The geography and geology of south-eastern EgyptBall, John
Science
The geography and geology of south-eastern Egypt
Ball, John
Geology -- Egypt; Physical geography -- Egypt
To the east of the main summit the rock changes to a
green breccia, which seems to form a considerable portion of that
part of the mountain. The view from the summit is a fine one in
clear weather, including as it does an extensive prospect of the
rugged mountains around, and a large extent of coast-line. But it
was on this mountain that I had my first experience of the chronic
haze which seems to hang almost perpetually over the coastal regions
in the neighbourhood of the tropic, and which is the greatest enemy
of the surveyor in these parts. On each of the three days which
I spent on Hamata, the morning sun rose over cloud-banks to the
east; clouds filled all the wadis and covered the lower country,
while the highest peaks stood up clear and sharp above the sea
of cloud. Towards 10 a.m., the clouds gradually melted away over
the land under the increasing solar influence, but there remained
a continuous haze, especially over the coast and out to sea. The
explanation of the almost perpetual clouds and haze was soon seen,
and is very simple. If the wind blows from the north-west, it is
generally cool or even cold in winter. If this north wind is dry
and persistent, the air is clear; but should it fail and warm moist
breezes set in from seaward, these drop their moisture on reaching
the cooler air of the mountains. If the air is still or nearly so,
the moisture is evaporated in the sun’s rays during the day, only
to precipitate itself again as the air cools by rapid radiation at
night. As a consequence, dews on the mountains are extremely heavy,
and one soon learns to seek the shelter of an overhanging rock or to
improvise a rude tent from a blanket and a few sticks over one’s
nightly resting-place.
=Gebel Abu Ghusun= is a mountain range north of Hamata, with which
it is connected by a ridge of lower peaks so as to close in the
small rough granite plain north-east of the latter mountain. Its
highest peak, eight kilometres north-north-west of Gebel Hamata,
is 1,389 metres above sea-level. It is drained on the south by
the Wadi el Abiad, the same tributary of Wadi Huluz which drains
the north face of Hamata, and on the north by the Wadi Abu Ghusun,
which enters the sea separately.
=Gebel Um Laham= is a mass of lower hills a little west of Gebel Abu
Ghusun, forming the side of Wadi Huluz opposite to Gebel el Mahali.
=Gebel Tarfawi= is a complex mountain range fourteen kilometres
north-west of Gebel Hamata. Its highest point, at the north-west end
of a ridge, is 1,363 metres above the sea. It is probably drained
to the south by the Wadi Tarfawi, a tributary of Wadi Huluz, and to
the north by feeders of Wadi Romit.
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