Evidence for Pleistocene lakes in the Tushka region, south Egypt

Maxwell, T. A.; Issawi, Bahay; Haynes, C. Vance

doi:10.1130/g31320.1

Cited by 96 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The Arabian Peninsula now receives, on average, less than 60 mm of precipitation annually [47,48]; a mapping of the paleohydrologic features of Saudi Arabia by using radar and optical data, however, shows that this area was wetter and that active rivers and lakes had been more abundant [48][49][50][51][52]. The Quaternary in the Arabian Peninsula and the Sahara has also experienced a change in climate conditions, thereby causing the formation of paleohydrologic features [20,53].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Paleohydrologic Features in the Arid Areas of Saudi Arabia Using Remote-Sensing Data

Abdelkareem

Abdalla

Mohamed

et al. 2020

Water

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At present, the Arabian Peninsula is one of the driest regions on Earth; however, this area experienced heavy rainfall in the past thousand years. During this period, catchments received substantial amounts of surface water and sustained vast networks of streams and paleolakes, which are currently inactive. The Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased Array Type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) data reveal paleohydrologic features buried under shallow aeolian deposits in many areas of the ad-Dawasir, Sahba, Rimah/Batin, and as-Sirhan wadis. Optical remote-sensing data support that the middle of the trans-peninsula Wadi Rimah/Batin, which extends for ~1200 km from the Arabian Shield to Kuwait and covers ~200,000 km2, is dammed by linear sand dunes formed by changes in climate conditions. Integrating Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Geo-Eye, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model, and ALOS/PALSAR data allowed for the characterization of paleodrainage reversals and diversions shaped by structural and volcanic activity. Evidence of streams abruptly shifting from one catchment to another is preserved in Wadi ad-Dawasir along the fault trace. Volcanic activity in the past few thousand years in northern Saudi Arabia has also changed the slope of the land and reversed drainage systems. Relics of earlier drainage directions are well maintained as paleoslopes and wide upstream patterns. This study found that paleohydrologic activity in Saudi Arabia is impacted by changes in climate and by structural and volcanic activity, resulting in changes to stream direction and activity. Overall, the integration of radar and optical remote-sensing data is significant for deciphering past hydrologic activity and for predicting potential water resource areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping Paleohydrologic Features in the Arid Areas of Saudi Arabia Using Remote-Sensing Data

Abdelkareem

Abdalla

Mohamed

et al. 2020

Water

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“…We can evaluate it using, for instance, the ruler of Google Earth and a grid on the image, obtained by means of GIMP, the GNU Image Manipulation Program [13]. In the Figure 2, we can see such a processing; the main part of the lake has a surface of approximately The region of the Toshka depression hosted a prehistoric megalake, as obtained from radar data of Egypt taken by the Space Shuttle Radar Topography Mission [14]. This lake was formed some 250,000 years ago by the Nile River, that, near Wadi Toshka, flooded the eastern Sahara.…”

Section: Google Earth Imagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the time, the region had more rainfall; moreover, the heavy rain in highlands to the south, from where the Nile flows, caused the megalake to grow. According to [14], the lake oscillated in size, over multiple thousands of years. Just northeast of where the huge paleolake once was laying, the new artificial Toshka Lakes have been created.…”

Section: Google Earth Imagesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Shrinking Toshka Lakes in the Google Earth Images

Sparavigna

2013

ijSciences

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Toshka Lakes are lakes artificially created in the Sahara Desert of Egypt, by the water of the Nile, conveyed from the Nasser Lake through a canal in the Toshka Depression. From space, astronauts noticed the growing of a first lake, the easternmost one, in 1998. Then additional lakes grew in succession due west, the westernmost one between 2000 and 2001. The pictures of the Toshka Lakes taken by the crews of space missions and the satellite imagery can show the evolution of them. From 2006, the lakes started shrinking rapidly. The recent images, among them those of Google Earth, display that the surface of the lakes is strongly reduced and some of them entirely dried out.

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“…Berry and Whiteman (1968) supported the idea that the Nile was a very old drainage system of Late Cretaceous or even earlier times. Issawi and McCauley (1992), Issawi and Osman (2008) and Maxwell et al (2010). However, other workers consider that the age of the Nile is much younger, namely of Pleistocene, e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…However, other workers consider that the age of the Nile is much younger, namely of Pleistocene, e.g. Issawi and McCauley (1992), Issawi and Osman (2008) and Maxwell et al (2010). Yousef (1968), Adamson and Williams (1982), Said (1990), Said (1981), Peterson (1985), Adamson et al (1993), Youssef (2003), Akawy and Kamal El Din (2006) and Issawi and Osman (2008) consider that the Nile is structurally controlled, and that several structural elements influenced its course.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mode of formation of the Nile Gorge in northern Egypt: a study by DEM‐SRTM data and GIS analysis

Abdelkareem

El-Baz

2015

Geological Journal

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This is an overview of the mode of formation of the Nile Gorge in northern Egypt. It is based on the interpretation of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data along with detailed analysis of landsat image, geological map and seismic data. The results show that the current course of the Nile was caused by a differential uplift of two plateaus: Ma'aza, to the east, and Western Desert plateau, to the west of the river. This uplift is caused by dynamic forces resulting from subsurface convection processes. It also contributed to the formation of several drainage systems, basins and structural features. Abundant faults and fractures that are parallel to the Nile Valley on both flanks that are associated with uplift are proven to be contemporaneous with formation of the river. We conclude that understanding of the uplift is crucial to visualizing the Nile course and its geodynamic formation. The information derived from the SRTM data reveals invaluable knowledge in support of the presented remotely sensed geological features. The paper clearly explains the stages of formation of the Nile segments in space and time and structural controls on the path of the Nile River in Egypt. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Evidence for Pleistocene lakes in the Tushka region, south Egypt

Cited by 96 publications

References 21 publications

Mapping Paleohydrologic Features in the Arid Areas of Saudi Arabia Using Remote-Sensing Data

Mapping Paleohydrologic Features in the Arid Areas of Saudi Arabia Using Remote-Sensing Data

The Shrinking Toshka Lakes in the Google Earth Images

Mode of formation of the Nile Gorge in northern Egypt: a study by DEM‐SRTM data and GIS analysis

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