Co-Discovery of the Kebira Crater in the Sahara

In March 2006, geomorphologist Eman Ghoneim, working alongside renowned space scientist Farouk El-Baz at Boston University's Center for Remote Sensing, announced the identification of the Kebira Crater — a roughly 31-kilometer-wide circular structure located in the remote southeastern Libyan Desert near the Egypt-Libya-Sudan border region.

The discovery relied on advanced analysis of satellite radar and multispectral imagery capable of penetrating the thick sand cover of the Sahara, revealing subsurface geological structures invisible to the naked eye or conventional aerial photography. If confirmed as an impact structure, Kebira would rank among the largest known impact craters on Earth, and researchers have speculated a possible connection to the enigmatic Libyan Desert Glass found scattered across the region — a mysterious silica glass thought to have formed from an extraterrestrial impact event roughly 29 million years ago.

This work exemplified the emerging power of remote sensing and satellite-based geomorphology in uncovering hidden features of Earth's most inaccessible deserts, a methodology that would become the hallmark of Ghoneim's career. The Kebira discovery brought early international attention to her research and cemented her collaboration with El-Baz, a pioneer of desert remote sensing who had previously worked with NASA's Apollo program.

While the impact origin of Kebira remains debated among planetary scientists, the announcement significantly advanced scientific dialogue about desert geomorphology, hidden impact structures, and the use of space-based tools to study Earth's most arid and unexplored terrains.