Topography of sinuous rilles in the Harbinger Mountains region of the moon

Five sinuous rilles occur in mare basalts in the Harbinger Mountains region of the Moon. Complete and accurate topographic data, now available for the first time, make possible a detailed topographic study of these rilles. Rille length ranges from 12 to 79 km and width from 0.8 to 4.8 km. Depth varies from 100 to 300 m and the rilles appear to become shallower to the north. The southern ends of the rilles are characterized by circular to elongate depressions that occur on a 30 km in diameter dome of probable volcanic origin. Longitudinal profiles show that the rille floors have a northward slope of less than one degree. This slope is consistent with the general slope of the surrounding mare surface. Structural studies indicate that slope rather than the regional structural pattern is the dominant factor controlling rille direction. Topographic data lend support to the theory that the rilles were formed as lava channels or tubes.     

Geochemical prospecting for lead and zine in Gebel el Rousas,Eastern Desert,Egypt

Gebel El Rousas is an isolated hillock in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. It consists of the Basement Complex (subsurface) which is non-conformably overlain by the Middle Miocene and successively by Pleistocene-Recent terraces. The Miocene strata are mineralized by oxidized hypogene lead-zinc deposits.Geochemical prospecting was attempted for the first time in Gebel El Rousas and for the second time in Egypt. The old terraces of gravels and sands covering the hillock were sampled on a grid pattern of a 30 m spacing. The samples were taken at a depth of 30 cm from the surface. They were sieved to –150 mesh and analyzed for Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, and CO₂.Significant contrasts and anomalies resulted for Pb, Zn, and Fe. The main anomalies are parallel and generally coincide with the subsurface mineralized zone which is inferred to cross the area on the same trend. The mineralized zone extends as shown by the geochemical pattern southward, from the known northern part, to a southern district which has not been checked by drilling or any other testing.

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Zusammenfassung Djebel El Rousas ist ein isolierter Hügel in der Ägyptischen Ostwüste. Er besteht aus dem Basementkomplex, der diskordant von MittelmiozÄn und aufeinanderfolgend von PleistozÄn-HolozÄn-Terrassen überlagert wird. Die MiozÄn-Schichten sind mit oxydischen hypogenen Blei-Zink-Ablagerungen vererzt.Im Djebel El Rousas wurde zum erstenmal der Versuch einer geochemischen Prospektion durchgeführt, für ganz Ägypten ist es das zweite Mal. Gitterförmig wurden im Abstand von 30 m den alten Kies- und Sandterrassen, die den Hügel bedecken, Proben aus einer Tiefe von 30 cm unter der OberflÄche entnommen. Die Proben wurden mit 150 Maschenweite gesiebt und auf Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn und CO₂ analysiert.Eindeutige Kontraste und Anomalien wurden für Pb, Zn und Fe festgestellt. Die Hauptanomalien sind parallel und fallen normalerweise mit der mineralisierten Zone unter Tage zusammen, die das Gebiet in derselben Richtung durchquert. Wie aus der geochemischen Karte hervorgeht, setzt sich die vererzte Zone nach Süden in ein Gebiet fort, das bisher noch nicht durch Bohrungen untersucht wurde.

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Résumé Gebel El Rousas est un monticule isolé dans le Désert Oriental de l'égypte. Il se compose de roches du Basement Complex (sous-sol) surmontées en discordance par des terrasses du Miocène Moyen et succéssivement par des terrasses du Pleistocène-Récent. Les couches du Miocène sont mineralisées par des dépÔts hypogènes de plomb et de zinc oxidés.Les prospections géochimiques furent essayées pour la première fois au Gebel El Rousas et pour la seconde fois en égypte. Des échantillons des anciennes terrasses de galets et de sables recouvrant ce monticule furent prises en une carte quadrillé de 30 m. Les échantillons furent prélevés à une profondeur de 30 cm de la surface. Ils furent criblés jusqu'aux mailles de 150 analysées pour la détermination de Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn, et CO₂.Des contrastes et des anomalies significatifs furent obtenus pour le Pb, Zn, et Fe. Les anomalies essentielles sont parallèles et généralement coincident avec la zone minéralisée du sous-sol qui est supposée traverser la région suivant la mÊme direction. La zone minéralisée s'étend comme l'indique la carte géochimique du Nord au Sud vers un district qui n'a pas été vérifié par forage ou par toute autre méthode éxpérimentale.

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Geophysical Exploration of Shallow Groundwater Aquifers in Arid Regions: A Case Study of Siwa Oasis,Egypt

Geophysical and geological studies play a fundamental role in the strategic and sustainable utilization of natural resources, especially that of fossil groundwater, in arid regions. The geophysical exploration of shallow groundwater aquifers is common in arid regions. In this work, a feasibility study of future development plans in the Siwa Oasis, Egypt, was carried out. A land electric resistivity survey was conducted, and approximately 14 vertical electric soundings were measured covering the Siwa Oasis, northwestern desert, Egypt. A detailed surface geology study was also conducted to study the underground water aquifer. Digital filters were applied to the reduced to pole-available magnetic data covering the area. The normalized source strength transformation and tilt depth were calculated and applied to delineate the possible structures that may control the shallow and deep aquifers in the area. The integrated interpretation showed the presence of four main geoelectric layers forming the shallow section of the Siwa Oasis down to 220 m. These layers varied in their resistivity and rock constituents from very low (0.2 Ω m) to very high (6200 Ω m) values. The calculated hydraulic parameters showed that the uppermost central area and the eastern area were the most promising areas for the required water development. Finally, based on the integrated interpretation and the estimated shallow aquifer potentiality, a land use map for the Siwa Oasis was produced to assist future strategic development of the region.

     

Geophysical Constraints on the Hydrogeologic and Structural Settings of the Gulf of Suez Rift-Related Basins: Case Study from the El Qaa Plain,Sinai, Egypt

Groundwater has been identified as one of the major freshwater sources that can potentially meet the growing demands of Egypt’s population. Gravity data (from 381 ground gravity stations) were collected, processed, and analyzed together with the available aeromagnetic (800 line-km) data to investigate the hydrogeologic and structural settings, areal distribution, geometry, and water storage of the aquifers in El Qaa coastal plain in the southwest Sinai Peninsula, and to assess their longevity given projected extraction rates. Findings include (1) complete Bouguer anomaly and total magnetic intensity maps show two connected sub-basins separated by a narrow saddle with an average basin length of 43 km and an average width of 12 km; (2) two-dimensional modeling of both gravity and magnetic data indicates basin fill with a maximum thickness of 3.5 km; (3) using anomalous residual gravity, the volume of water in storage was estimated at 40–56 km³; and (4) progressive increases in extraction rates over time will deplete up to 40 % of the aquifers’ volume in 200–230 years and will cause the water quality to deteriorate due to seawater intrusion in 45 years. Similar geophysical exploration campaigns, if conducted over the entire coastal plains of the Red Sea and the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, could assist in the development of sound and sustainable management schemes for the freshwater resources in these areas. The adopted techniques could pave the way toward the establishment of sustainable utilization schemes for a much larger suite of similar aquifers worldwide.     

Characterization of some bacterial strains isolated from the Egyptian eastern and northern coastlines with antimicrobial activity of Bacillus zhangzhouensis OMER4

Marine microorganisms were considered to be important sources of marine bioactive compounds. The major objective of the study was to isolate and characterize bacteria with antimicrobial activities from the various marine environment of Egypt. In this respect, thirty-five bacterial isolates were recovered from sediment samples collected from different spots along the Egyptian Red Sea coastline and Alexandria coastline during the summer season of 2017 and 2018. According to the morphological, phys...     

A new least-squares minimization approach to depth and shape determination from magnetic data

We have developed a least‐squares minimization approach to depth determination using numerical second horizontal derivative anomalies obtained from magnetic data with filters of successive window lengths (graticule spacings). The problem of depth determination from second‐derivative magnetic anomalies has been transformed into finding a solution to a non‐linear equation of the form, f(z) = 0. Formulae have been derived for a sphere, a horizontal cylinder, a dike and a geological contact. Procedures are also formulated to estimate the magnetic angle and the amplitude coefficient. We have also developed a simple method to define simultaneously the shape (shape factor) and the depth of a buried structure from magnetic data. The method is based on computing the variance of depths determined from all second‐derivative anomaly profiles using the above method. The variance is considered a criterion for determining the correct shape and depth of the buried structure. When the correct shape factor is used, the variance of depths is less than the variances computed using incorrect shape factors. The method is applied to synthetic data with and without random errors, complicated regionals, and interference from neighbouring magnetic rocks. Finally, the method is tested on a field example from India. In all the cases examined, the depth and the shape parameters are found to be in good agreement with the actual parameters.     

Petrogenesis,Geodynamics and Radioactivity of the Granitic Rocks of the Nugrus Weakness Zone,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

The studied granitic bodies belong to the south Eastern Desert of Egypt. They extend in a NNW–SSE trend along the same strike of the Nugrus weakness zone by which they are structurally controlled. These rocks are composed of biotite and biotite-muscovite monzogranites to syenogranites. Geochemically, a higher abundance of Ba and Rb in biotite granites with a relatively low abundance in biotite-muscovite granites as well as the diversity of Th, U, Nb, Ta, Zr, and REE reflects their origin from different sources and geodynamic settings. The biotite granites are predominantly metaluminous to low peraluminous whereas the biotite-muscovite granites have a peraluminous nature. Potassium enrichment at the expense of calcium in these rocks reflects a derivation from crustal sources by partial melting in the presence of a volatile system. Radiometric investigation showed high abundances of U(up to 38 ppm) and Th(up to 26 ppm) in biotite-muscovite granites relative to biotite granites(up to 5 ppm U and 18 ppm Th). Radioactive anomalies furthermore have been recorded in parts of biotite-muscovite granites that were affected by the faults(up to 116 ppm eU and 97 ppm eTh). Consequently, biotite-muscovite granites form a potentially fertile source for uranium mineralization.     

Late Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal bioevents of the shallow-marine carbonate platform in the Mitla Pass, west central Sinai, Egypt

The first detailed biostratigraphic analyses of the Coniacian-middle Campanian shallow-marine carbonate successions exposed in the Mitla Pass, west central Sinai, Egypt have revealed the stratigraphic distribution of diverse calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminiferal species. Thirty-six calcareous nannofossils and thirty-two planktonic foraminifera are identified, indicating a Coniacian to middle Campanian age and four Tethyan planktonic foraminiferal and five calcareous nannofossil zones. A comparison of these bioevents from different palaeolatitudes shows considerable variation in age.Three sequence boundaries coincident with the Turonian/Coniacian, Coniacian/Santonian and Santonian/Campanian stage boundaries are recognized. A fourth sequence boundary is marked by a major upper Campanian to early Ypresian (early Eocene) unconformity. These sequence boundaries are primarily related to regional tectonism associated with the Syrian Arc Fold System and secondarily to eustatic sea-level fluctuations.     

Integrated planktonic stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Lower-Middle Miocene successions in the central and southern parts of the Gulf of Suez,Egypt

Lower to Middle Miocene successions in three offshore wells named GS 160-2, QQ-89, and Ras Elush-2 located in the central and southern parts of the Gulf of Suez were examined for their planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossil assemblages, and paleoenvironments. These successions are subdivided from older to younger into Aquitanian Nukhul, Burdigalian-Langhian Rudeis, Langhian Kareem, and Serravallian Belayim formations. The identified foraminifera includes 54 benthic species belonging to 25 genera and 47 planktonic species belonging to 11 genera, in addition to 64 calcareous nannofossil species belonging to 21 genera. The stratigraphic distribution of these assemblages suggests classifying the studied successions into seven planktonic foraminiferal and six calcareous nannoplankton biozones. The planktonic foraminiferal and calcareous nannoplankton biozones are integrated. Different environments ranging from shallow inner to outer shelf are recognized. This is based on quantitative analyses of foraminifera including benthic biofacies, planktonic/benthonic ratio, and diversity. Syn-rift tectonics played an important role in configuration of the Miocene depositional history in the Gulf of Suez region.