Saudi geologist returns from Antarctica

Abdul Aziz bin Laboun, a Saudi geologist and faculty member at King Saud University in Riyadh, explored Antarctica as a member of the American Geological Society’s expedition, in which 96 scientists from 20 countries participated.
The expedition, which lasted 25 days and commenced on Dec. 27, aimed to broaden the scope of research on the climatic intricacies and geophysical changes occurring in the polar region.
Recounting the details of the journey, Laboun revealed that the expedition passed through Santiago city at the borders of Chile and Argentina, Stanley in the Falkland Islands, Sea Lion Islands and South Georgia Island before landing at the farthest station of the continent. The members conducted a number of lectures and workshops, as well as field studies during the trip.
“The members of the team participated in field studies to learn about the flora and fauna of the polar region, in addition to exploring the glaciers on the western side of the Antarctica and south of the Shetland islands,” Laboun said in his statement.
The geology and geophysics department in the College of Sciences at the King Saud University were keen to participate in this expedition to conduct advanced geological studies, especially after the recent discovery of rock glaciers in some locations in the Kingdom.
The participation of a faculty member from King Saud University in the expedition comes within the university’s efforts to upgrade its faculty to international standards. During the journey, Laboun gave lectures to his fellow geologists about the Ice Age in the Kingdom and its link to other parts of the planet.
Meanwhile, in another noteworthy development, Sahar Al-Shamrani from the Eastern Province was the first Saudi woman to travel to the South Pole.