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Department of Environmental Sciences, Umm AI-Qura University, P.O. Box 17761, Jeddah 21494, Saudi Arabia; and HeIwan Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, Helwan, A.R. Egypt

ABSTRACT

This paper attempts to statistically identify the main tectonic trends in northern Egypt. Two methods were applied to the Bouguer anomaly map. The first method uses raw data derived from the Bouguer anomaly map; the second employs residual fields of Bouguer anomaly data. This investigation led the authors to identify seven principal tectonic trends. The graphical-numerical technique identifies the extents of the major and minor trends, while autocovariance succeeded in picking seven trends at different depths. Two of these seven trends were recorded only at shallow depth. This means that forces creating them were active during recent geologic times. This phenomenon supports the concept that forces creating the Gulf of Suez, which is an extension of the Red Sea Rift, preceded the forces creating the Gulf of Aqaba whose tectonic extension lies towards the north in the Dead Sea. Three major tectonic zones are recognised, each of which has different tectonic characteristics. These findings are supported by conclusions arrived at by other researches using different methodologies.