Contribution of Satellite Altimetry Data in the Environmental Geophysical Investigation of the Northern Egyptian Continental Margin

Abstract

The northern Egyptian continental margin is characterized by interesting tectonic settings as well as trade and industry district in Egypt. In the current study, the contribution role of satellite altimetry gravity data in the Environmental geophysical investigation is presented to give a complete view of the marine gravity field of the study area. The satellite data showed only minor deviations in some partial regions of the area investigated such as Nile Deep Sea Fan, Levant Basin, Eratosthenes Seamount and Herodotus basin. The interpretations of the entire data illustrated that the differences between the satellite and the shipboard data were small in some regions particularly near to land. Furthermore, a number of strong deviations in some regions were spatially correlated with bathymetric depth together with the appearance of geological structures.

Share and Cite:

H. Aboulela, "Contribution of Satellite Altimetry Data in the Environmental Geophysical Investigation of the Northern Egyptian Continental Margin," International Journal of Geosciences, Vol. 3 No. 3, 2012, pp. 431-442. doi: 10.4236/ijg.2012.33047.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] O. Andersen and P. Knudsen, “Global Gravity Field from the ERS-1 Geodetic Mission,” Earth Observation Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 45, 1995, pp. 1-5.
[2] G. Balmino, M. Moynot, M. Sarrailh and N. Vales, “Free Air Gravity Anomalies over the Oceans from Seasat and Geos3 Altimeter Data,” EOS Transactions, Vol. 68, No. 2, 1987, pp. 17-18. doi:10.1029/EO068i002p00017
[3] W. Haxby, “Gravity Field of the Worlds Oceans: A Portrayal of Gridded Geophysical Data Derived from GEOSAT Rader Altimeter Measurements of the Shape of the ocean Surface,” Department of the US Navy, Office of Naval Research and NOAA Data Center, Boulder, 1987.
[4] D. Sandwell and W. Smith, “Marine Gravity Anomaly from Geosat and ERS-1 Satellite Altimetry,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 102, No. B5, 1997, pp. 10039-10054. doi:10.1029/96JB03223
[5] O. Andersen, P. Woodworth and R. Flather, “Intercomparison of Recent Global Ocean Tide Models,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 100, No. C12, 1995, pp. 25261-25282. doi:10.1029/95JC02642
[6] L. Fu and A. Cazenave, “Satellite Altimetry and Earth Sciences: A Handbook of Techniques and Applications,” International Geophysical Services, Academic Press, San Diego, Vol. 69, 2001, p. 463.
[7] R. Hipkin, “Modeling the Geoid and Sea-Surface Topography in Coastal Areas,” Physics and chemistry of the Earth, Vol. 25, No. 1, 2000, pp. 9-16.doi:10.1016/S1464-1895(00)00003-X
[8] A. El-Sayed, I. Korrat and H. Hussein, “Seismicity and Seismic Hazard in Alexandria (Egypt) and Its Surroundings,” Pure and Applied Geophysics, Vol. 161, No. 5-6, 2004, pp. 1003-1019. doi:10.1007/s00024-003-2488-8
[9] H. Hussein, I. Korrat and A. El-Sayed, “Seismicity in the Vicinity of Alexandaria and Its Implication to Seismic Hazard,” Proceedings of the 2nd International Symposium on Geophysics, Tanta, 19-20 February 2001, pp. 57-64.
[10] I. Korrat, N. El Agami, H. Hussein and M. El-Gabry, “Seismotectonics of the Passive Continental Margin of Egypt,” Journal African Earth Science, Vol. 41, No. 1, 2005, pp. 145-150. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.02.003
[11] A. Aabdel Aal, J. Price, J. Vaitl and A. Shrallow, “Tectonic Evolution of the Nile Delta, Its Impact on Sedimentation and Hydrocarbon,” 12th Petroleum Exploration and Production Conference, Cairo, 12-15 November 1994, pp. 19-34.
[12] Z. Ben-avraham, A. Nur and G. Cello, “Active Transcurrent Fault System along the North African Passive Margin,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 141, No. 1-3, 1987, pp. 249- 260. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(87)90189-2
[13] V. Gaullier, Y. Mart, G. Bellaiche, J. Mascle, B. Vendeville and T. Zitter, “The Second Leg PRISMED II Scientific Party, 2000. Salt Tectonics in and around the Nile Deep-Sea Fan: Insights from PRISMED II Cruise,” In: B. Vendeville, Y. Mart and L. Vigneresse, Eds., Salt, Shale and Igneous Diapirs in and Around Europe, Special Publications, Geological Society, London, Vol. 174, 2000, pp. 111-129.
[14] J. Jackson and D. Mckenzie, “The Relationship between Plate Motions and Seismic Moment Tensors, and the Rates of Active Deformation in the Mediterranean and Middle East,” Geophysical Journal, Vol. 93, No. 1, 1988, pp. 45-73. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1988.tb01387.x
[15] L. Loncke, V. Gaullier, J. Mascle and B. Vendeville, “Shallow Structure of the Nile Deep Sea Fan: Interactions between Structural Heritage and Salt Tectonics; Consequences on Sedimentary Dispersal,” CIESM Workshop Mediterranean and Black Sea Turbidite Systems and Deep Sea Fans, Bucharest, 5-8 June 2002.
[16] L. Loncke, V. Gaullier, J. Mascle, B. Vendeville and L. Camera, “The Nile Deep Sea Fan: An Example of Interacting Sedimentation, Salt Tectonics and Inherited Subsalt Paleotopographic Features,” Marine Petrology and Geology, Vol. 23, 2006, pp. 297-315. doi:10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2006.01.001
[17] J. Lort, “The Tectonics of the Eastern Mediterranean: A Geophysical Review,” Reviews of Geophysics and Space Physics, Vol. 9, No. 2, 1971, pp. 189-216.doi:10.1029/RG009i002p00189
[18] J. Mascle, C. Huguen and L. Loncke, “Evidences for Tectonic Reactivation along the African Continental Margins from Egypt to Libya,” In: J. Mascle and F. Briand, Eds., African Continental Margins of the Mediterranean Sea, CIESM Workshop Series, Djerba, 22-25 November 2000, pp. 67-70.
[19] J. Mascle, J. Benkhelil, G. Bellaiche, T. Zitter, J. Woodside and L. Loncke, “The Prismed II Scientific Party (Including V. GAULLIER), Marine Geological Evidences for a Levantine-Sinai Plate, a Missing Piece of the Mediterranean Puzzle,” Geology, Vol. 28, No. 9, 2000, pp. 779-782.doi:10.1130/0091-7613(2000)028<0779:MGEFAL>2.3.CO;2
[20] D. Mckenzie, “Plate Tectonic of the Mediterranean Region,” Nature, Vol. 226, No. 5242, 1970, pp. 239-243.doi:10.1038/226239a0
[21] W. Mesherf, “Tectonic Framework of the Northern Egypt and Eastern Mediterranean Region,” In: R. Said, Ed., The Geology of Egypt, A. A. Balkema, Rotterdam, 1990, pp. 113-153.
[22] A. Mosconi, A. Rebora, G. Venturino, P. Bocc and H. Khalil, “Egypt-Nile Delta and North Sinai Cenozoic Tectonic Evolutionary Model a Proposal,” Proceedings of the 13th Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation Exploration and Production Conference, Cairo, Vol. 1, 21-24 October 1996, pp. 203-223.
[23] M. Schlumberger, “Well Evolution Conference,” 1984, pp. 43-52.
[24] Sofratome Group, “Regional Geology, Tectonics and Seismology,” Chapter 3, 1984, pp. 21-32.
[25] R. Ross and I. Uchupi, “The Structure and Sedimentary History of the SE Mediterranean Sea,” Bulletin American Associations Petroume Geology, Vol. 61, 1977, pp. 879- 902.
[26] O. Andersen and P. Knudsen, “Global Marine Gravity Field from the ERS-1 and Geosat Geodetic Mission Altimetry,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 103, No. C4, 1998, pp. 8129-8137. doi:10.1029/97JC02198
[27] D. Sandwell, “Antarctic Marine Gravity Field from High-Density Satellite Altimetry,” Geophysical Journal International, Vol. 109, No. 2, 1992, pp. 437-448. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1992.tb00106.x
[28] D. Sandwell and W. Smith, “Exploring the Ocean Basins with Satellite Altimeter Data,” 1997. http://topex.ucsd.edu/marine_grav/explore grav.html
[29] P. Knudsen and O. Andersen, “Global Marine Gravity and Mean Sea Surface from Multimission Satellite Altimetry,” Geodesy on the Move, Gravity, Geoid, Geodynamics and Antarctica, Proceedings IAG Scientific Assembly, IAG Symposia, Springer, Berlin, 1998, pp. 132- 138.
[30] K. Lambeck, “Geophysical Geodesy: The Slow Deformation of the Earth,” Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1988.
[31] W. Featherstone, “Comparison of Recent Satellite Altimeter-Derived Gravity Anomalies with One Another, EGM96 and Ship-Borne Gravimetry around Australia,” 2001. http://www.cage.curtin.edu.au/~will/altimeter5.pdf
[32] W. Featherstone, J. Kirby, S. Holmes, G. Fotopoulos and J. Goos, “Recent Research towards an Improved Geoid Model for Australia,” Joint Aurtian Institution Survey Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, 25-30 November 2002.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.