagrammatic representation of the geology of the Rum Mountains
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This photos depicts the layers of the Rum Mountains
Image

The Igneous Basement

The Rum Mountains rest on a basement of granite and basalt. These layers are visible on the both the west and east bases of the Jebel Rum massif, and the western base of the Jebel um Ishrin massif. On the eastern base of the Jebel um Ishrin massif there are bright blue metamorphic rocks in contact with the basement granite.

The impermeable igneous basement provides for numerous springs at the base of the east face of Jebel Rum.

The Purple Um Sahn Sandstone

The purple Um Sahn sandstone rests on top of the igneous basement, and is the predominate stone almost all the way to the summit on the towers of the western Rum mountains. However, this layer dips to the east so the band becomes smaller and smaller towards the eastern edge of the range. On the far eastern margin of the Rum Mountains, this layer is underground and not visible.

The Um Sahn sandstone is soft and heavily weathered, giving it the appearance of surreal cave formations like stalagmites and stalactites. It often forms stacked overhanging ledges, which would be very difficult to climb (especially considering the soft, crumbling rock and need for bolts).

Heavily weathered Um Sahn sandstone
Image

White Rum Sandstone

The white Rum sandstone sits on top of the purple Um Sahn sandstone. It is rather fine-grained and solid, forming vast white slabs and domes. This makes the white Rum sandstone a real pleasure to climb. The white Rum sandstone is present only on the summits of the western Rum mountains (except in the far southwest around Jebel Al Qattar), but it forms the bulk of all peaks in the eastern part of the Rum mountains.


More information and photos to follow in additional posts.
Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
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Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 24, 2012 1:36 pm

Subsequent posts over the next few days will show:

1. Climbing and touring in the Rum Mountains
2. A report of the symposium itself
3. Multiple reports and photos of caving in the Harrat Al-Shaam volcanic field
4. Visits to several archeological sites in Jordan, including caving in the newly-discovered Roman aqueduct tunnels in northern Jordan
Last edited by harrym on Mar 25, 2012 1:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
User avatar
harrym
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Posts: 179
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Name: Harry Marinakis
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Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 25, 2012 1:31 am

Here are some images from the Wadi Rum

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My trip report of my climb of Jebel Khazali can be found here:

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Jebel Khazali (1,420 meters)
Sabbah's Route (Grade III, Class 5.3)
http://www.summitpost.org/jebel-khazali/782497

Next up:
1. A report of the symposium itself
2. Multiple reports and photos of caving in the Harrat Al-Shaam volcanic field
3. Visits to several archeological sites in Jordan, including caving in the newly-discovered Roman aqueduct tunnels in northern Jordan
Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
User avatar
harrym
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 179
Joined: Feb 25, 2009 6:50 am
Location: Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Name: Harry Marinakis
NSS #: 42832 Life
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Monongahela Grotto
  

Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 25, 2012 1:52 am

THE 15th INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON VULCANOSPELOLOGY

The 15th International Symposium on Vulcanospeleology was hosted at Hashemite University. The symposium was held from March 15 through March 18, 2012.

Hashemite University
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The opening ceremony was held in a packed auditorium at Hashemite University. The opening ceremony included the Jordanian Royal Anthem, singing from the Quran, speeches by distinguished members and guests, and awards.

Opening Ceremony
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Opening Ceremony
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After a brief break for Egyptian coffee and Bedouin tea, the Commission members gave several presentations relating to lava caves that began with a memorial for long-time Commission member Chris Wood who died recently.

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During the next few days Commission members gave numerous presentations relating to volcanoes and lava caving. These presentations included:

1. Harrat Al-Shaam: The Largest Basaltic Plateau on the Arabian Plate
2. Jordanian Lava Caves
3. A History of Human Occupation and Exploration of Lava Caves of he Zuni-Bandera Volcanic Field
4. Distribution, Sizes, Function and Heritage Importance of the Harrat Al-Shaam Kites
5. Characterization of Lava Caves using 2D Induced Polarization Imaging
6. Potential for Vulcanospeleolgy on the Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands
7. Kahuenaha Nui, A Cave Discovered in Four Different Lava Flows
8. The Queen's Bath, A Littoral Cave in Mauna Loa Lava, Hawai'i
9. Yarmouk-Decapolis Tunnel System: The Most Important Underground Discovery in Jordan in the Last Decade
10. Mineral, Geochemical and Engineering Properties of Chalk in Northern Jordan and the Yarmouk-Decapolis Tunnel System

Commission members and participants at Hashemite University
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The Symposium organizer, Professor Ahmad Al-Malabeh, PhD
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One of our primary hosts, Engineer Zeinah
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Next up:
1. Multiple reports and photos of caving in the Harrat Al-Shaam volcanic field
2. Visits to several archeological sites in Jordan, including caving in the newly-discovered Roman aqueduct tunnels in northern Jordan
Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
User avatar
harrym
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 179
Joined: Feb 25, 2009 6:50 am
Location: Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Name: Harry Marinakis
NSS #: 42832 Life
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Monongahela Grotto
  

Re: Trip Report: 15th Int'l Symposium on Vulcanospeleology

Postby harrym » Mar 30, 2012 5:21 pm

THE POST-SYMPOSIUM FIELD TRIP TO THE DESERT CAVES
March 19 through March 22, 2012

The post-symposium field trip was held in the "black desert" (the volcanic fields) of eastern Jordan. This desert is known at the "badia" in Jordan.

We were hosted at the Jordan Badia Research Center by Doctor Odeh Al Meshan, PhD, in the town of Al Safawi. We had comfortable beds, great food, a library, and computer center.

The Jordan Badia Research Program:
http://www.badia.gov.jo/

The lounge at the Badia center
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The lounge at the Badia center, with one of our hosts
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On the first day of the field trip, we visited a few caves in the volcanic fields.

A typical cave entrance
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Most of the caves are hyena dens, so the caves are littered with the bones of their kills
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Camel skull
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We also visited Beer Al Haman Cave, which has a vertical entrance. Soldiers from a nearby military installation followed us to the cave and put in a very long ladder. This gave everyone an opportunity to see the cave, not just those who can do vertical work.
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Harry Marinakis
NSS #42832 Life
IUS Commission on Volcanic Caves
NACD Full Cave Diver
Monongahela Grotto, West Virginia
User avatar
harrym
Prolific Poster
 
Posts: 179
Joined: Feb 25, 2009 6:50 am
Location: Almost Heaven, West Virginia
Name: Harry Marinakis
NSS #: 42832 Life
Primary Grotto Affiliation: Monongahela Grotto
  


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