MAP OF FIELD EXCURSION ROUTES

DESCRIPTION OF FIELD EXCURSIONS

Main Ethiopian Rift:Fentale volcano (background) and historical basaltic lava flows

PRE-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 1. THE MAIN ETHIOPIAN RIFT (January 6-7/2013)

Leaders:
Dr. Bekele Abebe, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (bekelino_abe@yahoo.com)
Dr. Giday Woldegabriel, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA (wgiday@lanl.gov)

January 6/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Awash

Stop 1: Visit three Maar Lakes (subterranean explosion crater lakes) namely Bishoftu, Hora, Babogaya and an artificial Maar depression filling reservoir of Kuriftu by driving and walking around the Lake.
Stop 2: Between Mojo and Nazret: observe prominent normal fault features resulting in horst and grabens.
Stop 3: Just after Wolenchiti observe en echelon faults of the Wonji Fault Belt and while driving along the road observe the volcano segments of Boseti and Fentale.
Stop 4: Kone volcanic complex-observe nested caldera features, ash fall deposits, spatter cones and very recent lava flows.
Stop 5: Metahara: a) observe Fentale volcano (active volcano, last eruption in 1820) and the EW elongated caldera, b) observe active normal faults within the rift axis and their formation. Discuss the tectonic significance of the active normal faults (tension cracks); c) observe the blister caves (the Metehara blister cave field is the largest in the world).
Night in Awash Park.

January 7/2013 (Day 2): Awash-Addis Ababa

Stop 1: Observe the geology of Awash National Park (The Awash River falls, Fantale volcano; Tinishu Fentale, the Welded tuff plain, Blister caves; fissures, Sabober tuff ring, the recent and old lava flows; Lake Beseka and hotsprings) and its fauna.
Stop 2, 3 and 4: Sodere thermal springs and recreation (in a thermal water-fed swimming pool).
Additional details in: F. Williams (2006) Geology of the Awash National park.

Main Ethiopian Rift: Ziquala Silicic centre

PRE-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 2. QUATERNARY PALAEOENVIRONMENT AND GEOMORPHOLOGY IN THE MAIN ETHIOPIAN RIFT
(January 5-7/2013)

Leaders:
Dr. Balemwal Atnafu, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (balemwal@yahoo.com)
Dr. Agazi Negash, Palaeoanthropology and Palaeoenvironment Program, Addis Ababa Unviersity, (agazi.negash@googlemail.com)

January 5/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Butajira –Ziway

Stop 1: Guided tour of Melka Kunture Archeological Site (famous Paleolitic site).
Stop 2: Visit Tiya Stelae site (a UNESCO World Heritage site).
Stop 3: Observe foothills of the Gurage Mountains and associated marginal grabens; at Butajira discuss geologic and tectonic features and evolution of the rift.
Stop 4: Observe the Siltie Debrezeyit tectonic features (horst and graben structures and faults) with stop at Koshe town.
Stop 5: Stop at Gademota vantage point and observe the rift floor and associated Lakes, Lake sediments and volcanic products and associated volcano-tectonic structures.
Night in Ziway

January 6/2013 (Day 2): Ziway-Hawassa

Stop 1: Observe Paleo Lake strandlines around western Ziway caldera or Meki.
Stop 2: Observe the Bulbula River section south of Adami Tulu and walk down to the river floor to see the Holocene and Pre-Holocene surfaces and the volcanic products at the Lake sediments.
Stop 3: Observe the Bulbula section at Bulbula Bridge. A section widely documented for its record of Holocene and Pre-Holocene Lake Level fluctuations.
Stop 4:  At the Abiyata-Shalla National Park, observe two of the Lakes (Langano and Shalla) and thermal springs at closer distance; walk down to Lake Shalla and see the Lake, thermal springs and the Ajewa lake sediment section.
Stop 5: At Langano-Arsi Negele vantage point observe the four rift valley Lakes and discuss the history of Lake Level fluctuation and its paleo-climate significance.
Stop 6: Observe Lake Hawassa: Balchi volcano, fumeroles and thermal springs in the Lake Hawassa caldera.
Night in Hawassa

January 7/2013 (Day 3): Hawassa-Addis Ababa

Stop 1: Visit Wondogent thermal springs; Landslide features in rift margins, and from a vantage point observe the Lake Hawasa Caldera.
Stop 2: Observe ground fissures in soft sediments between Meki and Ziway; discuss their origin and significance.
Stop 3: Lake Koka area and associated agro-business development; observe the prominent Ziquala central volcano.
Stop 4:  Observe Maar Lakes and Maar depressions of Bishoftu, discuss their hydrology and paleoclimate significance as well as their water resources significance.
Night in Addis Ababa.

Hominid fossil bearing sediments and tuffs from Woranso-Mille, Afar

PRE-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 3. PALAEOANTHROPOLOGICAL SITES (HUMAN ORIGINS AND PALEOENVIRONMENT) (January 4-7/2013)

Leaders:
Dr. Yohannes Haile-Selassie, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, USA (yhailese@cmnh.org)
Dr. Berhane Asfaw, Rift Valley Research Center, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (ramideth@gmail.com)
Dr. Mulugeta Alene, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (mulugeta_alene@yahoo.com)

January 4, 2013 (Day 1):  Addis Ababa-Semera

The group will leave Addis Ababa early in the morning and spend a night in Semera, the capital of the Afar Regional State.

January 5, 2013 (Day 2): Semera –Weranso Mille-Semera

The group will leave Semera early in the morning and drive to the Woranso-Mille study area.  The first stop will be at the locality where “Kadanuumuu” was discovered. This will be followed by a visit to the localities on the north side of the Mille River. The group will drive back to Semera at the end of the day.

January 6, 2013 (Day 3): Semera-Hadar-Semera

The group will leave Semera early in the morning and drive to Hadar via Eliwoha. The first stop will be at the new Hadar town followed by a trip to the locality where Lucy was found. At the end of the tour, the group will drive back to Semera.

January 7, 2013 (Day 4): Semera-Addis Ababa

The group will leave Semera for Addis Ababa and that will be the end of the trip.

A crater lake (Maar) in Debre Zeit; the Yerer silicic centre at the background

MID-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 2. GEOLOGY OF ADDIS ABABA  AND VOLCANIC MORPHOLOGY
(January 11/2013)

Leader:
Prof. Gezahegn Yirgu, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (gezahegnyirgu@yahoo.com)
Dr. Tadewos Chernet, Geological Survey of Ethiopia
Dr. Dereje Ayalew, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (dereayal@yahoo.com)

January 11/2013: Addis Ababa-Debre Zeit-Addis Ababa

Stop 1: At Entoto (rift shoulder): observe the Addis Ababa rift embayment; the various volcanic landforms such as central volcanoes (Ziquala; Yerer, Wachaca, Furi), scoria cones alignments and observe the city of Addis Ababa and its landscapes and extents; Visit the famous 20th century seat of Ethiopian King Menelik at Entoto; Visit the Filwuha thermal springs and discuss their origin.
Stop 2: At Dukem observe closely the Ziquala central volcano and Yerer volcano; observe the scoria cones and spatter cones dotting the area; discuss their significance.
Stop 3: Visit three Maar Lakes (subterranean explosion crater lakes) namely Bishoftu, Hora, Babogaya and an artificial Maar depression filling reservoir of Kuriftu by driving and walking around the Lake; some of the Maar lakes have been cored and some of them returned annually laminated lake sediments which contributed to high resolution palaeoclimate reconstruction; the Lakes are groundwater fed; discuss classic example of isotope hydrology based investigation of the hydrology of the Lakes.

The Wonchi Caldera

MID-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 3. WONCHI VOLCANO AND THERMAL SPRINGS
(January 11/2013)

Leader:
Dr. Seifu Kebede, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (seifukebede@yahoo.com)
Dr. Tsegaye Abebe (tsegaye.abebe28@gmail.com)

January 11/2013: Addis Ababa-Ambo-Wonchi-Woliso-Addis Ababa

Stop 1: At Ambo, 125 Km west of Addis Ababa, visit the unique naturally sparkling thermal springs; springs emerging at the foothill of the Wonchi Volcano are CO2 rich, mildly acidic but with high HCO3 content. Discuss carbonate disequilibria in the thermal waters; observe associated travertine deposits (active and relict). Origin of the thermal springs relate to heating from dykes that have produced the Wonchi volcano, CO2 gas coming from metamorphic de-carbonation of underlying Mesozoic sediments. Significance of the springs in understanding the Impacts of carbon capture and storage has been noted.
Stop 2: At a vantage point at Altufa (10 Km along Ambo Woliso road) observe the E-W running Ambo fault (500 meter throw) and having similar orientation as the southern Margin of the Afar rift and Gulf of Aden Rift.
Stop 3: From the summit of Wonchi volcano (3500 m asl), observe the beautiful and spectacular landscape of the rim of the volcano.
Stop 4: At another point observe the lake, its monasteries and spectacular landscape; observe the Afro-Alpine trees near the apex of the Wonchi volcano; discuss about the bathymetry of the Lake, its hydrology, observe landslide scars and drowned trees.
Stop 5: At Darian, walk 2 Kms and observe active deposition of silica and iron oxide associated with thermal springs and discuss its significance in understanding carbon capture and storage impact.
Stop 6:  At Woliso - Negash Lodge, observe basalt dykes and associated thermal waters; on the way to Addis, short stop at Awash Bridge to observe the Becho plain and headwaters of the Awash River (the only inland drainage in Ethiopia).

The Blue Nile Gorge

POST-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 1. THE BLUE NILE GORGE
(January 15-16/2013)
Leaders:
Prof. Mohamed G. Abdelsalam, Department of Geological Science & Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, USA (abdelsam@mst.edu)
Dr. Dawit Lebenie, Gondar University, Ethiopia (dawit_leb@yahoo.de)

January 15/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Debre Markos

Stop 1: At Debrelibanos observe the Jema valley section; Portugese bridge of 17th Century, visit Debrelibanos monastery and its historical significance.
Stop 2: From vantage point at Goha Tsion, observe the spectacular Blue Nile Canyon (second largest next to the famous Colorado Canyon and first in Africa). Discuss the Mesozoic sedimentary section from at the vantage point.
Stop 3: With short stops at various localities, observe closely and rapidly the sedimentary sections, associated fossils, sedimentary structures.
Stop 4: On the way to Dejen, observe the mega Landslide body and its significance for road construction and its implication to desiccation of the Blue Nile Plateau.

January 16/2013 (Day 2): Debre Markos – Addis Ababa

Stop 1: Drive up the Choke Shield volcano, 40 Km east of Debre Markos, and observe the geologic history of the shield volcano, inter-Trappean sediments.
Stop 2: On Dejen plain, observe volcanic soils (black cotton soils) and discuss their significance in civilization of the Nile Valley.

The spectacular landscape of the Simien Mountains (Simien Shield)

POST-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 2. TERTIARY CONTINENTAL FLOOD BASALT AND VOLCANIC RIFT MARGIN
(January 15-22/2013)

Leaders:
Dr. Dereje Ayalew, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (dereayal@yahoo.com)
Prof. Gezahegn Yirgu, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (gezahegnyirgu@yahoo.com)

January 15/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Abay Gorge-Bahrdar

Stop 1: Blue Nile Gorge and the Mesozoic section.

January 16/2013 (Day 2): Lake Tana (Source of the Blue Nile River) and ancient monasteries and Geology

Stop 1: Visit Lake Tana Monasteries; discuss origin of Lake Tana and its desiccation history.
Stop 2: Drive to Gondar and night in Gondar.

January 17/2013 (Day 3): Gondar-Simen Mountains-Gondar

Stop 1: drive down the famous Limalimo Section; observe the famous Limalimo section with its thick pre-rift flood basalts sequence; this will be the occasion to discuss the mantle plume related volcanic eruption history that led to the plateau formation by erupting flood basalts and uplifting basement; observe spectacular erosional landscape.
Stop 2: Visit Simien Mountains National Park, a world Heritage site with spectacular erosional landscape; watch endemic fauna of Ethiopia (Ethiopian Wolf, Gelada Baboons and Walia Ibex).

January 18/2013 (Day 4): Gondar-Lalibela

Stop 1, 2, and 3:  On the way to Lalibela observe and discuss desiccation history of the Nile and Tekeze rivers; observe volcanic landscapes and stratigraphy of the Ethiopian Plateau.

January 19/2013 (Day 5): Lalibela-Woldia

Stop 1: Visit Lalibela rock hewn churches, excavated into scoriaceous basalts. The churches are UNESCO World Heritage Sites; holiest places which attract pilgrims thoughout the year particularly in December during the Ethiopian Christmas.
Stop 2: Marginal Graben: observe marginal graben of Kobo and discuss its tectonic evolution.

January 20/2013 (Day 6): Woldia-Haik-Semera

Stop 1, 2, 3: Selected stops on a traverse down into the Afar depression with time to discuss the morphotectonic evolution of the marginal graben, the structure, preservation and dissection of the flexure margin, the syn-rift volcanic and Afar depression basins.

January 21/2013 (Day 7): Semera-Awash

Stop 1: Observe the Afar Rift active magmatic segment and discuss the structure and petrology of the stratoid volcanic formation.
Stop 2: Visit the famous Awash River Valley and associated hominid fossil bearing formations and the famous site where Australopiticus Afarenis (3.2 million years) has been discovered in 1974.

Night in Awash Park

January 22/2013 (Day 8): Awash-Addis Ababa

Stop 1: Observe Awash National Park and its fauna.
Stop 2, 3 and 4: Observe structures and volcanism associates with normal faults of the Fentale, Kone and Bosetic magmitc segments.

Yubdo dunite-brbirite complex

POST-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 3. THE PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY AND ASSOCIATED MINERALIZATIONS OF WESTERN ETHIOPIA
(January 15-19/2013)

Leaders:
Mr. Tadesse Alemu, Geological Survey of Ethiopia, Ministry of Mines, Ethiopia (tadessealemu@yahoo.com)
Dr. Kebede Hailu, NYOTA Minerals, Ethiopia (etgis@ethionet.et)

January 15/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Nekemte

Leave Addis Ababa after breakfast for Nekemte. Some stops in between for refreshment. Overnight stay at Nekemte

January 16/2013 (Day 2): Nekemte-Gimbi-Inango-Daleti

Stops at exposures of different migmatites and appreciate the migimatization process from early up to complete stage where rocks melted with formation of granites. Observe and discuss about the NW-trending Didesa Shear Zone and make observations on how strain partitioned from brittle deformation to ductile deformation.

Departure from Nekemte early morning; Stop 1: Didesa Bridge; Stop 2: Abasina village; Stop 3: Ihud Gebeya; Lunch in Gimbi; Stop 4: Inango; Stop 5: Daleti; Overnight stay at Gimbi.

January 17/2013 (Day 3): Gimbi-Homa-Ganjii-Tulu Kapii-Yubdo-Guliso

Stops at exposures of the 780-760 Ma old Homa peralkaline granitic gneiss (older anorogenic granitoid magmatism in the Precambrian basement of western Ethiopia); the Ganjii monzogranite (the younger within-plate granitoid emplaced at ca. 620-625 Ma); Tulu Kapii syenite; the Yubdo mafic-ultramafic rocks and associated PGE mineralization; the Guliso metasediments.

Departure from Gimbi early morning; Stop 1: Homa area to visit the exposures of granitic gneiss; Stop 2: Ganjii village to visit exposures of Ganjii granitoids; Stop 3: Tulu Kapii area to see the gold mineralization associated with the syenite intrusives and pay a visit to the on-going gold mining activities in the area conducted by NYOTA Minerals Ltd.; Lunch in Tulu Kapii; Stop 4: Yubdo mafic-ultramafic complexes and a visit to Platinum mining site; Stop 5: Guliso metasediments; Overnight stay in Guliso.

January 18/2013 (Day 4): Guliso-Bila-Tulu Dimtu-Kemeshi-Agelo Meti

Stops to visit critical exposures of Abshala mélanges and the Tulu Dimtu thrust-fold belt. The Tulu Dimtu thrust-fold belt is a prominent deformational belt which is comprised of a NNE-trending fold and thrust/shear belt overprinted by a NW-SE strike-slip faults/shear zones. It is characterized by a variety of lithological units, including metamorphosed volcanic, volcaniclastic and sedimentary successions with associated mafic-ultramafic rocks of probable ophiolitic origin, and granitoid intrusives.

Departure from Guliso early morning; Stop 1: Kemeshi junction to Tulu Dimtu road section; to see the relationships between the Guliso formation and the Tulu Dimtu mafic-ultramafic rocks. To demonstrate the lithological association of the Abshala mélanges; Stop 2: Abshala River to see the tectonics of the Abshala mélanges, and climb the Tulu Dimtu hill to see the serpentinized dunite and associated chromium and nickel mineralization; Box lunch somewhere on the Tulu Dimtu hill; Stop 3: Sayi river; visit exposures of basic metavolcanics, which are variably sheared and deformed; Stop 4: Agelo Meti area; to visit outcrops showing fold and thrust structures; Overnight stay in Nejo.

January 18/2013 (Day 5): Nejo-Addis Ababa

Arrival at Addis Ababa and transfer to Hotel.

Erta’ale volcanic lake

POST-CONFERENCE EXCURSION 4. AFAR RIFT GEODYNAMICS, ERTA’ALE ACTIVE VOLCANO AND DALLOL
(January 15-22/2013)
Leaders:
Dr. Tesfaye Kidane, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (tesfayek@yahoo.com )

January 15/2013 (Day 1): Addis Ababa-Awash

Departure early morning from Hotel and drive to Awash; a break in Debre Zeit (Bishoftu) to visit some maar craters and stop over for lunch in Nazareth (Adama); stop 1 at Kone Caldera; stop 2 at Beseka Lake, at the foot of Fantale volcano, close to Metehara, and short walk to see some of the open normal faults; overnight in Awash National Park (at the Awash Fall Lodge ideally situated close to the Awash fall).

January 16/2013 (Day 2): Awash-Semera

Early morning: visit in the Awash National Park; drive to Semera after breakfast; stop 1: MER margin fault; Lunch in Gewane; stop 2: Afar Stratoid exposure; stop 3: SW Tendaho Graben (close to the Tendaho Dam); overnight in Semera.

January 17/2013 (Day 3): Semera-Afdera

Drive towards Afdera (after breakfast and some official arrangements in Semera); a short stop at Serdo village (which has been destroyed by the 1969 Earthquake of magnitude 5.9); stop 1: NE border of Tendaho Graben;  top 2: Manda Hararo Rift; Stop over for lunch at Silsa; visit the Afdera Salt Mining site; overnight in Afdera (camp at the lake shore).

January 18/2013 (Day 4): Afdera-Erta’ale

After breakfast and official arrangements leave for Erta’ale; stop over at Kusowad among the basalts for lunch and arrange for camels and guides; drive to the base of Erta’ale; climb to the Erta’ale summit on foot starting late afternoon; set camp on Erta’ale summit and dinner.

January 19/2013 (Day 5): Erta’ale

Erta’ale visit (the main crater, the southern crater, walking around the summit, etc.); overnight in Erta’ale camp.

January 20/2013 (Day 6): Erta‘ale-Hamedella

After breakfast descent from Erta’ale camp to base camp rejoining the vehicles and drive to Hamedella (Dallol); overnight in Hamedella (camp).

January 21/2013 (Day 7): Dallol-Mekelle

Visit of the Dallol area in the morning (Dallol volcano, salt caravans, etc.); have a lunch box in Dallol; drive towards Mekele in the afternoon; overnight in Mekelle.

January 22/2013 (Day 8): Mekelle-Addis Ababa

Transfer to Mekele Airport; flight back to Addis Ababa; on Arrival at Addis Ababa transfer to Hotel.