US-Egypt Cooperative Research: Neotectonic Evolution of the Kalabsha and Related Faults, Southern Egypt

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

9905081NielsenDescription: This award is to support a collaborative project by Drs. Kent Nielsen and Mohamed Abdelsalam, Department of Geosciences, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas and Dr. Hassan El-Etr, National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences, Cairo, Egypt. These scientists plan to use remote sensing and geological mapping, in combination with other relevant data from their GIS database (most notably seismicity) to study the Kalabsha fault in Upper Egypt. Specifically they plan to: 1. Prepare a 1:50,000 geologic and structural map of the Kalabsha fault, by integrating satellite imagery, earthquake distributions, and geologic field studies. 2. Outline the structural evolution of the Kalabsha fault using structural geology and tectonic geomorphological techniques. 3. Develop remote sensing and field criteria for studying similar faults in the area and for evaluating their potential reactivation. 4. Study the causes of the seismicity in the Kalabsha fault, with special attention to the possible relationship between the seismicity and the water loading resulting from the presence of the Aswan dam. Scope: The existence of a fault near the Aswan High Dam raises the important scientific question of the relationship of building large dams to increases in seismicity in its surrounding areas. This research may help identify previously unrecognized faults, and may improve understanding of the regional tectonic setting. This work would help in quantifying seismic hazard, an issue of paramount importance to Egypt, where knowledge of the activity on the faults in question is critical for future planning. The collaborating scientists have strong background in remote sensing processing and interpretation, and have the equipment necessary for working with the remote sensing imagery. The geologic and structural map to be produced of the Kalabsha fault will be a useful product for numerous investigators. The emphasis on new data, such as radar, and relatively new tectonic geomorphology techniques, makes this work a novel contribution for this particular area. The project will support a US graduate student who will have an opportunity to gain experience through this international collaboration. This proposal meets the INT objective of supporting collaborative research in areas of mutual interest. This project is being supported under the US-Egypt Joint Fund Program, which provides grants to scientists and engineers in both countries to carry out these cooperative activities.