Tectonic evolution of the Southern Gulf of Suez, Egypt: a comparison between depocenter and near peripheral basins

Abstract

The sedimentary pattern of the southern Gulf of Suez, Egypt, especially during the Cenozoic rift stage, was controlled mainly by tectonic activities (subsidence and uplift) and sea level change. The stratigraphic record of the southern Gulf of Suez can be divided into two megasequences: pre-rift and syn-rift. The pre-rift megasequence can be viewed as two distinctive depositional regimes, clastic rocks of continental to braided stream environment during Cambrian and open marine transgression extended from Upper Cretaceous till Eocene. The syn-rift deposits showed a distinctive contrast between the depocenter and peripheral basins. This difference can be shown clearly on the sedimentary sequence of Hilal and Shoab Ali oilfields. The syn-rift megasequence can be differentiated in relation to rift evolution into the following stages: initial rift stage with low subsidence rate, main rift stage with maximum subsidence rate, quiescence stage with the slowest subsidence rate throughout the rift evolution, evaporite stage with restriction conditions, and Pliocene–Recent stage with shallow marine condition.