- Fax
- N/A
- Title
- Associate Professor
- Department
- Geosciences
- Location
- Bolin Hall
- Room
- 101E
- Bio
-
I am interested in both near-surface and lithospheric-scale geologic processes. My research focuses on studying the nucleation and evolution of continental rifts, and for many years I have used the East African Rift System (EARS) as an analog. I apply numerical modeling and geophysical techniques to better understand how rifts evolve in deep time. I am also interested in near-surface geophysics, with the goal of characterizing the engineering behavior of soils and rocks for geotechnical applications. In addition, I use geotechnical, hydraulic, remote sensing, and GIS techniques to assess the integrity of major engineering structures such as dams.
| Institution | Degree | Graduation Date |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma State University | Ph.D. | 2020 |
| Oklahoma State University | M.Sc. | 2015 |
| Addis Ababa University | B.Sc. | 2012 |
| Employer | Position | Start Date | End Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Midwestern State University | Associate Professor | 08/18/2025 | |
| Map Exploration | Exploration Geologist | 06/12/2024 | 02/28/2021 |
| Kleinfelder | Project Geologist/Geophysicist | 03/11/2024 | 08/17/2025 |
| Kleinfelder | Staff Geologist | 09/01/2021 | 03/11/2024 |
| Northern Oklahoma College (NOC) | Adjunct Faculty | 01/01/2021 | 05/15/2021 |
| Thani Maqsam (Subsidiary of AngloGold Ashanti and Dubai Mining) | Junior Exploration Geologist | 11/01/2012 | 10/30/2013 |
Peer-reviewed Articles
Mily, F., Emishaw, L., Katumwehe, A., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalam, M. (2025). The Connection Between Okavango (Botswana) and Kafue (Zambia) Rift Zone from Satellite Gravity and Aeromagnetic Data: Implication for the Evolution of the Southwestern Branch of the East African Rift System. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 1-23.
Emishaw, L., Katumwehe, A., Leseane, K., Demissie, Z., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalam, M. (2025). The legacy of the East African Rift System in understanding continental rifts worldwide from geophysical studies (with emphasis of gravity and magnetic studies). Journal of African Earth Sciences, 105589.
Bedassa, G., Ayalew, D., Getaneh, W., Fontijn, K., Emishaw, L., Melaku, A. A., ... & Chamberlain, K. J. (2024). Stratigraphy and eruptive history of Gedemsa caldera volcano, Central Main Ethiopian Rift. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 446, 107987.
Emishaw, L., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalem, M. (2023). Spectral analysis of gravity data using spectral analysis with piecewise regression (SAPR): application to the Lake Turkana Rift, Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 180(1), 187-204.
Emishaw, L., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2023). Satellite gravity data for mapping lithospheric structure of Precambrian tectonic blocks in Africa: The advantages and limitations. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 197, 104775.
Matende, K. N., Atekwana, E., Mickus, K., Abdelsalam, M. G., Atekwana, E. A., Evans, R., ... & Emishaw, L. (2021). Crustal and thermal structure of the Permian-Jurassic Luangwa-Lukusashi-Luano Rift, Zambia: Implications for strain localization in magma–Poor continental rifts. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 175, 104090.
Nyalugwe, V. N., Abdelsalam, M. G., Atekwana, E. A., Katumwehe, A., Mickus, K. L., Salima, J., ... & Emishaw, L. (2019). Lithospheric structure beneath the Cretaceous Chilwa Alkaline Province (CAP) in southern Malawi and northeastern Mozambique. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 124(11), 12224-12240.
Emishaw, L., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2019). Development of late Jurassic-early Paleogene and Neogene-Quaternary rifts within the Turkana Depression, East Africa from satellite gravity data. Tectonics, 38(7), 2358-2377.
Fletcher, A. W., Abdelsalam, M. G., Emishaw, L., Atekwana, E. A., Laó-Dávila, D. A., & Ismail, A. (2018). Lithospheric controls on the rifting of the Tanzanian craton at the Eyasi basin, eastern branch of the East African rift system. Tectonics, 37(9), 2818-2832.
Emishaw, L., Laó-Dávila, D. A., Abdelsalam, M. G., Atekwana, E. A., & Gao, S. S. (2017). Evolution of the broadly rifted zone in southern Ethiopia through gravitational collapse and extension of dynamic topography. Tectonophysics, 699, 213-226.
Conference Abstracts
Emishaw, L., Katumwehe, A., Leseane, K., Demissie, Z., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2024). Development of Broadly Rifted Zone Through Gravitational Collapse of Dynamic Topography and Three-Dimensional (3D) Strain Partitioning Within Crustal Density Stratification and Overlapping Rifts. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 56, p. 399040).
Katumwehe, A., Emishaw, L., Leseane, K., Demissie, Z., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2024). The Role of Pre-Existing Structures in Rift Evolution: Insights from Gravity and Magnetic Data. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 56, p. 398298).
Leseane, K., Emishaw, L., Katumwehe, A., Demissie, Z., Mickus, K., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2024). The Role of Ascending Fluids in Weakening the Crust during the Initial Stages of Rifting, Example from Okavango Rift Zone, Ears. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 56, p. 398275).
Beresh, S., & Emishaw, L. (2023). Gravimetric Analysis of the Mid-Egyptian Graben Array (mega). In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 55, p. 384888).
Abdelrahman, A., Emishaw, L., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2024). Are Chad Lineaments Deforming the Saharan Metacraton?. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 56, p. 399137).
Emishaw, L., & Raj, R. (2023). Imaging Gravity Moho with Probabilistic Computation of Deterministic Variables: Application to Western Plateau of Ethiopia. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 55, p. 385182).
Emishaw, L., Mickus, K. L., & Abdelsalam, M. G. (2020). Spectral Analysis with Piecewise Regression Approach (sapra) of Gravity Data for Lithospheric Structure Imaging: the Lake Turkana Rift Basin of the East African Rift System. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 52, p. 359495).
Emishaw, L., & Abdel Salam, M. (2019). Lithospheric Imaging of the Congo–Tanzania–Bangweulu Craton, the Zimbabwe–Kappvaal–Niassa Craton, and the Trans-Southern African Orogen. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 51, p. 339468).
Emishaw, L., & Abdelsalam, M. (2018). Depth and Time Dependence of Strain Partitioning in the Development of Mesozoic and Cenozoic Extensional Structures Within the Turkana Depression, East Africa. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 50, p. 322663).
Lewis, J. D., Emishaw, L., & Abdel Salam, M. (2018). Two-Dimensional (2D) Lithospheric Structure Beneath the Southwestern Branch of the East African Rift System. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 50, p. 322540).
Emishaw, L., & Abdel Salam, M. (2018). How Far has the Failed Anza Rift Propagated Into Africa?. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 50, p. 310203).
Lewis, J. D., Emishaw, L., & Abdel Salam, M. (2018). Remote Sensing Based Structural Mapping of the Southwestward Diverted Extension of the Western Branch of the East African Rift System. In Geological Society of America Abstracts (Vol. 50, p. 310202).
Silverstein, J., Mengesha, L., Yilmu, G., & Abdelsalam, M. (2012, November). Enigmatic regional structural grain of the Precambrian crystalline rocks of Dire Dawa area, Ethiopia. In Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs (Vol. 44, p. 378).