Assessment of groundwater potentialities using Remote Sensing and Geophysical data in saint Catherine area Southern Sinai,Egypt,,

Abstract

The present work deals with the structural setting, tectonic evolution, in Saint Catherine area and their effect on groundwater characterization in some specific wadies, south eastern Sinai, Egypt. It is mainly content basement rocks that effect with tectonic evidence in the southern part, parallel with great thickness of sedimentary lie in its northern part. The study area lies south eastern Sinai. It is located between latitudes 28ᵒ 30'-29ᵒ 00' N and longitudes 33ᵒ 50' -34ᵒ 30' E that is extending over an area of about 3619 m2, lies at Nuweiba-Saint Catherine highway and Nuweiba- Dahab highway. The famous geomorphologic features on Saint Catharine area are Jabal Catherine, Jabal Mousa, Jabal Dalal, El Gunnah plateau, Wadi Dahab, Wadi Wateir and Wadi Ferain. Also, there are some interesting wells such as Bir Khodra, Bir El Sower, Umm Ahmed spring and El Rabba spring. The attributes mountains are known as the highest mountain peaks in Sinai. These mountains from a wide catchment area that receives the highest precipitation all over the surrounding areas. At winter, the high mountain peaks are covered with thin snow sheet representing a valuable stockpile that melts gradually and adds to the local water resources. The high altitude of Saint Catherine area imparts the area a mild climate that decreases evaporation and enriches water resources. Various types of geomorphic elements which are belonging to the tectonically active area. Basement terrain represented by rugged basement (Precambrian rocks) mountains rise up to 2641 m (asl) (Jabal Catherine) that include numerous lines of weakness joints and fractures take NE-SW, N-S and NNW-SSE