Origin of El-Maghara Anticlines, North Sinai Peninsula, Egypt: Insights from Gravity Data Interpretation Using Edge Detection Filters

Abstract

The gravity data of Gebel El-Maghara area and its surrounding region in northern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt have been subjected to high precision edge detection filters in order to evaluate the structural and tectonic settings of the study area. Various traditional and modern edge detection filters were tested on synthetic gravity data and then the most successful filters in detection the boundaries of the causative bodies have been used to accomplish the study's objectives. By examining the power spectrum of the gravity data, three gravity maps were generated using low-pass, band-pass and high-pass filters, respectively, representing deep, intermediate and shallow gravity anomalies. The STDR filter and its total horizontal derivative were applied to these gravity maps to image the causative structural features (faults and contacts) and construct structural maps at these different depths. The findings demonstrate that the major trend of faults and contacts at deep depths predominantly aligns along the WNW–ESE direction, while at shallow depths, the main orientation is observed along the NE–SW direction. It is worth noting that the trend of structures at shallow depths demonstrates a good agreement with the structural trends derived from both surface structural map and Landsat images. This trend disparity supports the hypothesis that the formation of the anticlines in the study area is linked to thin-skinned tectonic processes associated with the Syrian Arc system.