Damietta Branch Research Articles

The Rediscovery of Papyrus (Cyperus papyrus L.), on the bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta, Egypt

Cyperus papyrus was rediscovered in two stands on the eastern bank of the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta.The first stand is located at Sharabas village ca. 24 km south of Damietta. The growth of papyrus at this site isrich and giant where the habitat conditions are favorable for swampy vegetation. The second stand is recorded atDahtora about one kilometer north of Zifta town with a feeble growth of an average height of one meter.Ecological notes and reasons of extinction of this important sedge are briefly discussed.

COMPARATIVE STUDY ON THE PLANT LIFE OF TWO MEDITERRANEAN DELTAIC LAKES IN EGYPT دراسة مقارنة على حياة النبات فى اثنين من بحيرات الدلتا - مصر المطلة على ساحل البحر األبيض المتوسط

The terrestrial and aquatic flora of the two largest natural lakes of Egypt (Lake Manzala and Lake Burollos) were studied. Lake Manzala is located on the eastern side of Damietta branch of the Nile, whereas, Lake Burollos lies on the eastern side of Rosetta branch of the Nile, occupying the central position along the Mediterranean coast of the Nile delta . Despite the two times larger area of Lake Manzala compared with Lake Burollos and physiographic similarity, Lake Burollos is floristically rich (135 species, 41 families) as compared with Lake Manzala (102 species, 36 families). Both lakes have many floristic differences. Lake Burollos is characterized with lower number of euhydrophytes (7 species) compared to 16 species recorded in Lake Manzala. The highest number of species are belonging to Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae, respectively in both lakes. The life form spectrum of both lakes showed that therophytes are highly represented followed by geophytes . The islands in both lakes are floristically rich. However, islands of Lake Burollos seem to be suitable habitat for some plant species absent from the islands of Lake Manzala e.g. Lycium schweinfurthii, Pancratium maritimum, Allium roseum, Silene succulenta, Asparagus stipularis and several annuals, some plant species recorded in one site in Lake Burollos, are considered as rare species such as Ipomoea imperati and Limonium narbonense which are threatened and need protection . In the present paper, the authors compared the floristic composition of the different habitats of both lakes.

Rapid strand-plain accretion in the northeastern Nile Delta in the 9th century A.D. and the demise of the port of Pelusium

Research Article| February 01, 1999 Rapid strand-plain accretion in the northeastern Nile Delta in the 9th century A.D. and the demise of the port of Pelusium Glenn A. Goodfriend; Glenn A. Goodfriend 1Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20015, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Daniel Jean Stanley Daniel Jean Stanley 2Deltas—Global Change Program, Paleobiology E-206, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Glenn A. Goodfriend 1Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5251 Broad Branch Road, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20015, USA Daniel Jean Stanley 2Deltas—Global Change Program, Paleobiology E-206, U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560, USA Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1999) 27 (2): 147–150. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0147:RSPAIT>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Glenn A. Goodfriend, Daniel Jean Stanley; Rapid strand-plain accretion in the northeastern Nile Delta in the 9th century A.D. and the demise of the port of Pelusium. Geology 1999;; 27 (2): 147–150. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0147:RSPAIT>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract An unusually large (∼1 km3) and rapid influx of Nile River sediment in the early 800s (a.d.) resulted in accretion of an extensive strand plain (6 to 15 m thick, 35 km long, and as much as 12 km wide) on the subsiding northeastern Nile Delta margin, Egypt. This event is related to blockage of the Pelusiac branch and breaking through of a new distributary to the west of present-day Port Said, probably representing initiation of the Damietta branch. The sand is of analytically identical age throughout the area and was deposited within less than ∼60 yr, as indicated by 14C and amino acid racemization analyses of Donax shells from a series of cores. Radiocarbon dates, in combination with historical accounts by Al-Jakubi, who found the strand plain already in existence when he visited the area in the late 800s, place this event in the early 800s. Nilometer flood records suggest that the sequence of great floods of 813, 816, and 820 may have been the triggering events. This sudden displacement of sand caused Pelusium, then the principal port and fortified city of the northeastern Nile Delta located at the mouth of the Pelusiac branch, to be cut off from both the Nile and the Mediterranean, and led to its decline and eventual abandonment by the 12th century, when the Crusaders arrived. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

The shelf sand-plume model: a critique

In recent years, a new model for deposition of sand bodies in a shelf environment has appeared. This model, known as the shelf sand-plume model, is hypothesized to result from storm-driven currents that are deflected around a deltaic headland, stripping sand from the headland and redepositing it in a downcurrent ‘plume’ on the inner shelf. The modern analogue for this model is considered to be an arcuate shelf sand body located off the Damietta branch of the Nile Delta. However, the distribution of older deltaic and shoreline sands probably controls the arcuate outline of the sand body. The present current system has certainly reworked these sands into ridges and large-scale bedforms but is not responsible for the overall outline of the sand body. Grain-size range and distribution of sand on the shelf demonstrate that the source of sand in the Nile shelf sand body is not the modern Damietta headland as postulated by the shelf sandplume model. In our view, the shelf sand-plume model is presently unsubstantiated and has orginated as a misapplication of the original Nile example. As a geological model, the shelf sand-plume model lacks a set of observable, consistently applicable criteria. The only common denominator to the model is the ‘plume’ geometry of a sand body located off a deltaic promontory. However, workers postulating the existence of shelf sand-plumes have neither clearly established a ‘plume’ geometry nor shown the juxtaposition of these bodies with respect to coeval deltaic headlands in their outcrop or subsurface examples. The model does not provide criteria to distinguish a ‘shelf sand-plume’ from other classes of shelf sand bodies, notably sand ridges and storm-generated sheet-like sands. Its application to the rock record should be re-evaluated.

Major Ions in the Damietta Branch of the River Nile, Egypt

AbstractMajor cations and anions were investigated in the Damietta branch of the River Nile. The branch is divided into two different regions; the fresh Nile water (Region A) and the mostly marine environment (Region B). The latter region represents the Damietta estuary. The relative abundance of the major ions in the fresh water system was Na &gt; Ca &gt; Mg &gt; K, HCO3 &gt; Cl &gt; SO4 &gt; CO3, while in the mostly marine area it was Na &gt; Mg &gt; K &gt; Ca, Cl &gt; HCO3 &gt; SO4 &gt; CO3. Regional and monthly variations of the major ions were related to the duration of the Nile discharge and climatic conditions. The major ions ‐to‐ chloride ratios for Region A were higher than those in the adjacent Mediterranean waters, while those for the mostly marine region were slightly lower.

Tertiary dinoflagellate cysts from the Mit Ghamr-1 well, Nile Delta, Egypt

Nine conventional core samples from the Mit Ghamr-1 well, situated on the eastern side of the Damietta branch of the River Nile, Egypt, have been investigated for palynomorph recovery. Dinocyst biostratigraphy has indicated an importance in dating the studied sequence. Results have confirmed the presence of Middle, Late, Eocene, Oligocene-Miocene, Late Miocene and Early Pliocene to Quaternary sediments. Comparable assemblages have been reported from other Egyptian Tertiary sediments, mainly from elsewhere in the Nile Delta, the Western Desert and Sinai.

Limnological studies on the Nozha Hydrodrome, Egypt, with special reference to the problems of pollution

Water samples were collected in the different seasons during the period 1979–1981 from the Nozha Hydrodrome, Egypt, a small shallow lake receiving polluted Nile water, to gain information on the environmental conditions, nutrient contents, levels of trace metals and their possible variations in relation to pollution effects. The accumulation of trace metals in the lake sediments and in different tissues of the common fish, Tilapia species, was also investigated. During the study period, values for each of the parameters investigated generally gave a wide range of variability. The highest seasonal average air and water temperatures were recorded in July and the lowest values in January; the water temperature usually followed the pattern of the air temperature. The maximum seasonal average chlorosity in July is due to an increase in the rate of evaporation. The highest seasonal average for dissolved oxygen (DO) in January coincided mainly with a decrease in the rate of oxygen consumption associated with a drop in temperature and the continual mixing of the lake by wind action. The minimum regional averages of Secchi disc and chlorosity, as well as the lower regional average values of pH and DO in the supply canal reflect the turbidity and nature of the polluted feed Nile water. The seasonal changes of nutrients in the Hydrodrome are mostly influenced by their allochthonous input, and their main source is the supply of polluted Nile water, which first affects the inlet region. The high concentrations of inorganic nitrogenous and phosphate salts in the feed water are due to the discharge of untreated sewage and industrial wastes, as well as agricultural run-off into the water source of the Hydrodrome (Mahmoudia Canal). The nitrite produced in the lake is principally from nitrification of ammonia. The autochthonous supply of nitrate and phosphate is mainly from the decay of phytoplankton and subsequent release from lake sediments. The increase in silicate coincided principally with dissolution of diatom frustules. It appears that phytoplankton represents the main factor responsible for decreasing the concentrations of nutrients in the Hydrodrome. The seasonal variations of trace metals in the Hydrodrome are attributed to both external and internal effects. The former reflects the impact of man on the water source of the Hydrodrome, whereas the latter represents the events which occur within this lake. The data suggest a direct relationship between the concentrations of metals in the lake water and their concentrations in Tilapia fish. The data illustrate the ability of fish to absorb high levels of heavy metals and the ability of the lake sediments to accumulate these metals relative to those found in the lake water and the fish. In general, iron showed the highest mean values in the lake water, sediments and fish, whereas cadmium was present in the lowest concentrations. Comparison between the annual average value of each parameter in the present study and the corresponding value for the study of the heavily polluted Lake Mariut during the same period, as well as the comparison between the annual averages of nutrients and trace metals in the Hydrodrome and those in the predominantly clean Damietta branch of the Nile, provided evidence for the amount of pollution occurring in the study area.

Clay-mineral variations in the northeastern Nile Delta, as influenced by depositional processes

A study of five Holocene sections cored in the northeastern Nile Delta, Egypt, indicates that smectite and kaolinite dominate the clay-mineral assemblages, that illite is of lesser importance, and that proportions of chlorite are usually very low. Of note is the poor or lack of correlation among the clay-mineral assemblages and time-related stratigraphic position in the cores, and the moderate to good relationships among mineral assemblages, grain size and geographic location. Of the three major minerals, illite appears most closely related with grain size. We suggest that changes in deposition, particularly those related to transport processes and flocculation effective in former Nile delta-front environments, best explain upcore fluctuations in the proportions of clay minerals observed in the five cores. The percentages of kaolinite in the delta clay-mineral assemblages are generally higher than those recorded in the Nile River and in distal offshore Nile Cone and Levantine Basin regions. This probably resulted from selective entrapment of kaolinite relative to smectite near former coastlines, and by-passing of the latter mineral to sectors beyond the delta-front. Moreover, smectite values are highest in one core located south of Lake Manzala, a site near what may have been the mouth of a former branch (Tanitic) of the Nile which flowed east of the present Damietta branch. Climate and related paleoceanographic conditions fluctuated markedly in the eastern Mediterranean during the Holocene. It is concluded, however, that depositional processes rather than climate have been largely responsible for observed vertical and lateral changes in clay-mineral proportions in deposits accumulating in these sedimentologically active Nile fluviomarine environments.

Prospects for Peacekeeping

Our flight plan took us down the Rosetta Nile. Below us the river twisted like a big silver and green snake through the delta. It would have been more direct to take the Damietta branch but there was grave doubt that the nervous Egyptian gunners just across Lake Manzala from Port Said would recognize the white Dakota with United Nations markings. We passed over Rosetta and out over the Mediterranean then eastward along the coast to Port Said. As we came over the airport and circled for a landing, we had a good view of the town on its sandspit, with the canal stretching south like a blue pencil line on the desert. The town, despite the stories that we had been reading in Cairo, appeared to be intact except for an ominous square patch of black, covering about eight blocks, on the road to the town from the airport. General E. L. M. Burns, commander of the United Nations Emergency Force, was making his first trip to Port Said to discuss with General Keightley, commander-in-chief of the BritishFrench expeditionary force, the timetable of evacuation. It was 25 November 1956, just eighteen days after the adoption of the United Nations resolution calling for the withdrawal of the British, French, and Israelis from Egypt and for the establishment of an international military force to supervise the withdrawal, just ten days after the arrival of the first unef troops in Abu Suweir.