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
The Nubian sandstone covers a comparatively small portion of
South-Eastern Egypt, occupying only about one-tenth of the total area
under consideration. The greater portion of it forms the eastern
termination of the vast sandstone plateaux which stretch eastward
from the Nile towards the igneous and metamorphic back-bone of the
Red Sea mountains, but there are in addition some small patches on
the eastern side of the watershed which are interesting as showing
that the deposition of the sandstone was not confined to the western
side of the mountain ranges.
The most northerly exposure of Nubian sandstone in the district
here described extends with some breaks southward from near Gebel
Sufra to near Gebel Homr Akarim, forming low hills. Further south,
it comes in again on both sides of the Wadi Garara, forming the hills
of Felieiti and Abu Hashim. In the sandy plain around the Wadi Timsah
are outlying sandstone hills of considerable height and extent,
the principal being Gebels Nuggur, Mulgata, and Ziraga. Further
south-west, the Nubian sandstone forms an extensive high broken
plateau stretching southward from near Gebel Zergat Naam to near
Gebel Um Reit, sending out a long tongue south-eastwards across Wadi
Dif to near Gebel Nigrub el Tahtani. This tract of broken sandstone
plateaux bears various names in different parts, Gebels Um Harba, Um
Khafur, Dagalai, Shebakhit, Awamtib, Um Sididad, Abraq, Hodein, Dif,
Anfeib, and Kala, all forming parts of the same great sandstone mass,
though separated by wadis from each other. Small outliers of Nubian
sandstone cap the hills of Gebels Reietit, just north of latitude
23°, near the meridian of 34°, and Gebel Seiga, in latitude 22°
44′, longitude 34° 16′.
On the eastern side of the watershed, Nubian sandstone extends
for some distance near the coast opposite the Gulhan islands, and
also forms small thin outliers south of the Wadi Hodein. The most
southerly point where the sandstone has been met with in the area
is a small outlier in latitude 22° 36′, a few kilometres east of
Gebel Hamra Dom.
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