3D Inversion modelling of gravity data integrated with aeromagnetic and GLDAS data for water storage tracing in Golden Triangular area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The study area of Golden Triangular (South Wadi Qena “S.W. Qena”) area is located in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt, which is a promising area and it is between three towns (Safaga, Qena and El-Qosier). The Golden Triangle is one of the largest industrial society was built between Qena town and the Red Sea shoreline. So, this study focused on water storage tracing by GLDAS data with structure evaluation using gravity and aeromagnetic data. Moreover, detecting the basement surface and Precambrian Nubian sandstone depths by density inversion to determine which area is suitable for agricultural reclamation and has a good storage of water that will use for developing this area. Geophysical Data as Bouguer gravity and Aeromagnetic maps are used to achieve the aim of this study by clarifying the structure's evaluation of this area. The 3D density inversion modelling was built along the area. That explains the depth map of the relief basement surface, which increased in the west direction to − 3500 m and outcropped in the Red Sea shoreline. The depth of Precambrian Nubian sandstone, which parallel to the relief basement surface and increases in the west direction reached − 1700 m. The change in water storage during the last 20 years supported the charging information of aquifers and their locations. Therefore, the correlation between topography, structure map, basement surface and Precambrian Nubian sandstone depths maps suggests that the best location of aquifers in our study area in the NW and SE parts where the Precambrian Nubian sandstone depth is reached to − 1700 m.