Structural Architecture and The Evolution History of Sarbut El Gamal-Abu Ideimat Area, Gulf Of Suez Rift, Sinai, Egypt

By

 Ahmed F. Abu El Ennin¹, Mohammed L. Abdel Khalek¹, Mohamed Darwish¹, Adel Sehim¹

(1) Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

 The study area lies in the central dip-province of the Gulf of Suez. Excellent three-dimensional exposures enabled detailed analysis of the style and mechanics of this part of the Suez rift.

The Miocene sequences are bounded by a linked fault system: the Miocene Bounding Fault. This fault behaves as a Rift Bounding Fault in the southern part and extends northwest as an interbasin master fault.

The area between Wadi El Hommur and Wadi Thal provides three comprehensively variable structural sectors. The southern sector of Gabal Sarbut El Gamal is characterized by thick Miocene hanging wall sequences and flat Paleozoic-Lower Cretaceous footwall sequences. The central sector of Gabal Abu Ideimat provides two different Miocene Bounding Fault and Rift Bounding Fault with intervening rollover anticline. The Miocene sequence in this part is thinner than its equivalent in the northern and the southern parts. The northern sector of Wadi Thal reveals Miocene Bounding Fault and a diffuse rift shoulder. This shoulder shows a master interbasin ridge and the whole block is totally rotated to the west making a twist zone of mixed dip regime with the central sector.

The development of the Rift Bounding Fault in Gabal Abu Ideimat area and the eastern flanking fault of the interbasin ridge in the northern part represents younger stage of tectonics after the achievement of the Miocene Bounding Fault. This provides an evidence of piggy-back rift propagation where the rift was getting wider with fault propagation in the footwall of the older Miocene Bounding Fault.