STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE MID-EGYPTIAN TECTONIC EXTENSIONAL CORRIDOR (METEC)

This study aims at improving our understanding of the nature of abnormally narrow horst-and-graben structures located north of Aswan and continuing north-northwest, parallel to the Nile Valley in Egypt. These features are evident in the remote sensing imagery and we are calling them collectively the Mid-Egyptian Tectonic Extensional Corridor (METEC). In a previous study, we were able to constrain the METEC's boundaries using a combination of radar satellite, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), and digital elevation model (DEM) data. This study will focus on characterizing the major METEC structures by creating and analysing geophysical and geological cross sections from various METEC zones. The study will analyse the structure length and apparent displacement and compare the METEC with similar structures found in the Turkana Depression in Kenya. This analysis will aid not only in understanding the formation mechanisms of the METEC structures, but will also improve our understanding of the seismic hazards and hydrocarbon potential in this part of Egypt.