Ali M.A. Abd-Allah

One million year old groundwater in the Sahara revealed by krypton‐81 and chlorine‐36

Measurements of 81 Kr/Kr in deep groundwater from the Nubian Aquifer (Egypt) were performed by a new laser-based atom-counting method. 81 Kr ages range from ∼2 × 10 5 to ∼1 x 10 6 yr, correlate with 36 Cl/Cl ratios, and are consistent with lateral flow of groundwater from a recharge area near the Uweinat Uplift in SW Egypt. Low δ 2 H values of the 81 Kr-dated groundwater reveal a recurrent Atlantic moisture source during Pleistocene pluvial periods. These results indicate that the 81 Kr method for dating old groundwater is robust and such measurements can now be applied to a wide range of hydrolugic problems.

Tectonic evolution of the northeastern part of the African continental margin, Egypt

Abstract The area between Manzalah Lake and the southern Galala Plateau in northeast Egypt constitutes the Galalas, Cairo-Suez, southern Nile Delta and northern Nile Delta structural provinces. The northern Galala Fault separates the Galalas Province from the Cairo-Suez Province and is considered to be the westward extension of the Themed Fault in central Sinai. The pre-Eocene rocks are affected by northeast to east-northeast-orientated folds and reverse faults, as well as east-west-orientated oblique-slip faults with dextral and normal components. Some folds and reverse faults are interpreted to have been formed by northwest to north-northwest-orientated compression related to the Syrian Arc movement, whereas the others by the secondary northwest orientated shortening, which accompanied dextral strike-slip component along the planes of the east-west-orientated faults. The east-west-orientated faults were initially formed during the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic extension related to the drifting of the African/Arabian Plate away from the Eurasian Plate as a result of opening of the Neotethyan Sea. The Neotethyan began to close due to convergence between the two plates, leading to the Syrian Arc deformation. This deformation mildly started in Late Cenomanian and followed by a more intensive phase in Conacian/Santonian. It mildly continued in the Maastrichtian, Early Palaeocene and Late Palaeocene/Early Eocene. The southward thinning of the pre-Eocene rocks controlled the intensity and style of deformation. Two deformational mechanisms are proposed for the Nile Delta hinge zone. The first is related to Late Oligocene—Early Miocene north-northwest-orientated Alpine compression. The second is related to northward gravitational sliding of the post-Oligocene shale and sandstone over Cretaceous-Eocene carbonates.

Transfer zones with en echelon faulting at the northern end of the Suez Rift

Detailed field mapping of the central part of the area between the northern end of the Suez rift to the Nile Valley (Cairo-Suez area) shows that the Eocene to Miocene rocks are affected by E-W elongated belts of left-stepped en echelon normal faults. These belts act as transfer zones between NW oriented normal faults synchronous with faults of the same trend in the Suez rift. Individual faults within the en echelon fault belts are oriented E-W to WNW and dip in the same direction as the linked NW faults. Step faulting or horsts and grabens are two possible fault arrangements in the transfer zones depending on the geometry of the linked faults. The linked faults and the transfer zones are joined together in zigzag fault belts that extend northwest-ward from the northern part of the Suez rift into the Cairo-Suez area and possibly further northwestward. A substantial amount of the throw of the NW faults of the Suez rift is transferred northwestward by these zigzag fault belts. The throw generally decreases northwestward away from the rift. The en echelon fault belts were probably formed by right-lateral divergent wrenching on E-W oriented, deep-seated, preexisting faults. This right-lateral divergent wrenching is kinematically related to the dip-slip movement on the linked, NW oriented, normal faults.

Rock slope stability and design in Arafat-Muzdalifa area, Saudi Arabia

The present contribution is a complete study extending before, during, and after the excavation of the mountain side that lying north of road 7. It includes slope stability analysis, rock cut design, and rockfall modeling for natural slope and rock cut face. Neoproterozoic granodiorite and biotite granite forming the slope body have medium to very high strengths. Mineral compositions and textures of these intact rocks control the strength values. These rocks are intensively dissected by fractures that are filled with montmorillonite and chlorite. The high plasticity and slippery nature of these filling materials represent the main problem that may face a rock cut designer because they damage the mechanical properties of these fractures. The problem begins with the selection of the rock mass classification that deals with the fracture fillings and extends during the stability analysis and the suggestion of mitigation and supporting measures. The rock masses building the natural slope are suffered by plane, wedge, and toppling failures. Therefore, two rock cut designs are suggested to avoid the hazards related to these failures and considering the construction cost as well. Rockfall modeling for the natural slope and rock cut designs was done to assess the hazards related to these falling of the blocks. The kinetic energy of falling blocks is represented on the roadway by the coverage distance and block rebound amplitude. Slope height has a positive effect on the values of these distance and amplitude, whereas the steepness of berm height has a negative effect on them. Coverage distance is a function to the location of rockfall barrier and to the width of road ditch, while the amplitude controls the barrier height.