Evaluating the subsurface structures due to the Syrian Arc Tectonics at El-Hasana area, Sinai Peninsula, Egypt

Abstract

Three major domal structures are trending northeast-southwest directions prevailed at El-Hasana area, northern part of Sinai Peninsula. These structures and their altered rock constituents attracted us to study these formations from geophysical view. The main target of this work is to establish the relation between these structures and Syrian Arc Tectonic System (SATS) prevailed at the studied area. The investigations were carried out using land magnetic survey, aeromagnetic, gravity and laboratory measurements.An intensive analysis using tectonic trend analysis and, 3D Euler deconvolution with different coefficients were applied to the potential field data. Also, cross-sections Euler deconvolution, Werner deconvolution and radial power spectrum have been applied. The results illustrate that most prevailed tectonics that could forming these anticlines are trending at N 35°–65° E direction which related to the Syrian tectonics (SATS) direction. The depth to the basement rocks ranges between 2 km at the southern parts to 2.3 km at the northern parts of the studied area.The magnetic susceptibility map was constructed using laboratory measurements for more than 120 collected rock samples along the surveyed area. The average values range between 0.7 × 10 −3 to 1 × 10 −3 SI for limestone samples, whereas the sandstone varies between 1 × 10 −3 to 1.5 × 10 −3 SI unit. The results show that the magnetic values are higher for the rock samples picked along the anticlinal structures.