U.S.-Egypt Cooperative Research: Influence of Structures on Drainage Patterns in the Tushka Region, Southwest Egypt

0513379 Robinson描述：该项目支持波士顿大学遥感中心的Cordula罗宾逊博士和埃及开罗国家研究中心（NRC）的Hesham El-Kaliouby博士之间的合作研究。 在这项研究中，PI将使用一种新的方法，利用星载雷达和热成像，地理信息系统和地球物理技术：分析结构对排水的影响;确定地下水补给的结构，以及地下水驻留或传输的结构;并在埃及西南部图什卡运河以南北纬22至23度、东经30.5至31.5度之间的地区确定地下水积聚增加的地点。研究区位于努比亚含水层系统之下，该含水层系统被认为是不承压的，地下水存在于不整合地覆盖在基底岩石上的砂岩中，并被第四纪沉积物覆盖。然而，含水层并不是均匀的，而是具有可变的性质，因为目前的地下水取决于：1）地质历史中的补给; 2）压裂，这使岩石中产生次生孔隙，增加了它们的储存能力。为了确定这种变化的特征，将利用空间雷达和热成像以及地理信息系统数据库中的数字高程模型来推导近地表河流地貌和相关结构地貌的空间组织。这些矢量层将与数字高程模型相结合，以获得进一步的水文形态参数和水文特性的定义流域，并确定需要实地调查的结构。为此目的，将利用地球物理剖面图提供关于地下分布和断层相对含水量以及含水层深度的信息。使用地理信息系统将使必要的比例变换很容易解决。这一合作项目是2003年12月在开罗举行的由国家科学基金会支助的关于“评估和管理埃及地表水和地下水”的讲习班的成果。数据库的创建和使用的数据集的相关性确保了对研究区域的排水系统，结构控制和地下水分布的新的和更好的理解。更广泛的活动：研究结果将确定结构如何影响研究区努比亚非承压含水层的排水模式和地下水分布;因此，可以确定本试点研究中设计的方法是否可以应用于大撒哈拉的其他地区。了解结构设置和潜在分布的断层，收到最补给也是重要的建设发展，预计为这一地区。孔隙流体压力增加的断层增加了地震脆弱性，因此，必须在建筑开发计划中标记。研究结果将发表在同行评审的科学期刊上，新的数据库将通过BU的互联网提供。该项目得到了美国-埃及联合基金方案的支持，该方案向两国的科学家和工程师提供赠款，以开展这些合作活动。

0513379RobinsonDescription: This project supports a collaborative research between Dr. Cordula Robinson, Center for Remote Sensing, Boston University, Boston and Dr. Hesham El-Kaliouby, National Research Center (NRC), Cairo, Egypt. In this research the PIs will use a new approach utilizing space-borne radar and thermal imagery, GIS and geophysical techniques to: analyze the influence of structures on drainage; identify those structures recharged by groundwater, and in which groundwater resides or is transmitted; and determine locations with enhanced groundwater accumulation, in the area between 22 to 23 degree N and 30.5 to 31.5 degree E, south of the Tushka canal in southwest Egypt. The study area is underlain by the Nubian aquifer system that is considered to be unconfined whereby groundwater resides in sandstone rocks that unconformably overlie basement rocks and are covered by Quaternary deposits. The aquifer, however, is not homogeneous, but has a variable nature in that the groundwater present depends on: 1) recharge in the geologic past; and 2) fracturing, which introduced secondary porosity into the rocks and increased their storage capacity. To characterize this variability, the spatial organization of near-surface fluvial features and associated structural features will be derived using space-borne radar and thermal images and Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) in a Geographical Information System (GIS) database. These vector layers will be combined with a DEM to obtain further hydro-morphological parameters and hydrological properties for the defined drainage basins, and to identify those structures requiring field investigation. Geophysical profiling will be used to this end to provide information about the subsurface distribution and relative water content of the faults, as well as aquifer depth. The use of a GIS will allow the necessary scale transformations to be easily resolved. The collaborative project resulted from an NSF-supported workshop held in Cairo, in December 2003, on "Assessing and Managing Surface and Groundwater in Egypt".The Intellectual Merit: The RS and GIS process-flow routine established to meet the objectives of this proposal, and the availability of advanced geophysical profiling techniques, will allow the theoretical deductions made to be tested empirically. The creation of the database and the correlation of the datasets to be used ensure a new and improved understanding of the drainage systems, structural controls, and groundwater distributions in the study area. The approach is innovative and access to all the datasets required makes the goals of the project achievable.The Broader Activities: Results will establish how structures influence drainage patterns and groundwater distributions in the unconfined Nubian aquifer for the study area; thus, it can be determined if the method devised in this pilot study can be applied to other areas in the Great Sahara. Understanding the structural setting and the potential distribution of faults that received most recharge is also significant in building development that is anticipated for this area. Faults with increased pore fluid pressure have increased seismic vulnerability; thus, must be flagged in building development plans. Results will be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and the new database will be made available over the Internet at BU. 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.