El Hachemi Bouali
Ph.D.
Department of Physical and Life Sciences
ElHachemi.Bouali@nevadastate.edu
I am an applied geologist by training and an opportunistic scientist in practice, meaning I love geology but am interested in many areas of the natural sciences. I can abbreviate my research focus with the acronym GASP: geophysical and surface processes.Â
Geophysical Processes. I use geophysical and remote sensing instruments to study changes on the surface and within the shallow subsurface of Earth. I am now working on utilizing passive seismic methods to map bedrock depth (or sediment thickness) as an indirect approach to identify buried faults and to study extensional tectonics of the Las Vegas valley. I am also applying this technique in Kyle Canyon (Spring Mountains range) to determine sediment thickness and bedrock valley geometry to answer the question: were the Spring Mountains ever glaciated?
Surface Processes. I use an interdisciplinary approach to study our dynamic Earth. A major research project I am currently working -- with Dr. Bryan Sigel (Â鶹Դ´) -- is entitled Analyses of spring water chemistry and microbiology in the Spring Mountains, Â鶹Դ´. I use field and laboratory methods across multiple disciplines (geology, biology, and chemistry) to quantify physical properties of high-elevation springs and analyze microbial communities found in these springs. Another project I am working on – with Dr. Sarah VanderMeer (Â鶹Դ´) – is understanding glacial sediment distribution and correlation with mapped landforms in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (upper peninsula of Michigan) using standard and novel textural analyses. Â
I teach courses that are required or electives for the BS in Environmental & Resource Science and BS in Biology. I teach the following courses at Â鶹Դ´ State:
GEOL 101A/L Exploring Planet Earth Lecture and Lab
GEOL 333 Principles of Geomorphology
GEOL 405 Geology of the National Parks
NRES 322 Soils
NRES 467 Regional and Global Issues in Environmental Science
NRES 485 Special Topics: Remote Sensing Theory and Applications
BIOL/ENV 494 Biology and Environmental Science Colloquium
I earned a Ph.D. in Geology from Michigan Technological University, an MS in Geosciences and BS in Geophysics from Western Michigan University, and an AS from Kalamazoo Valley Community College. I was the Postdoctoral Fellow in Environmental Science at Trinity College (Hartford, CT) and a NASA Earth and Space Science Fellow while earning my Ph.D. I also worked as a Geological Mapping Technician for two summers at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where I assisted with the creation of ten surficial geology quadrangle maps by acquiring near-surface geophysical data and auger samples.
In my spare time I enjoy getting outside to run or hike. I like to travel and visit new places, particularly if I can see some amazing geology. When indoors, I enjoy puzzling and playing all sorts of games: tabletop games, video games, and party games. I spend most of my free time with my wife Dr. Sarah VanderMeer and our cat Phoebe and new kitten Chandler. We are so happy to be out west and at Â鶹Դ´ State.