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The Department of Geosciences at Western Michigan has recently developed a strong research emphasis in the area of remote sensing. Research in this field is led by Dr. M. Sultan and is being enabled by the acquisition of a state-of-the-art remote sensing facility.

As part of the MERHAB (Monitoring and Event Response for Harmful Algal Blooms) project, Sultan and his research team are exploring the utility of chlorophyll extraction techniques to map the spatial and temporal variations in algal blooms in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Remote sensing is coupled with in-situ measurements of algal concentrations (chlorophyll-a) in Lakes Erie and Ontario, and the images also are used with predictions from a hydrodynamic and particle tracking model to determine transport pathways.

The US National Park Service is funding a collaborative effort to assess the migration of the Cape Cod dunes using remote sensing and GIS technologies. Outer Cape Cod, Massachusetts, is dominated by active and stabilizing parabolic and transverse dunes interspersed with numerous inter-dune wetlands. Dune migration has been significantly affected by human activities; conversely, current dune movements are affecting local populations. This study provides a practical application for assessment of dune migration and vegetative transformations over time using remote sensing and GIS technologies.

Demand for freshwater supplies in arid and semi-arid countries worldwide is on the rise because of increasing populations and limited water supplies. For example, in Egypt, faced with overpopulation problems and demand for development of new agricultural lands to support its increasing population, the government adopted aggressive policies to develop new agricultural communities outside the overpopulated Nile Delta and Nile Valley. Almost all of these projects rely on the exploitation of the River Nile waters, despite the fact that Egypt is already using nearly its full share of the Nile River waters. Building on previous research, Sultan's group is using an integrated interdisciplinary approach combining remote sensing observations with other datasets (e.g., geochemical, geological, and geophysical) to asses and develop renewable water resources in arid lands. Three current projects include renewable groundwater resources in Sinai (funded by NSF International Program), the Eastern Desert of Egypt (funded by UNDP Global Environmental Facility), and the Quetta Valley, Pakistan (funded by the U.S. State Department).

Department of Geosciences
1187 Rood Hall
1903 West Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Phone: (269) 387-5485
Fax: (269) 387-5513
mohamed.sultan@wmich.edu

Any questions concerning the website should be directed to: johnson.haas@wmich.edu
©2007 Department of Geosciences, WMU