Wadi El-Natrun Research Articles

Shallow subsurface temperature in the environs of El-Nubaria canal, northwestern Nile Delta of Egypt: implications for monitoring groundwater flow system

Borehole temperatures from 47 wells were utilized to comprehend the spatial subsurface thermal regime in the study area. The recharge regions are situated in reclaimed desert lands (southern and southwestern parts) and have high subsurface temperatures, whereas the discharge areas are situated in the old agricultural lands (northern and northeastern parts) and have lower subsurface temperatures. This thermal system is attributed to differences in the surface air temperature where higher values are recorded in the developed desert (Wadi El-Natrun station average annual 23.15 °C) and the lower values in the old agricultural land (Damanhour station average annual 20.37 °C). The geothermal gradient is low in the recharge area (average 0.0198 °C/m) and high in the discharge area (average 0.0343 °C/m). The effect of the irrigation canals as gaining or losing streams on the thermal system decreases gradually and disappears at 90 m below sea level. Two-dimensional groundwater flow and heat transport models were simulated to estimate the vertical groundwater flow velocity and predict the factors controlling the groundwater flow system. Permeability was the most sensitive parameter during the simulation process. The assessed vertical linear groundwater velocities are, up to 3.2 mm/day in the main recharge region toward the southwestern course, up to 2.4 and 2 mm/day under El-Bustan and El-Hager canals, respectively, and up to 1.4 mm/day in the contact between the reclaimed desert and the old agricultural lands. The average vertical linear groundwater discharge velocities are, more than 2.4 mm/day in the southwestern corner, 0.8 and 0.6 mm/day in the northeastern and northern directions, respectively and 1.2 and 2.4 mm/day under El-Nubaria and Ferhash canals, respectively.

Mosaic tesserae from Italy and the production of Mediterranean coloured glass (4rd century BCE–4th century CE). Part I: Chemical composition and technology

Roman highly coloured glass is well represented amongst mosaic tesserae, occasionally found in Italy from the middle of the 2nd century BCE and commonly used from the early 1st century CE. SEM-EDS microstructural and chemical analysis has revealed colouring elements and opacifiers. Chemical analysis has identified both natron and plant ash glasses, the former fitting five compositional types of ancient natron glass (Levantine I and II, HIMT, Wadi Natrun and Egypt II) and of Roman colourless glass. The apparent Levantine and Egyptian provenance for the ʻraw glassesʼ (once the colourants and opacifiers were removed) is discussed critically in the light of Nd and Sr isotopic results in part II.

Hydrogeophysical and structural investigation using VES and TDEM data: A case study at El-Nubariya–Wadi El-Natrun area, west Nile Delta, Egypt

The geoelectric survey includes 93 Vertical Electric Soundings (VES) and 26 TEM stations were conducted to delineate the subsurface structures and hydrogeological regime of El-Nubariya–Wadi El-Natrun area. The VESes AB/2 was varying from 1 up to 700m in successive steps, while TEM stations were measured using coincident loop of 50m side length.The interpretation of the geoelectrical data shows that the depth to the main aquifer ranges from 6m at the northern part near the Nubariya city to about 90m at the southern parts where it increases to the south and southeast directions. Generally the aquifer system in the area can be divided into Pleistocene and Pliocene aquifers. The Pleistocene aquifer is the shallower aquifer in the area and it consists almost of gravelly to clayey sand deposits. The Pliocene aquifer is the main aquifer where it is composed of sand to gravelly sand deposits.Depending on the results of the geoelectric prospecting represented by the true resistivity map, we can infer the quality of the groundwater. A brackish groundwater can be found at the northern and northeastern parts of the study area at shallow depths whereas relatively fresh water can be detected at the southern and southeastern parts around Wadi El Natrun city at deep depths.The area under consideration is affected by a group of normal faults that divided the investigated area into five main divisions, northern, eastern, western, southern and central divisions. The inferred faults from the geoelectric sections are traced and collected to construct a structure map. It is worth to mention that Wadi El Natrun and its lakes are structurally controlled by faulting systems trending NW direction.

Phenotypic and Genomic Properties of Chitinispirillum alkaliphilum gen. nov., sp. nov., A Haloalkaliphilic Anaerobic Chitinolytic Bacterium Representing a Novel Class in the Phylum Fibrobacteres.

Anaerobic enrichment from sediments of hypersaline alkaline lakes in Wadi el Natrun (Egypt) with chitin resulted in the isolation of a fermentative haloalkaliphilic bacterium, strain ACht6-1, growing exclusively with insoluble chitin as the substrate in a sodium carbonate-based medium at pH 8.5–10.5 and total Na+ concentrations from 0.4 to 1.75 M. The isolate had a Gram-negative cell wall and formed lipid cysts in old cultures. The chitinolytic activity was associated with cells. Analysis of the 4.4 Mb draft genome identified pathways for chitin utilization, particularly, secreted chitinases linked to the cell surface, as well as genes for the hydrolysis of other polysaccharides and fermentation of sugars, while the genes needed for aerobic and anaerobic respiration were absent. Adaptation to a haloalkaliphilic lifestyle was reflected by the gene repertoire encoding sodium rather than proton-dependent membrane-bound ion pumps, including the Rnf-type complex, oxaloacetate decarboxylase, V-type ATPase, and pyrophosphatase. The phylogenetic analysis using 16S rRNA gene and ribosomal proteins indicated that ACht6-1 forms a novel deep lineage at the class level within the bacterial candidate division TG3. Based on phylogenetic, phenotypic and genomic analyses, the novel chitinolytic bacterium is described as Chitinispirillum alkaliphilum gen. nov., sp. nov., within a novel class Chitinispirillia that could be included into the phylum Fibrobacteres.

Assessment of the Spectral Characteristics of Different Physiological Stages of Some Olive cvs and Its Relation with Productivity

Remote sensing satellite imagery is the tool to obtain synoptic, multi-temporal, dynamic and timely efficient information about any target on Earth. The main objective of the current study is to use remote sensing satellite data and field spectral reflectance measurements to identify the spectral pattern of the different cultivars of olives and to statistically correlate this spectral reflectance pattern with crop productivity. The study was carried out in El-Beheira governorate (Wadi El Natrun) city during the whole year of 2014. The three observed varieties were Picual, Manzanillo and Kalamata. Measurements were carried out for five growth stages: dormancy stage, flowering stage, fruit sat stage, mature stage and ripening stage. The spectral reflectance pattern for each cultivar through the different growth stages was identified. Then, seven vegetation indices (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified chlorophyll absorption ration index (MCARI), triangular vegetation index (TVI), modified chlorophyll absorption ration index-1 (MCARI-1), modified chlorophyll absorption ration index-2 (MCARI-2), modified triangular vegetation index-2 (MTVI2) and chlorophyll index (CI)) were calculated through the five growth stages for each cultivar and then were observed as estimators for crop yield modeling. Analysis of the result based on the comparison of the correlation coefficient (r 2 ) for all generated models, the target is to identify the optimal vegetation index and the optimal growth stage to predict yield for each variety. Generally, Manzanillo variety showed the highest reflectance followed by Picual and Kalamata. The result showed that the highest (r 2 ) was with the two cultivars Picual and Kalamata during mature stage, while the highest (r 2 ) was with cultivar Manzanillo during fruit sat stage. While the lowest (r 2 ) was found during dormancy stage for the three cultivars.

Forecasting of Groundwater Salinity Changes and Yield of Some Crops by Integration of Time Series Analysis and GIS at Wadi El-Natrun Area, Egypt

Forecasting of Groundwater Salinity Changes and Yield of Some Crops by Integration of Time Series Analysis and GIS at Wadi El-Natrun Area, Egypt

Use of the subsurface thermal regime as a groundwater-flow tracer in the semi-arid western Nile Delta, Egypt

Temperature profiles from 25 boreholes were used to understand the spatial and vertical groundwater flow systems in the Western Nile Delta region of Egypt, as a case study of a semi-arid region. The study area is located between the Nile River and Wadi El Natrun. The recharge areas, which are located in the northeastern and the northwestern parts of the study area, have low subsurface temperatures. The discharge areas, which are located in the western (Wadi El Natrun) and southern (Moghra aquifer) parts of the study area, have higher subsurface temperatures. In the deeper zones, the effects of faults and the recharge area in the northeastern direction disappear at 80 m below sea level. For that depth, one main recharge and one main discharge area are recognized. The recharge area is located to the north in the Quaternary aquifer, and the discharge area is located to the south in the Miocene aquifer. Two-dimensional groundwater-flow and heat-transport models reveal that the sealing faults are the major factor disturbing the regional subsurface thermal regime in the study area. Besides the main recharge and discharge areas, the low permeability of the faults creates local discharge areas in its up-throw side and local recharge areas in its down-throw side. The estimated average linear groundwater velocity in the recharge area is 0.9 mm/day to the eastern direction and 14 mm/day to the northwest. The average linear groundwater discharge velocities range from 0.4 to 0.9 mm/day in the southern part.

Hydrogeological, petrophysical and hydrogeochemical characteristics of the groundwater aquifers east of Wadi El-Natrun, Egypt

The studied water-bearing formations in the investigated area are the Quaternary and the Miocene aquifers. The groundwater movement takes a direction from the eastern and northern directions where the surface water sources are located to the western and southern directions. By comparing the water level data of 1960 and 2010, up to 25m drawdown was noticed in the southern part due to excessive pumping. On the other hand, water level rising was observed in the same period reaching up to 10m in the northwestern part due to seepage from the irrigation channel.Petrophysical properties of the studied aquifers were estimated from well logs. The formation water resistivity (Rw) averages 15.2ohmm whereas the formation factor (F) averages 5.1. The averages of the total porosity, the effective porosity and permeability are 36.5%, 33.1% and 1126.3mdarcy, respectively. In addition, the gamma ray logs were used to estimate the volume share of shale which showed an average value reached about 34.6%. Total porosity, effective porosity and permeability showed an increasing trend to the northwestern direction where the recharge area is located.The concentrations of TDS and the dissolved elements are higher in the shallow groundwater compared to the deeper one, which could be related to soil salinity and evaporation processes. Ion exchange, water–rock interaction and evaporation processes are the main geochemical processes affecting the chemistry of the studied groundwater. Sodium chloride/bicarbonate types are the most common chemical types in the study area. Most of the water samples are of old meteoric origin (Na2SO4 type) and old marine origin (MgCl2 type). On the basis of SAR and EC values it is concluded that most of the groundwater samples are suitable for irrigation purposes.

Spatial Analysis for Sustainable Development of El Fayoum and Wadi El Natrun Desert Depressions, Egypt with the Aid of Remote Sensing and GIS

Spatial Analysis for Sustainable Development of El Fayoum and Wadi El Natrun Desert Depressions, Egypt with the Aid of Remote Sensing and GIS

Monastery of Abou Maqar in Wadi Al-Natroun

This research deals with the monastery of Anba Maqar in Wadi Al-Natrun in an archaeological, historical, and architectural study. This research includes an overview on Wadi Natrun and its importance through different ages. Another aspect is the Monastery location, and detailed explanation of the seven churches included. These are Anba Maqar Church, Ibiskhirion Church, Church of the 49 martyrs, the Virgin Church, Elsawh Church, St. Anthony’s Church, and the Church of the Archangel Michael. Each of these churches described in terms of the location, architectural planning and decorative elements. This research depends on descriptive, analytical, and inductive methodology. This is through following the erection of Anba Maqar monastery and its churches from the end of the fourth century AD and until the end of the tenth century AD.

Enhanced alkaline cellulases production by the thermohalophilic Aspergillus terreus AUMC 10138 mutated by physical and chemical mutagens using corn stover as substrate.

A thermohalophilic fungus, Aspergillus terreus AUMC 10138, isolated from the Wadi El-Natrun soda lakes in northern Egypt was exposed successively to gamma and UV-radiation (physical mutagens) and ethyl methan-sulfonate (EMS; chemical mutagen) to enhance alkaline cellulase production under solid state fermentation (SSF) conditions. The effects of different carbon sources, initial moisture, incubation temperature, initial pH, incubation period, inoculum levels and different concentrations of NaCl on production of alkaline filter paper activity (FPase), carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase) and β-glucosidase by the wild-type and mutant strains of A. terreus were evaluated under SSF. The optimum conditions for maximum production of FPase, CMCase and β-glucosidase were found to be the corn stover: moisture ratio of 1:3(w/v), temperature 45 °C, pH range, 9.0–11.0, and fermentation for 4, 4 and 7 day, respectively. Inoculum levels of 30% for β-glucosidase and 40% for FPase, CMCase gave the higher cellulase production by the wild-type and mutant strains, respectively. Higher production of all three enzymes was obtained at a 5% NaCl. Under the optimized conditions, the mutant strain A. terreus M-17 produced FPase (729 U/g), CMCase (1,783 U/g), and β-glucosidase (342 U/g), which is, 1.85, 1.97 and 2.31-fold higher than the wild-type strain. Our results confirmed that mutant strain M-17 could be a promising alkaline cellulase enzyme producer employing lignocellulosics especially corn stover.

Culture -independent Pathogenic Bacterial Communities in Bottled Mineral Water

Bottled mineral water (BMW) is an alternative to mains water and consider it to be better and safer. Access to safe BMW from the bacteria involving potential health hazard is essential to health. Cultivation-independent technique PCR-based single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) for genetic profiling of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA genes was performed using Com primer set targeting the 16S rRNA genes for detection of pathogenic bacteria in bottled mineral water from the final product of six factories for bottled mineral drinking water in Wadi El-natron region- Egypt. These factories use often ozone technology to treat large quantities of water because of its effectiveness in purifying and conditioning water. A total of 27 single products were isolated from the profiles by PCR re-amplification and cloning. Sequence analysis of 27 SSCP bands revealed that the 16S rRNA sequences were clustered into seven operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and the compositions of the communities of the six samples were all common. The results showed that most communities from phyla Alphaproteobacteria and certainly in the Sphingomonas sp . Culture-independent approaches produced complementary information, thus generating a more accurate view for the bacterial community in the BMW, particularly in the disinfection step, as it constitutes the final barrier before BMW distribution to the consumer

Isochroman and isocoumarin derivatives from hypersaline lake sediment-derived fungus Penicillium sp.

Chromatographic analysis of the ethyl acetate extract of the fungus Penicillium sp., which was isolated from the sediment of the hyper saline lake Wadi El-Natrun in Egypt, afforded two new isochromans (1 and 2) and a new isocoumarin derivative (3), along with six known compounds (4–9). The planar structures of new compounds were unequivocally elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopy as well as HRESIMS. The relative configurations of the new compounds were established by analysis of the coupling constants as well as through ROESY experiments, while the absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the [α]D values and by plausible biosynthetic considerations. Compounds (1–6) were found to share (3S) configuration. All compounds demonstrated a weak to moderate cytotoxic activity against the murine lymphoma L5178Y cell line.

New insights into microbially induced sedimentary structures in alkaline hypersaline El Beida Lake, Wadi El Natrun, Egypt

Microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS) were studied in detail in the alkaline hypersaline El Beida Lake of Wadi El Natrun in the western desert sector of Egypt, based on field observations and sampling performed in 2013 and 2014. Geomorphologically, the lake can be subdivided into three zones, each with characteristic sedimentary and biosedimentary structures. The marginal elevated zone that borders the lake is characterized by thick blocky crusts devoid of microbial mats. The middle–lower supratidal zone has luxuriant microbial mats associated with knotty surfaces, mat cracks and wrinkle structures. A zone of ephemeral shallow pools and channels is characterized by reticulate surfaces, pinnacle mats, sieve-like surfaces, gas domes and mat chips. In the microbial mats, authigenic minerals include thenardite Na2SO4, trona Na3(CO3)(HCO3)•2H2O and halite NaCl. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses revealed that the minerals are closely associated with the MISS, suggesting some influence of microorganisms on mineral precipitation. Complex interactions between regional hydrological cycles and diagenetic processes imply low preservation potential. MISS signatures of such saline lakes can serve as key analogues for interpreting the geologic record.

Optimization and purification of mannanase produced by an alkaliphilic-thermotolerant Bacillus cereus N1 isolated from Bani Salama Lake in Wadi El-Natron

An alkaliphilic-thermotolerant Bacillus cereus N1 isolated from Bani Salama Lake, Wadi El-Natron, Egypt, was proved to produce mannanase enzyme. Optimization of the fermentation medium components using Plackett–Burman design was applied. Glucose and inoculum size were found to be the most significant factors enhancing the production of the enzyme. On applying optimized medium in the fermentation process, an enzyme productivity of 42.2 UmL−1 was achieved with 6.4 fold increase compared to the basal one. Mannanase was also extracted and purified using chromatography such as ion-exchange chromatographic and gel filtration methods. It was indicated that, the mannanase activity extracted and purified from the isolate B. cereus N1 was reduced to 321.6 U (about 36% of the whole mannanase in the culture filtrate) in comparison with the initial mannanase activity (900 U) and the total protein content reduced to 52 mg (the initial total protein content was 220 mg). However, the specific activity for the mannanase from B. cereus N1 at the end of the purification steps was found to be about 628 Umg−1 compared to 4.2 Umg−1 at the initial culture filtrate. It was also indicated that the mannanase enzyme was purified almost 149-fold.

Pretrichodermamide C and N-methylpretrichodermamide B, two new cytotoxic epidithiodiketopiperazines from hyper saline lake derived Penicillium sp.

Two new epidithiodiketopiperazines, pretrichodermamide C (1) and N-methylpretrichodermamide B (2) were isolated from the fungus Penicillium sp., derived from the sediment of a hyper saline lake located at Wadi El-Natrun in Egypt. The structures of 1 and 2 were unambiguously determined on the basis of one- and two-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and by high-resolution mass spectrometry, as well as by comparison with the literature. Compound 2 showed pronounced cytotoxicity against the murine lymphoma L5178Y cell line with an IC50 value of 2μM.

African Miocene dicot woods with two new records for this epoch from Egypt

A summary is given on the African Miocene dicot woods. Egypt is the second richest African country after Ethiopia in Miocene dicot woods. Fabaceae is the largest family regarding the number of wood species in Africa and Egypt. Miocene dicot woods from Wadi Natrun area in Egypt were examined and two new records: Dalbergioxylon dicorynioides-Fabaceae and Sapindoxylon stromeri- Sapindaceae are reported. Xylotomical features indicate that the former was a large tree while the latter was a shrub or small tree and that a nonseasonal tropical palaeoclimate is suggested for the Miocene of the growth area.

Modeling the impacts of dryland agricultural reclamation on groundwater resources in Northern Egypt using sparse data

Summary Demand for freshwater in many dryland environments is exerting negative impacts on the quality and availability of groundwater resources, particularly in areas where demand is high due to irrigation or industrial water requirements to support dryland agricultural reclamation. Often however, information available to diagnose the drivers of groundwater degradation and assess management options through modeling is sparse, particularly in low and middle-income countries. This study presents an approach for generating transient groundwater model inputs to assess the long-term impacts of dryland agricultural land reclamation on groundwater resources in a highly data-sparse context. The approach was applied to the area of Wadi El Natrun in Northern Egypt, where dryland reclamation and the associated water use has been aggressive since the 1960s. Statistical distributions of water use information were constructed from a variety of sparse field and literature estimates and then combined with remote sensing data in spatio-temporal infilling model to produce the groundwater model inputs of well-pumping and surface recharge. An ensemble of groundwater model inputs were generated and used in a 3D groundwater flow (MODFLOW) of Wadi El Natrun’s multi-layer aquifer system to analyze trends in water levels and water budgets over time. Validation of results against monitoring records, and model performance statistics demonstrated that despite the extremely sparse data, the approach used in this study was capable of simulating the cumulative impacts of agricultural land reclamation reasonably well. The uncertainty associated with the groundwater model itself was greater than that associated with the ensemble of well-pumping and surface recharge estimates. Water budget analysis of the groundwater model output revealed that groundwater recharge has not changed significantly over time, while pumping has. As a result of these trends, groundwater was estimated to be in a deficit of approximately 24 billion m3 (±15%) in 2011, compared to 1957. A significant trend in water level declines beginning in the 1990s that has been observed in monitoring records was evident in the model results and is directly attributed to abstraction.

Herding cats – Roman to Late Antique glass groups from Bubastis, northern Egypt

Eighty-seven glass fragments from Roman and Late Antique layers at Tell Basta/Bubastis in the Eastern Nile Delta were typologically evaluated and chemically analysed to determine chronological and compositional patterns of glass use at this important Egyptian city, and how this relates to larger pattern of glass production and consumption in the first half of the first millennium AD. Bubastis is situated in geographical proximity to Alexandria, an important seaport, and at the same time close to the raw glass production areas in the Wadi Natrun and Sinai peninsula. This paper reports the first substantial set of compositional data of Roman to Late Antique glass from a settlement in northern Egypt, filling an important gap in our knowledge of glass consumption pattern in the first half of the first millennium AD. The glass from Bubastis falls into several compositional groups known already from elsewhere in the Roman and Late Antique world, including antimony- and manganese-decoloured glass and two varieties of HIMT glass. Changes in glass composition over more than 500 years are in line with earlier observations concerning changes in prevalence of these glass groups. However, compositional groups known to dominate archaeological glass assemblages elsewhere, such as Roman blue/green during the earlier part of the period under study, or Levantine I in the later period, are notably absent. For the later period, this is probably due to the proximity of Tell Basta to the suspected production region of HIMT glass in northern Sinai/Egypt. By analogy, this might indicate that the earlier Roman blue/green glass has a production origin further away from the Delta than the decolourised glasses prevailing in Bubastis. A particular vessel type, small-volume thick-walled dark green unguentaria, is made of probably Egyptian plant ash glass, indicating the existence of a specialised glassmaker during the early first millennium AD.

Boron isotopic composition as a provenance indicator for the flux raw material in Roman natron glass

Boron is a trace element present in natron glass, which largely enters the glass via the flux. Therefore, the B isotope ratio is targeted as a means of provenancing this flux. In this work, 33 Greco-Roman natron glasses and 18 natron samples were analysed for their B isotopic composition (expressed as δ11B). All glasses, except one of mixed flux origin, show a δ11B value close to the average value of +29‰. 11 natron samples from the Wadi Natrun show an average δ11B of +29.8‰, while the sample from al-Barnuj shows a δ11B of +28.5‰, the average for 4 Fezzan samples from Libya is +25.3‰ and that for the 2 samples from Lake Pikrolimni in Greece +10.5‰. There is an influence of the sand on the δ11B of natron glass, complicating the picture, but in general, the silica source will slightly lower the δ11B of the glass compared to that of the natron source. The high melting temperature has no significant effect on the B isotope ratio. It can be concluded that Greco-Roman natron glasses show a rather homogenous δ11B. The Wadi Natrun salts analysed fit a model in which the δ11B of the glasses is somewhat lower than that of the natron source due to the input of low δ11B sand. The samples from Lake Pikrolimni in Greece analysed in this study show too low δ11B values to be used in glass making according to this model.