Abdallah S. Zaki

Geomorphology, Sedimentology, Paleoclimatology, Planetary Surfaces

About

Abdallah S. Zaki

Jackson School Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Texas at Austin

2275 Speedway, Stop C9000

Austin, TX 78712-1722

Abdallah.zaki@jsg.utexas.edu

My name is Abdallah Zaki. I am currently a postdoctoral scholar at Lamb Surface Processes Group at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). My research is primarily focused on the study of geomorphology, sedimentology, and chronology of modern and ancient water-formed landscapes, not just on Earth but also on Mars. My current research focuses on four scientific questions: 1) What were the large ancient deserts on Earth like in the past? 2) When, where, and how did water flow on the Martian surface over the past 4 billion years? 3) How can we use water-generated landforms to reconstruct past climates? and 4) How does climate influence habitability? To tackle these overarching questions, I employ an array of methodologies, including quantitative remote sensing analyses, fieldwork observations, dating techniques, theoretical approaches, and climate models.

Historical background

I began my academic journey in Egypt, where I earned my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Geomorphology from Zagazig University and Ain Shams University, respectively. Subsequently, I moved to Switzerland to pursue my Ph.D. at Earth Surface Dynamics Group at the University of Geneva, which I completed in 2022. Throughout my Ph.D., I focused on studying ancient rivers that now stand as ridges in modern landscapes, both on Earth and Mars. My aim was to reconstruct past climates and assess the associated habitability. In 2021, I was awarded a Postdoc Mobility Fellowship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. This opportunity allowed me to broaden my research scope in fluvial geomorphology and sedimentology, as well as planetary geology. Since then, I have continued to expand my research as a postdoctoral scholar at the Lamb Surface Processes Group at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).