Red Sea Rifting Controls on Aquifer Distribution: Constraints from Geochemical, Geophysical, and Remote Sensing Data
Red Sea rifting controls on aquifer distribution: Constraints from geochemical, geophysical, and remote sensing data M. Sultan1,†, A.F. Yousef2, S.E. Metwally2, R. Becker3, A. Milewski1, W. Sauck1, N.C. Sturchio4, A.M.M. Mohamed5, A. Wagdy6, Z. El Alfy7, F. Soliman8, M. Rashed8, D. Becker1, Z. Sagintayev1, M. Ahmed1, and B. Welton1 1Department of Geosciences, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan 49008-5200, USA 2Desert Research Center, El Matariya, Cairo, Egypt 3Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio 43606, USA 4Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607-7059, USA 5Department of Geology, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt 6Irrigation and Hydraulics Engineering Department, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt 7Hammash Misr for Gold Mines, Cairo, Egypt 8Department of Geology, Suez Canal University, Ismalia, Egypt ABSTRACT the Red Sea–Gulf of Suez system, and in rift referred to as “fossil” aquifers. Fossil aquifers systems elsewhere. An understanding of the are believed to have been recharged under pre- Highly productive wells in the Central distribution of Red Sea rift–related aquifers vious wet climatic periods (e.g., Sturchio et al., Eastern Desert of Egypt are tapping ground- and modern recharge contributions to these 2004) but may have also received local meteoric water in subsided blocks of Jurassic to aquifers could assist in addressing the rising contributions in intervening dry climatic periods Cretaceous sandstone (Taref Formation of demands for fresh water supplies and water (such as at present; Sultan et al., 2007, 2008a). the Nubian Sandstone Group) and Oligocene scarcity issues in the region. These aquifers are of extreme importance to Miocene sandstone (Nakheil Formation), to the general population of these countries given now occurring beneath the Red Sea coastal INTRODUCTION the prevailing arid conditions and the increasing plain and within the proximal basement com- need for fresh-water supply in these areas.
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