Abstract
We correlate the gravity aspects (descriptors), namely the strike angles, derived from a recent gravity field model, with the known oil, gas and groundwater deposits/reservoirs and hypothetical paleolakes with the locations of archaeological sites. This allows us to extrapolate the investigation, by analogy, to unknown regions. The gravity aspects, derived from the EIGEN 6C4 gravity field model, are used, together with EMAG 2 magnetic anomalies and ETOPO 1 topography model, for the investigation of oil, gas and water deposits in Egypt. One of the gravity aspects, s/c strike angle, is significantly combed (oriented in one direction locally) in places where the known deposits exist. However, they are combed also in some other places. This may be used as a guide as to where to seek new and promising deposits. Accounting for the combed strike angles and the relationship between gravity anomalies and height differences, we reconstructed potential paleolakes under thick sand layers in the Great Sand Sea, Western Egypt (our previous work), and between Kharga and Toshka, Southern Egypt (this work), consistent with the known archaeological sites.
Highlights
The objective of this work is to correlate the gravity aspects, namely the strike angles ([1] and references therein), derived from a recent gravity field model, with known oil, gas and groundwater deposits/reservoirs and hypothetical paleolakes with archaeological sites, and to extrapolate, by analogy, to unexamined regions
We present the gravity aspects for Northern Egypt, Sinai and surrounding countries (Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Cyprus, Turkey, incl. the whole Eastern Mediterranean)
Paleolakes and their implications for groundwater accumulation in the Eastern Sahara and namely in the Great Sand Sea (GSS, Western Desert of Egypt) have been mentioned already by El-Baz [48]. He wrote (p. 60) about the drainage encompassing the GSS, about two wells drilled for petroleum exploration near the northern edge of the GSS (p. 64) and about the relationship between sand dunes and groundwater; we quote from p. 65: “ . . . sand was borne by water and sculptured by the wind
Summary
The objective of this work is to correlate the gravity aspects (descriptors), namely the strike angles ([1] and references therein), derived from a recent gravity field model (see below), with known oil, gas and groundwater deposits/reservoirs and hypothetical paleolakes with archaeological sites, and to extrapolate, by analogy, to unexamined regions. Combining these signatures with the archaeology and gas and oil efforts in this region allows new discoveries. Paleolakes and their implications for groundwater accumulation in the Eastern Sahara and namely in the Great Sand Sea (GSS, Western Desert of Egypt) have been mentioned already by El-Baz [48]. Paleolakes are places where long-term sedimentation has resulted in complete sediment fill of the lake This has been the case in many lakes that formed after the last glaciations, due to large blocks of ice left in the glacial tilt that created landscape dimples filled with water, creating lakes. Paleolake deposits can serve as a long-term water storage and determining their locations may be useful in discovering significant sources of water bound in lake sediments of paleolakes
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