The College of Marine Sciences at the University of Basra, Department of Applied Marine Sciences, organized a field trip for first-year students to Jabal Sanam in Basra Governorate, near the city of Safwan. Jabal Sanam is one of the most prominent geological landmarks in southern Iraq, distinguished by its salt dome, which rises 152 meters and has a diameter of 1.5 kilometers. It contains evaporite rocks such as dolomite, gypsum, and rock salt. The trip was supervised by Dr. Dawood Salman Banai and Ms. Kawthar Iyad Hassan. The trip was part of the requirements for the General Geology course, aiming to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to introduce students to one of the rarest geological phenomena in the region.
The trip aimed to allow students to directly observe the geological structures, faults, metamorphic rock formations, and mineral diversity. Seeing these formations firsthand enhances students' understanding of Earth's geological history.
The trip concluded with an exploratory tour of the mountain slopes, where students collected and studied rock samples and documented field observations, in an experience that enhanced their passion for "applied marine science" and its close relationship to earth sciences.
