Abstract
False color Landsat ETM+ (bands 7, 4, 2 in RGB) and SRTM images of the El-Faiyum depression, Egypt, highlights major NE-SW faults and other lineaments trending NW-SE and N-S. Airborne magnetic data reveal some E-W subsurface faults which are not recognized on Landsat ETM+ and SRTM images. Ratio images (5/7, 3/1, 4/3) and (5/7, 5/1, 4) were used for lithological discrimination of different rock types. The El-Faiyum area is occupied by sedimentary rocks of Middle Eocene, Upper Eocene, Oligocene, Lower Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene and Holocene. Understanding the structural regime of El-Faiyum depression in the Western Desert of Egypt is significant in relation to the neotectonics of the Nile Delta and to the development of new communities west of the delta. The area is covered by Late Cretaceous, Middle to Late Eocene deposits, Oligocene deposits (comprising fluviatile sediments and basalt sheets) and Pliocene and Quaternary alluvium and sand deposits. New geological and structural maps were prepared at a scale of 1: 100 000 using Landsat ETM+ and SRTM images coupled with extensive field work. The major structural trends are E-W, ENE, NS and NW—the same trends observed elsewhere in North Africa from NW Sudan to NE Egypt including north and central Sinai. El-Faiyum depression is a structurally-controlled tectonic basin, marked by northeast-striking faults along its northern margin. These faults are parallel to similar faults of the Syrian arc fold belt, which includes a group of related faults, folds, push-up structures, and basins. Qarun Lake is located in the northern part of El-Faiyum depression, at a right-step between two strands of the NE striking fault system. We have suggested elsewhere that El-Faiyum depression is a pull-apart basin related to extension between these mismatched strands of strike-slip faults. The E-W structures are probably related to the relative motion between south Europe and north Egypt and closure of the Neotethys. The continuation of these faults in the present area is only detected from magnetic and seismic studies. The question that needs to be raised is why these old structural features have been reactivated in recent times. Thus, the presence of these fault zones must be heeded in all development plans for El-Faiyum region.
Similar content being viewed by others
References Cited
Aal, A. A., Lelek, J. J., 1994. Structural Development of the Northern Sinai, Egypt, and Its Implications on the Hydrocarbon Prospectivity of the Mesozoic. In: Al-Husseini, M. I., ed., Geo’94: Proceedings of the Middle East Geoscience Conference. Bahrain, GeoArabia. 15–30
Ala, M. A., Moss, B. J., 1979. Comparative Petroleum Geology of Southeast Turkey and Northeast Syria. Jour. Petrol. Geol., 1: 3–27
Ambraseys, N. N., Barazangi, M., 1989. The 1759 Earthquake in the Bekaa Valley: Implications for Earthquake Hazard Assessment in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Jour. Geophys. Res., 94(B4): 4007–4013
Awad, G. M., 1984. Habitat and Oil in Abu Gharadig and Faiyum Basins, Western Desert, Egypt. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 68(5): 564–573
Ball, J., 1939, Contributions to the Geography of Egypt. Survey Department of Egypt, Cairo. 300
Barazangi, M., Fielding, E., Isacks, B., et al., 1996. Geophysical and Geological Databases and GTBT Monitoring: A Case Study of the Middle East. In: Husebye, E. S., Dainty, A. M., eds., Monitoring a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Nato Advanced Science Institutes Series, Series E, Applied Sciences, 303: 197–224
Barazangi, M., Seber, D., Chaimov, T., et al., 1993. Tectonic Evolution of the Northern Arabian Plate in Western Syria. In: Boschi, E., Mantovani, E., Morelli, A., eds., Recent Evolution and Seismicity of the Mediterranean Region. Nato Advanced Science Institutes Series, Series C, Mathematical and Physical Sciences, 402: 117–140
Bayoumi, A. I., Gamili, M. M., 1970. A Geophysical Study on the Fayum-Rayan Area, with References to Sub-surface Structures. 7th Arab Petrol. Congress, Kuwait
Bayomi, A. I., Sabri, A., 1971, A Contribution to Magnetic Anomalies in the Quatrani-El Natrun Area. Bulletin Faculty of Science, Cairo University, 40: 165–173
Beadnell, H. J. L., 1905. The Topography and Geology of the Fayum Province of Egypt. Survey Department of Egypt, Cairo. 101
Bishay, Y., 1961. Biostratigraphic Study of the Eocene in the Eastern Desert between Samalutand Assuit by the Large Foraminifera. 3rd Arab Petrology Conference, Alexandria, Egypt
Blankenhorn, M., 1901. Neues zur Geologie und Paleontologie Aegyptens. III: Das Miozaen. Z. Deutsch. Geol. Ges., 53: 52–132
Blankenhorn, M., 1921. Aegypten, Handbuch der Regionalen Geologie, Bd VII, Abt. 9, Heft 23, Carl Winters Universitatbuchhandlung, Heidelberg. 244 (in German)
Bosworth, W., Guiraud, R., Kessler, L. G., 1999. Late Cretaceous (ca. 84 Ma) Compressive Deformation of the Stable Platform of Northeast Africa (Egypt): Far-Field Stress Effects of the “Santonian Event” and Origin of the Syrian Arc Deformation Belt. Geology, 27: 633–636
Bosworth, W., Taviani, M., 1996. Late Quaternary Reorientation of Stress Field and Extension Direction in the Southern Gulf of Suez, Egypt: Evidence from Uplifted Coral Terraces, Mesoscopic Fault Arrays, and Borehole Breakouts. Tectonics, 15(4): 791–802
Caton-Thompson, G., Gardner, E. W., 1929. Recent Work on the Problem of Lake Moeris. Geographical Journal, 73: 20–60
Chaimov, T. A., Barazangi, M., Al-Saad, D., et al., 1992. Mesozoic and Cenozoic Deformation Inferred from Seismic Stratigraphy in the Southwestern Intracontinental Plamyride Fold-Thrust Belt, Syria. Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull., 104: 704–715
Choubert, G., Faure-Muret, A., Chanteux, P., 1976. Geological World Atlas, 1: 10 000 000. Unesco and Commission for the Geological Map of the World, Paris
Cohen, Z., Kaptsan, V., Flexer, A., 1988. The Pleshet Basin: A Newly Discovered Link in the Peripheral Chain of Basins of the Arabian Craton. Jour. Petrol. Geol., 11(4): 403–414
Coleman, R. G., 1993. Geological Evolution of the Red Sea, Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics. Oxford University Press, New York. 186
Dewey, J. F., Hempton, M. R., Kidd, W. S. F., et al., 1986. Shortening of Continental Lithosphere: The Neotectonics of Eastern Anatolia—A Young Collision Zone. In: Coward, M. P., Ries, A. C., eds., Collision Tectonics. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 19: 3–36
Drury, S. A., 1993. Image Interpretation in Geology. Chapman & Hall, London. 283
El-Shazly, E. M., 1966. Structural Development of Egypt. 14th Annual Meeting, Geological Society of Egypt, Grio. 31–38
El-Shazly, E. M., Abdel Hady, M. A., El Kassas, I. A., et al., 1974. Geology of Sinai Peninsula from ERTS-2 Satellite Images. Remote Sensing Center, Cairo. 10
El-Sheshtawi, Y. A., 1979. Petrographical and Petrochemical Studies of the Qatrani Basaltic Rocks: [Dissertation]. Azhar Univeristy, Cairo
Freund, R., Garfunkel, Z., Zak, I., et al., 1970. The Shear along the Dead Sea Rift. Philos. Trans. Royal Soc. Lond. Series A, 267(1181): 107–130
Garfunkel, Z., 1981. Internal Structure of the Dead Sea Leaky Transform (Rift) in Relation to Plate Kinematics. Tectonophysics, 80(1–4): 81–108
Guiraud, R., 1998. Mesozoic Rifting and Basin Inversion along the Northern African Tethyan Margin: An Overview. In: McGregor, D. S., Moody, R. T. J., Clark-Lowes, D. D., eds., Petroleum Geology of North Africa. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 133: 217–229
Heikal, M. A., Hassan, M. A., El Sheshtawi, Y., 1983. The Cenozoic Basalt of Gebel Qatrani, Western Desert, Egypt, as an Example of Continental Tholeittic Basalt. Annals of the Geological Survey of Egypt, 13: 193–209
Hempton, M. R., 1987. Constraints on Arabian Plate Motion and Extensional History of the Red Sea. Tectonics, 6(6): 687–705
Jenkins, D. A., 1990. North and Central Sinai. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Rotterdam. 361–380
Koop, W. J., Stoneley, R., 1982. Subsidence History of the Middle East Zagros Basin, Permian to Recent. Philos. Trans. Royal Soc. Lond, Series A, 305(1489): 149–168
Krenkel, E., 1925. Geologie der Erde, Geologie Afrikas. Gebruder Borntraeger, Berlin. 461 (in German)
Kusky, T. M., 1996. Potential Ground Water Accumulations in Fractured Bedrock Aquifers of the Eastern Sahara Desert. International Geological Correlation’s Program (IGCP) Project 391. Workshop on Sand Accumulations and Groundwater in the Sahara, UNESCO, Cairo
Kusky, T. M., El-Baz, F., 1999. Structural and Tectonic Evolution of the Sinai Peninsula, Using Landsat Data: Implications for Ground Water Exploration. Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing, 1: 69–100
Kusky, T. M., El-Baz, F., 2000. Neotectonics and Fluvial Geomorphology of the Northern Sinai Peninsula. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 31: 213–235
Kusky, T. M., El-Baz, F., Morency, R. E., et al., 1998. Structural and Tectonic Evolution of the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, Using Landsat Data. In: El-Baz, F., Kusky, T. M., Himida, I., et al., eds., Ground Water Potential of the Sinai Peninsula. Desert Research Center, Cairo, Egypt. 11–36
Kusky, T. M., Ramadan, T., 2002. Structural Controls on Neo-Proterozoic Mineralization in the SE Desert, Egypt: An Integrated Field, Landsat TM, and SIR C/X Approach. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 35: 107–121
Kusky, T. M., Yahia, M. A., Ramadan, T., et al., 2001. Notes on the Structural and Neotectonic Evolution of El-Faiyum Depression, Egypt: Relationships to Earthquake Hazards. Egyptian Journal of Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, 2: 1–12
Le-Pichon, X., Gaulier, J. M., 1988. The Rotation of Arabia and the Levant Fault System. Tectonophysics, 153(1–4): 271–294
Maamoun, M., 1979. Macroseismic Observations of Principal Earthquakes in Egypt. Bull. Helwan Instit. Astronomy and Geophysics, 183: 81–103
Maamoun, M., Megahed, A., Allam, A., 1984. Seismicity of Egypt. Bull. Helwan Instit. Astronomy and Geophysics, 4: 109–160
Mann, P., 2007. Global Catalogue, Classification, and Tec tonic Origin of Restraining and Releasing Bends on Strike-Slip Faults Systems. In: Cunningham, D., Mann, P., eds., Tectonics of Strike-Slip Restraining and Releasing Bends. Geological Society of London Special Publication, 290: 13–142
Mann, P., Hempton, M., Bradley, D., et al., 1988. Development of Pull-Apart Basins. Journal of Geology, 91: 529–554
McBride, J. H., Barazangi, M., Best, J., et al., 1990. Seismic Reflection Structure of Intracratonic Palmyride Fold-Thrust Belt and Surrounding Arabian Platform, Syria. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 74: 238–259
Meneisy, M. Y., Abdel, A., 1984. Geochronology of Phanerozoic Volcanic Rocks in Egypt. Bulletin Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, 25
Meshref, W. M., 1990. Tectonic Framework. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Rotterdam. 113–155
Morgan, P., 1990. Egypt in the Tectonic Framework of Global Tectonics. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Rotterdam. 91–111
Moustafa, A. R., Khalil, M. H., 1990. Structural Characteristics and Tectonics Evolution of North Sinai Fold Belts. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. Balkema, Rotterdam. 381–389
Naim, G. M., Hussein, A. A., El-Hakim, B., et al., 1993. A Preliminary Report on the Dhashour Earthquake, 12 October 1992. Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Wealth, Egypt
Neev, D., Friedman, G. M., 1978. Late Holocene Tectonic Activity along the Margins of the Sinai Subplate. Science, 202(4366): 427–429
Quennel, A. M., 1959. The Structural and Geomorphic Evolution of the Dead Sea Rift. Quart. Jour. Geol. Soc. Lond., 114: 1–24
Quennel, A. M., 1984. The Western Arabia Rift System. In: Dixon, J. E., Robertson, A. H. F., eds., The Geological Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford. 775–788
Sabins, F. F., 1997. Remote Sensing: Principles and Interpretation. 3rd ed.. W. H. Freeman and Co., N.Y.. 494
Said, R., 1979. The Messinian in Egypt. Proc. Intern. Congr. Mediterranean Neogene, Athens. Ann. Geol. Pays Helleniques, Hors Ser., Fasc., Ill: 1083–1090
Said, R., 1962. The Geology of Egypt. Elsevier, Amsterdam. 377
Said, R., 1981. The Geological Evolution of the River Nile. Springer, 151
Said, R., 1990. Quaternary. In: Said, R., ed., The Geology of Egypt. Brookfield, Balkema, Rotterdam. 487–507
Said, R., Issawi, B., 1964. Preliminary Results of a Geological Expedition to Lower Nubia and to Kurkar and Dungul. In: Wendorf, F., ed., Contribution to the Prehistory of Nubia. Southern Methodist University Press, Dallas TX. 1–20
Sehim, A., 1993. Cretaceous Tectonics in Egypt. Egyptian Jour. Geology, 37: 335–372
Sengor, A. M. C., Kidd, W. S. F., 1979. Post-Collisional Tectonics of the Turkish-Irtanian Plateau and a Comparison with Tibet. Tectonophysics, 55: 361–376
Sengor, A. M. C., Yilmaz, Y., 1981. Tethyan Evolution of Turkey: A Plate Tectonic Approach. Tectonophysics, 75(3–4): 181–241
Sestini, G., 1984. Tectonic and Sedimentary History of the NE African Margin (Egypt/Libya). In: Dixon, J. E., Robertson, A. H. F., eds., The Geological Evolution of the Eastern Mediterranean. Blackwell Scientific Publishers, Oxford. 161–175
Shata, A., 1953. New Light on the Structural Development of the Western Desert of Egypt. Bull. Inst. Desert Egypt, 6: 117–157
Vondra, C. F., 1974. Upper Eocene Transitional and Near-Shore Marine Qasr El Sagha Formation, Fayum Depression, Egypt. Annals of the Geological Survey of Egypt, 4: 74–94
Walley, C. D., 1988. A Braided Strike-Slip Model for the Northern Continuation of the Dead Sea Fault and Its Implications for Levantine Tectonics. Tectonophysics, 145(1–2): 63–72
Youssef, M. I., 1968. Structural Pattern of Egypt and Its Interpretation. Amer. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Bull., 52: 601–614
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This study was supported by the NSF awarded to T Kusky for U.S./Egypt Cooperative Research (No. 0422611), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40821061), and the Ministry of Education of China (No. B07039).
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kusky, T.M., Ramadan, T.M., Hassaan, M.M. et al. Structural and tectonic evolution of El-Faiyum depression, North Western Desert, Egypt based on analysis of Landsat ETM+, and SRTM Data. J. Earth Sci. 22, 75–100 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-011-0159-8
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12583-011-0159-8