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The Department of Geology in the College of Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) organized a scientific research trip to Dibba recently. A group of students and faculty attended the Exploratory Winter Camp for Applied Geoscience, 2015, which lasted for four days. The two groups (one male, one female) were under the supervision of faculty members.

Dr. Khalid Al Bloushi, Head of the Geology Department and supervisor of the camp, said that this activity helps to provide students with skills related to field work and the practical application of geological surveys. In addition to practicing with different measurement devices the students also contributed to the drawing up of a geological map of the area.

The students were divided into two teams. One of them studied stratigraphy and fossils, and also studied the Al Hawasna rocks in Wadi Kub. These are made from silica that was once precipitated deep in the ocean.

In addition, the group also studied rocks in the Athon area of the Northern Jabal Al Qamar region and Al Ghail in the Southern Jabal Al Qamar zone. The other team studied geological structures, rocks and their mineralogical composition. They studied rocks at Wadi Al Helo which were previously underground. The study of fault networks and extended cracks, specifically the Wadi Sidr crack, plays a big role in determining the presence of cracks beneath the Earth's surface and this affects the presence and composition of groundwater.

Dr. Al Bloushi explained that through these studies students will produce a geological map showing the main geological structures, crack extensions and distribution, and rocks scattered around the region. 25 samples from 11 different sites were collected in order to study them in detail and identify the metals forming these rocks.