# The fourth Arab Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference (AICAC IV), April 9-12, 2017, Algiers (Algeria)

D. Belhaï, H. Chennaoui-Aoudjehane, D. Baratoux, L. Ferrière, A. Lamali, R. Sahoui, P. Lambert, A. Ayadi

► To cite this version:

D. Belhaï, H. Chennaoui-Aoudjehane, D. Baratoux, L. Ferrière, A. Lamali, et al. The fourth Arab Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference (AICAC IV), April 9-12, 2017, Algiers (Algeria). Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 2017, 52, pp.2067-2071. 10.1111/maps.12906 . insu-03661358

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Report

The Fourth Arab Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference (AICAC IV),
April 9–12, 2017, Algiers (Algeria)

D. BELHAÏ<fnref n="1" />,*, H. CHENNAOUI-AOUDJEHANE<fnref n="2" />, D. BARATOUX<fnref n="3" />,<fnref n="4" />, L. FERRIÈRE<fnref n="5" />,
A. LAMALI<fnref n="6" />,<fnref n="7" />, R. SAHOUI<fnref n="1" />, P. LAMBERT<fnref n="8" />, and A. AYADI<fnref n="6" />

**Abstract**–We present a report about the fourth Arab Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference (AICAC IV) that took place in Algiers at the USTHB (Université des Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumedienne, Algiers, Algeria) in the presence of the presidents of the USTHB and Boumerdès Universities, the Director of CRAAG (Centre de Recherche en Astronomie, Astrophysique et Géophysique), and the General Director of the National Administration for Scientific Research (NASR/DGRSDT). This series of conferences aims to promote research interest for impact cratering in the Arab world and beyond, including for instance in African countries. In spite of persistently restraining travel measures to Algeria, the fourth edition held in Algiers was marked by continuous international participation, with participants from seven different countries. This conference focused on presentations of scientific results in the research fields related to planetology, meteorites, and impact craters. In particular, the Algerian impact structures were under the spotlights during both oral and poster sessions. During this conference, the presence of freshly graduated Ph.D. students and new Ph.D. projects related to impact cratering or meteoritic science was a positive sign for the consolidation of research groups in this domain in the Arab world and Africa. Therefore, international cooperation or external support and funding are still needed to ensure the development of this scientific discipline in this part of the world.

THE SCIENTIFIC SESSIONS

Following the success of the First Arab Impact
Cratering and Astrogeology Conference (AICAC) held
in Jordan in November 2009 (Reimold 2010), two

follow-up conferences took place in Casablanca
(Morocco), in November 2011 (AICAC II; Baratoux
et al. 2012), and in September 2014, in parallel with the
77th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society. The
AICAC series of meetings was initially proposed by Mr.

<footnote n="1">¹Laboratoire de Géodynamique, Géologie de l'Ingénieur et Planétologie, Université des Sciences et de Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), Algiers, Algeria</footnote>

<footnote n="2">²GAIA Laboratory, Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock, Hassan II University of Casablanca, km 8 route d'El Jadida, 20150 Casablanca, Morocco</footnote>

<footnote n="3">³Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, University of Toulouse, CNRS, IRD, Toulouse 31400, France</footnote>

<footnote n="4">⁴Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire, University Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal</footnote>

<footnote n="5">⁵Natural History Museum, Burgring 7, A-1010 Vienna, Austria</footnote>

<footnote n="6">⁶Centre de Recherche en Astronomie, Astrophysique et Géophysique (CRAAG), B.P. 63, Bouzaréah, 16340 Algiers, Algeria</footnote>

<footnote n="7">⁷Faculté des Sciences de la Terre, Géographie et Aménagement du Territoire (FSTGAT), Université des Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), B.P. 32, El Alia, Algiers, Algeria</footnote>

<footnote n="8">⁸Center for International Research on Impacts and Rochechouart (CIRIR), Rochechouart, France</footnote>

<footnote>*Corresponding author. E-mail: dbelhai2001@yahoo.fr</footnote>

<footnote>*(Received 30 April 2017; revision accepted 14 May 2017)</footnote>
Khalil Konsul, then General Secretary of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, with the aim of promoting research interest for impact cratering in the Arab world. The purpose of these meetings is also to provide a platform for exchange between researchers already dedicatedly pursuing impact cratering research on Earth and on other planetary surfaces, planetary scientists, and Arab geoscientists.

One of the main recommendations issued from the first AICAC meeting in Jordan was to urge Arab countries to organize conferences on impact cratering, astrogeology, and meteoritics. After the suggestion of Prof. H. Chennaoui-Aoudjehane during AICAC III in Casablanca (Morocco), the decision was made to hold the AICAC IV in Algeria. It is of note that Algeria has the oldest and the most important community of researchers on impact cratering in the Arabic countries due to the historical discoveries of four impact structures: Amguid, Ouarkziz, Talemzane (Maâdna), and Tin Bider (Karpoff 1953; Lambert et al. 1980, 1981; Belhai et al. 2006). The organization of AICAC IV was led by Prof. D. Belhaï (USTHB). The conference was initially planned in November 2016 and should have been held at the University of Laghouat, near the Talemzane impact crater, also known as the Maâdna impact crater. Due to insufficient sponsors and administrative procedures, it was finally postponed and held at the USTHB in Algiers on April 9, 2017 and followed by a field excursion to the Talemzane (Maâdna) impact crater on April 10–12, 2017.

A total of 31 abstracts were submitted to the conference. Twenty-five of them were presented in the form of talks, with five plenary conferences and 20 oral presentations in two parallel sessions. The rest of the abstracts were presented as posters displayed for discussion during the coffee breaks. Despite some uncertainties about the scientific program, persistent restrictions regarding travel warnings to and within Algeria by some governments, and somewhat limited communication about the event, the number of accepted abstracts is only slightly lower than for previous AICAC editions (see Table 1, Fig. 1). The number of international speakers attending the entire conference was lower than in AICAC I and II. However, it is of note that about 130 persons attended the morning plenary sessions, which indicates a strong interest among local master's and Ph.D. students, and colleagues from different Algerian institutions. The choice of having the conference held within the buildings of the university was a good decision favoring the promotion of planetary sciences locally.

A total of seven countries were represented at the conference and during the field excursion, including Algeria, Austria, Egypt, France, Mauritania, Morocco, and Senegal. The accommodation and meals for

speakers and half of the flight tickets of international participants were paid by the conference organizers, which is a notable difference with previous AICAC editions.

The conference started with a plenary session opened with the general presentation of Prof. Hafidh Aourag (General Director of the National Administration for Scientific Research, NASR/DGRSDT) in the presence of the president of USTHB, the president of Boumerdès University, and the Director of the CRAAG. Former university supervisors and the president of the French Institute of Algiers were invited to attend the opening ceremony. The presentation of Prof. H. Aourag was an attempt to illustrate with few examples the importance of meteorites to progress in a wide diversity of scientific domains, including material science, physics, and chemistry. This presentation was followed by a short discussion, initiated by Prof. Albert Jambon, about the possible inadequacies of Algerian policies with respect to the initial and laudable objectives to preserve the Algeria meteorites for humanity and science. Prof. H. Aourag replied that despite some shortcomings, collecting meteorites is controlled by laws in Algeria.

It was then followed by an overview of the Arabian impact structures, given by Prof. Djelloul Belhaï (USTHB), who emphasized the likelihood for future discoveries within the area of the Arab world. Dr. David Baratoux (IRD) then covered the topic of shatter cones (macroscopic criteria for the recognition of impact structures), and presented an online database of shatter cones containing lithological information for each shatter cone occurrence (Baratoux and Reimold 2016). Then Prof. Hasnaa Chennaoui-Aoudjehane (Univ. Hassan II, Casablanca, Morocco) gave a presentation summarizing the recent works conducted in the region of Agoudal (Morocco) where remnants of an impact crater (i.e., shatter cones in limestone) and meteorites (i.e., from a distinct, more recent, event) were recently found (Chennaoui-Aoudjehane et al. 2016). The plenary session ended with provocative thoughts, presented by Prof. A. Jambon (Université Pierre et Marie Curie), about a possible terrestrial meteorite (a rock ejected from Earth, which would have spent some time in space, before falling again on our planet). Other oral presentations were given during the afternoon in two different rooms. Emphasis was given on the African impact structures and meteorites, considered with geological and/or geophysical approaches (e.g., Lamali et al. 2016; Sahoui et al. 2016).

The conference was also marked by the presence of Dr. Philippe Lambert, considered “the father of the Algerian impact structures,” who presented the scientific opportunities given by the drilling campaign of the
<table><caption>Table 1. Participants to the AICAC series of conferences.</caption><thead><tr><td></td><td>Location and year</td><td>Registered participants</td><td>Accepted abstracts</td><td>Countries represented</td></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>AICAC I</td><td>Jordan (2009)</td><td>48</td><td>47</td><td>22</td></tr><tr><td>AICAC II</td><td>Morocco (2011)</td><td>97</td><td>58</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>AICAC III*</td><td>Morocco (2014)</td><td>*</td><td>40</td><td>*</td></tr><tr><td>AICAC IV</td><td>Algeria (2017)</td><td>130</td><td>31</td><td>7</td></tr></tbody></table>

*The AICAC III was organized as oral and poster sessions during the 77th Annual Meeting of the Meteoritical Society in Casablanca. This larger number of participants to AICAC IV is explained by the choice to organize the meeting in the buildings of the USTHB, which has encouraged a large audience composed of local master's and Ph.D. students and colleagues from the USTHB.

<figure><img src="image_3.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 1. Photograph of participants during the plenary presentations at USTHB. (Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com.)</figcaption></figure>

Rochechouart impact structure (France, planned in fall 2017) and by the establishment of the CIRIR (Center for International Research on Impacts and on Rochechouart).

Several students were also given an opportunity to give oral or poster presentations. The launch of new Ph.D. or master's thesis on impact cratering or meteorites in Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, or Senegal (and achievements of others, including Dr. Ratiba Sahoui, who graduate the day before the conference) is a positive sign of continuous interest for this area of research within the Arab world and in Africa in general. Ph.D. programs on impact craters and meteoritics in Algeria and Morocco have been initiated since 10 years or more, but they are a novelty in Senegal or Mauritania.

## ROUNDTABLE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE AICAC SERIES OF CONFERENCES

Following the scientific sessions, a general discussion was organized and chaired by Prof. D.

Belhai, Prof. H. Chennaoui-Aoudjehane, and Dr. D. Baratoux. The general discussion was focused on:

* the scientific results presented during the AICAC IV.

* the inherent difficulties and challenges to organize such a conference in Algeria and inconveniences reported by the participants during the meeting (e.g., program not sent in due time, last-minute changes of the program, and separate sessions despite the limited number of presentations).

* the future call for a special volume in the Arabian Journal of Earth Science, dedicated to the AICAC IV.

* the need to accompany the future developments of AICAC with continuous involvement of a group of researchers to ensure a smooth communication between past and future local organizing committees.

* the structuring of planetary sciences in the Arab world, and more generally in Africa, where this area of research is not yet well established.

* the location of the next AICAC and the time frame to organize it.
<figure><img src="image_4.png" /><figcaption>Fig. 2. a) Group photograph of some of the AICAC IV participants next to the Talemzane (Maâdna) impact crater. b) Panoramic view of the Talemzane (Maâdna) crater during the field excursion. (Color figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com.)</figcaption></figure>

The outcome of the discussion may be summarized
in the following terms:

1. A large majority of participants (vote on a show of hands) has agreed on the idea to extend the geographical scope of the conference to Africa (proposed title: Arabia and Africa Impact Cratering and Astrogeology Conference; possible acronyms: AAICAC, A²ICAC, or unchanged with A standing for both Africa and Arabia).

2. Except for Morocco, which has already organized AICAC II and III, none of the participants were able to propose definitely, and at this stage, to organize the next AICAC event. Several possible sites were discussed, including Ghana and Senegal. A strong interest for Ghana was expressed for several reasons, including: the access to the Bosumtwi crater for a field excursion, the safety conditions. Discussion with our Ghanaian colleagues will be undertaken to explore if they are willing to organize the “AICAC V.” The next AICAC should be organized within 2 years (the minimum recommended periods of time between two AICAC events).

3. The suggestion to create an Arabian and African Planetology Society was made, with a focus on impact craters, meteorites, and terrestrial analogs of other planets. This idea has received a strong interest. However, the connections with other networks in the Arab world and Africa, and societies in geosciences and astronomy need to be considered. This discussion reflected the need for more efforts in the organization and structuration of the community.

FIELD EXCURSION TO TALEMZANE

The three following days of the conference were
dedicated to the field excursion to the Talemzane
(Maâdna, Fig. 2a) crater (including 2 days of travel from
Algiers to Laghouat/Talemzane and return). The
excursion took place on April 11 with a departure in the
early morning. A total of eight 4 × 4 cars were used to
reach the crater under the protection of a “gendarmerie”
escort. On the way, a short stop and meeting with officials
took place in the village of Hassi Delaa. We arrived at the
crater just before lunchtime and spent about three hours
and half exploring the impact site. A concise field guide
prepared by Prof. D. Belhai and his team was offered to
the members of the field excursion. Quickly, some of the
participants escaped with their hammers to explore the
circular structure (Fig. 2b) by themselves when others
listened to explanations given by Prof. D. Belhai and Dr.
P. Lambert. All participants then moved to the opposite
side of the crater, some by car, others by foot, where they
walked up to the rim and carefully examined the different
outcropping rocks on the way. Prof. D. Belhai, Dr. R.
Sahoui, Dr. A. Lamali, as well as Dr. P. Lambert shared
some of their observations with the participants and tried
to answer the different questions of the participants.
Discussion took place regarding the nature of the observed
breccias, which remains to be determined. Dr. L. Ferrière
was hunting for samples in his search of shock
metamorphism evidence. All the participants then had a
merited lunch in the crater. On the way back we stopped
at the “water well” (water reservoir) of Talemzane where
explanations were given on its origin and usage.
Numerous sheep were seen on the way and some of us
were already thinking about the Mechoui planned for the dinner. The return to Laghouat took some time and some of us even had the opportunity to visit the police station. Finally, as in The Adventures of Asterix, the day ended up with a banquet of the local “wild boars” (grilled sheep) and was very much appreciated by all participants. Everybody seemed satisfied with the conference in Algiers and field excursion in Laghouat despite the inconvenience of the necessary escort for security.

## CONCLUSION

The AICAC meetings series is the most important international meeting dedicated exclusively to Meteoritics and Planetary Sciences in the Arab world. It is an important event that should be supported by the international community to guarantee its sustainability. Its geographical scope should be extended to the entire African continent, given the emergence and needs of several groups in this research area over the continent, as outlined by the recent call for endorsement of an Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences by Baratoux and colleagues.

*Acknowledgments*—The authors thank the USTHB, the NASR/DGRSDT, the CRAAG, and the local authorities of the Wilaya of Laghouat for their support. The conference and following excursion would not have been possible without the local support of an active group including Atika Benazzouz-Belhai, Imene Kerraouch, Fazia Kassab, Mohand Bersi, and Chettih Mohamed. We also thank Timothy Jull for insightful comments on the manuscript and for the editorial handling.

*Editorial Handling*—Dr. A. J. Timothy Jull

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