Categories
vol-24PALEOENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS A~ND SEALEVEL
CHANGES IN SHARM EL-SHEIKH (GULF OF AQABA, EGYPT)
BASED ON SEDIMEIVTOLOGICAL AND MINERALOGICAL
STUDIES
By
M. B. AWAD*; M.A. SHATA; AND O.A. FARHA.
*National Institute ofOceanography & Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt.
Key words: Paleoenvironmental, Sealevel, GulfofAqaba, Red Sea.
_A.BSTRACT
Seven boreholes were drilled in Sharm EI-Sheikh basin till depth of
about -30 m. Using both of sedimentological and mineralogical
characteristics, it was possible to determine the paleoenvironmental
conditions, the paleohydrodynamic activities, the position of the
paleoshoreline and the sealevel changes during the sedimentation
periods.
The present study shows that, the subsurface shallow marine
sediments had been deposited within and under beach environmental
conditions. Some sediment belongs to’ inland dunes and subjected to
aeolian deposition while the other subjected to both marine and
fluviatile activities. The most probable sources of these sediments
include stream discharges and sea clifferosion.
The hydrodynamic conditions indicate that, rolling transports the
majority of grains. The deeper parts are transported in presence of
high to moderate turbulent energy as graded suspension.
The results show that, the paleoshoreline was at depths ranging
from -16 to -20 meter in the eastern part andfrom -6 to -9.6m in the
northern one
