Chris Messerich '20 and Iszak Morgan '19

NASA Research Project with David Harbor, Summer 2018

This summer we had the opportunity to work with Professor Dave Harbor and an undergraduate student Oberlin College. We researched the geomorphic and tectonic environments surrounding the Hoshab fault in southwestern Pakistan using geographic information systems and remote sensing satellite imagery. We mapped the alluvial fans and pediments present along the 200 km fault boundary to determine the relative ages of these depositional features in relation to an earthquake that occurred in 2013. We were asked to infer how changes in tectonic activity and climate have affected the depositional features using pre and post-earthquake satellite images. The purpose of this research was to determine the geomorphic history of this fault zone using a classification scheme that uses surface roughness and color to determine the relative age of fans and pediments.