Sultan Araffa - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sultan Araffa

Research paper thumbnail of Joint Electromagnetic-Terrain Conductivity and DC-Resistivity Survey for Bedrock and Groundwater Characterization at the New Al-Obour City, Egypt

Iraqi Geological Journal

A multi-spacing electromagnetic–terrain conductivity survey profile and vertical electrical resis... more A multi-spacing electromagnetic–terrain conductivity survey profile and vertical electrical resistivity soundings were carried out at New Al-Obour City, Northeastern Cairo. The chief purpose of this survey was to characterize the bedrock, and groundwater occurrence, and hence to image both the surface and subsurface structures. The water is used mainly to meet the demands of the agricultural sector in the area. Accordingly, a set of sixteen Multi Spacing Electromagnetic Terrian Conductivity profiles and 11 vertical electrical soundings were done from September 2018 to March 2019. The data sets were transformed–inverted comprehensively with regard to stitched one-dimensional (1D) electrical resistivity smoothed-earth models. These sets were used efficiently in the interpretation of the geologic sequence of bedrock through successive conductive anomalies and electrically resistive. Remarkably, the obtained subsurface electrical resistivity structures are coincident with the mapped fie...

Research paper thumbnail of Magnetic Signature of Gold Deposits: Example from Um Garayat Region, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Pure and Applied Geophysics

Magnetic methods of exploration have proved to be efficient and have potential in the gold minera... more Magnetic methods of exploration have proved to be efficient and have potential in the gold mineralization industry. New magnetic processing technologies aid in improving the process of interpretation and gold opportunity identification. In this work, we show the possible application of combined digital magnetic filters to explore new gold mineralization localities with application to a well-known Au mineralization zone. Um Garayat (UG) region, southeastern desert, Egypt, is an ancient example of a potential area for gold mining. Modern analysis showed that other types of mineral concentrations are present. So, exploiting the magnetic signature of the area for future investment is of great interest. The old UG gold mine is characterized by volcanic and tectonic features such as faulting and folding that affect the arc sedimentary rock sequence of repeated deformation stages. A thorough geophysical effort has been carried out around the old gold mine in the UG area to explore the exte...

Research paper thumbnail of Geophysical studies to delineate groundwater aquifer in arid regions: A case study, Gara Oasis, Egypt

Contributions to Geophysics and Geodesy

Groundwater is an important factor in establishing new urban communities, especially in coastal a... more Groundwater is an important factor in establishing new urban communities, especially in coastal arid and semi-arid regions. Egypt is one of the world's driest countries, with hyper-arid territory accounting for 86% of the total area and arid and semi-arid terrain accounting for the rest. The present work aims to demonstrate the powerful integration of geophysical techniques to assess groundwater potentiality and suitability in Gara Oasis (GO), which describes a good example of Egypt's strategic southern extension of its arid north-western coast. Geophysical methods, including electrical resistivity and aeromagnetics, were used to evaluate groundwater resources. The study region reduced to pole total magnetic intensity map is subjected to digital filters that include derivatives, analytic signal, and tilt angle. The possible structures controlling the shallow and deep aquifers are delineated and integrated with geoelectric results. Moreover, two magnetic tomography sections a...

Research paper thumbnail of Integration of geophysical techniques to detect geotechnical hazards: a case study in Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2021

Geotechnical hazards are the main factors that control decisions about construction in structural... more Geotechnical hazards are the main factors that control decisions about construction in structurally complex zones. In the Mokattam area, Cairo, Egypt, different techniques, such as geotechnical techniques, remote sensing, and geophysical tools, are used and integrated to study the subsurface lithology, caves and structures to evaluate the possible geotechnical problems in these zones for expected future development in this area. Remote sensing applications indicate that the main trends of surface lineaments are E-W to NW–SE, whereas the minor trends are N-S to NE-SW. Ten vertical electrical sounding stations (VESs) were acquired and interpreted to delineate the subsurface stratigraphy. The interpretation results of these data show that the subsurface stratigraphy consists of 6 geoelectric units arranged from the surface to the bottom: fractured limestone, clay, marly limestone, dolomitic limestone, marl and marly limestone, and limestone. Nine electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles, twelve shallow seismic refraction (SSR) profiles, and ten ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles were acquired to study the shallow subsurface stratigraphy. The integration results of ERT and SSR measurements indicate that the shallow subsurface stratigraphy is composed of different rock units. The first layer is fractured limestone, which represents the surface layer of the upper plateau and contains caves in some areas. Then, layers of clay and marl, which are important geotechnical hazard sources, are present. Finally, a layer of limestone appears in the bottoms of some sections, and this limestone layer also contains caves. The GPR profiles have the highest resolution and can discriminate the top horizon into three to four detailed stratigraphic units, each of which has different amplitude values and caves and fractures in some profiles.

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental investigation using geophysical data at East Sadat City, Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Petroleum, 2019

Three geophysical techniques such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and GPR have been applied t... more Three geophysical techniques such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and GPR have been applied to delineate the depth to the groundwater surface, subsurface stratigraphy and subsurface structures which control the configuration and distribution of the groundwater aquifer. Five vertical electrical sounding (VES) were measured by using Syscal-R2 instrument of electrode separation ranging from AB/2 = 1-500 m to reach depth of investigation about 150 m. The results of quantitative interpretation of the VES data indicate that the subsurface sequence composed of six geoelectric units; the first unit is characterized by resistivity values up to 2007 Ohm.m corresponding to sand & gravel and thickness up to 1.2 m. The second geoelectric unit is corresponding to sandy clay which exhibits resistivity up to 235 Ohm.m and depth up to 1.2 m. The third geoelectric unit is characterized by resistivity values up to 1483 Ohm.m corresponding to dry sand which of depth up to 2.6 m. The fourth geoelectrical unit consists of sand saturated with ground water and exhibits resistivity values ranging from 20.2 to 52.9 Ohm.m and depth ranging from 7 to 16.8 m. The fifth geoelectrical unit reveals resistivity values ranging from 7 to 32.6 Ohm.m and consists of sandy clay saturated with groundwater of depth up to 111 m overlaying the sixth unit which reached to depth up to 165 m and characterized by resistivity values ranging from 54 to 91 Ohm.m corresponding to sandstone saturated with ground water. Five shallow seismic refraction spreads of geophone spacing 4 m were measured to investigate the subsurface sequence, where the results of interpretation indicate that the subsurface section consists of three seismic layers; the first layer is unsaturated overburden with seismic velocity range from 280 to 770 m/s and thickness reach about 6 m. The second layer is sand saturated with ground water with velocity range from 760 to 1300 m/s and maximum thickness of about 7 m overlaying the third layer reached to depth up to 24 m and corresponding sandy clay saturated with groundwater with seismic velocity range from 1130 to 2260 m/s. Five GPR profiles are measured using MALA RAMAC GPR System with a Rough Terrain Antenna (RTA) system of central frequency of 100 MHz. The interpretation of GPR data indicate that the expected water table ranging from 8 m to 11 m in the study area. Interpretation of the obtained results and correlation with the available geological and different geophysical data revealed that, the depth to the groundwater table of the investigated area ranges between 7 and 16.8 m.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of geophysical studies on detection of the Petrified Frost Qattamiya, Cairo, Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Petroleum, 2017

Different geophysical tools such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and magnetic survey have bee... more Different geophysical tools such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and magnetic survey have been applied to delineate the subsurface stratigraphy and structural elements, which controlled the distribution and origin of the Petrified wood in Qattamiya, Cairo, Egypt. Land magnetic survey was carried out in the study area through two stages, the first stage includes all area by measuring 11,674 stations and the second stage was carried out in the detailed area that was located at the southeastern part of the all area including 9441 stations. All measurements have been corrected for diurnal variation and reduced to the north magnetic pole. The results of magnetic interpretation indicated that the area dissected by different structural elements trend toward NE-SW, NW-SE, N-S and E-W directions. Twenty-eight samples have been collected from the detailed area to analyze for magnetic susceptibility values. Four electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles were measured by using dipole-dipole configuration to estimate the vertical and lateral variation of the subsurface sequence. Results of quantitative interpretation of the ERT data indicate that the subsurface sequence consists of different geoelectric units; the first unit is characterized by high resistivity values upto 1000 ohm m corresponding to sand, gravel and Petrified wood at the surface and extends to a depth of a few meters. The second geoelectric unit is corresponding to sandy clay which exhibits moderate resistivity (few hundred ohm m) values with thickness ranging from 6 to10 m. The third geoelectric unit is characterized by very low resistivity corresponding to clay of depth ranging from 10 to 30 m overlaying the fourth unit which reached to a depth ranging from 30 to 56 m and characterized by very high resistivity (8000 ohm m) corresponding to limestone. Three shallow seismic refraction spreads of geophone spacing 7.5 m were measured to investigate the subsurface sequence, where the results of interpretation indicate that the subsurface section consists of three units of average velocity 500, 2000 and 4000 m/s, respectively corresponding to sand, gravel and Petrified wood, sandy clay, clay and limestone.

Research paper thumbnail of Delineating groundwater and subsurface structures by using 2D resistivity, gravity and 3D magnetic data interpretation around Cairo–Belbies Desert road, Egypt

NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and Geophysics, 2015

Geophysical tools such as magnetic, gravity and electric resistivity have been used to delineate ... more Geophysical tools such as magnetic, gravity and electric resistivity have been used to delineate subsurface structures, groundwater aquifer around Cairo-Belbies Desert road. A dipole-dipole section was measured at the central part of the study area with 2100 m length and electrode spacing 50 m for greater penetration depth. The results of the inverse resistivity data indicate that the study area includes two groundwater aquifers at different depths. The shallow aquifer water is near the surface and the deep aquifer lies at depth of about 115 m and exhibits low resistivity values ranging from 20 to 100 ohm m. One hundred and fifty-two gravity stations were measured using Autograv gravimeter (CG3), different gravity corrections (drift, elevation and latitude corrections) were applied. The corrected data represented by Bouguer anomaly map were filtered into regional and residual gravity anomaly maps. The residual gravity map indicates that the area is dissected by many faults with NW-SE, N-S, E-W and NE-SW trends. One hundred and fifty-three ground magnetic measurements are collected using two Proton magnetometers (Envimag). The corrected magnetic data are represented by total magnetic intensity map that was reduced to the magnetic pole. 3D magnetic modeling was applied to detect the depth

Research paper thumbnail of Delineating subsurface structures and assessment of groundwater aquifer using integrated geophysical interpretation at the central part of Sinai, Egypt

Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2015

In the present study, three geophysical techniques (land gravity, electrical resistivity, and lan... more In the present study, three geophysical techniques (land gravity, electrical resistivity, and land magnetic) have been applied to identify and evaluate the groundwater occurrences in the studied area, which lies between latitudes 29°18′ and 29°52′ N and longitudes 33°25′ 34°32′ E. Twenty-six deep vertical electrical sounding (VES) stations were measured and interpreted to delineate the Nubian sandstone aquifer in the area. The depth of upper surface of the aquifer varies from 483 to 1079 m, and the resistivity values of the aquifer range from 109 to 522 Ohm-m which represents the fresh water aquifer in the study area. The results of gravity interpretation indicate that the area is dissected by different fault elements of different directions such as NE-SW trend parallel to the Gulf of Aqaba, NW-SE trend parallel to the Gulf of Suez, and E-W trend parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The depth of basement rocks range from 2100 to 4300 m.

Research paper thumbnail of Geophysical studies around abu gharadig basin, North Western desert, Egypt

Research paper thumbnail of Joint Electromagnetic-Terrain Conductivity and DC-Resistivity Survey for Bedrock and Groundwater Characterization at the New Al-Obour City, Egypt

Iraqi Geological Journal

A multi-spacing electromagnetic–terrain conductivity survey profile and vertical electrical resis... more A multi-spacing electromagnetic–terrain conductivity survey profile and vertical electrical resistivity soundings were carried out at New Al-Obour City, Northeastern Cairo. The chief purpose of this survey was to characterize the bedrock, and groundwater occurrence, and hence to image both the surface and subsurface structures. The water is used mainly to meet the demands of the agricultural sector in the area. Accordingly, a set of sixteen Multi Spacing Electromagnetic Terrian Conductivity profiles and 11 vertical electrical soundings were done from September 2018 to March 2019. The data sets were transformed–inverted comprehensively with regard to stitched one-dimensional (1D) electrical resistivity smoothed-earth models. These sets were used efficiently in the interpretation of the geologic sequence of bedrock through successive conductive anomalies and electrically resistive. Remarkably, the obtained subsurface electrical resistivity structures are coincident with the mapped fie...

Research paper thumbnail of Magnetic Signature of Gold Deposits: Example from Um Garayat Region, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Pure and Applied Geophysics

Magnetic methods of exploration have proved to be efficient and have potential in the gold minera... more Magnetic methods of exploration have proved to be efficient and have potential in the gold mineralization industry. New magnetic processing technologies aid in improving the process of interpretation and gold opportunity identification. In this work, we show the possible application of combined digital magnetic filters to explore new gold mineralization localities with application to a well-known Au mineralization zone. Um Garayat (UG) region, southeastern desert, Egypt, is an ancient example of a potential area for gold mining. Modern analysis showed that other types of mineral concentrations are present. So, exploiting the magnetic signature of the area for future investment is of great interest. The old UG gold mine is characterized by volcanic and tectonic features such as faulting and folding that affect the arc sedimentary rock sequence of repeated deformation stages. A thorough geophysical effort has been carried out around the old gold mine in the UG area to explore the exte...

Research paper thumbnail of Geophysical studies to delineate groundwater aquifer in arid regions: A case study, Gara Oasis, Egypt

Contributions to Geophysics and Geodesy

Groundwater is an important factor in establishing new urban communities, especially in coastal a... more Groundwater is an important factor in establishing new urban communities, especially in coastal arid and semi-arid regions. Egypt is one of the world's driest countries, with hyper-arid territory accounting for 86% of the total area and arid and semi-arid terrain accounting for the rest. The present work aims to demonstrate the powerful integration of geophysical techniques to assess groundwater potentiality and suitability in Gara Oasis (GO), which describes a good example of Egypt's strategic southern extension of its arid north-western coast. Geophysical methods, including electrical resistivity and aeromagnetics, were used to evaluate groundwater resources. The study region reduced to pole total magnetic intensity map is subjected to digital filters that include derivatives, analytic signal, and tilt angle. The possible structures controlling the shallow and deep aquifers are delineated and integrated with geoelectric results. Moreover, two magnetic tomography sections a...

Research paper thumbnail of Integration of geophysical techniques to detect geotechnical hazards: a case study in Mokattam, Cairo, Egypt

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2021

Geotechnical hazards are the main factors that control decisions about construction in structural... more Geotechnical hazards are the main factors that control decisions about construction in structurally complex zones. In the Mokattam area, Cairo, Egypt, different techniques, such as geotechnical techniques, remote sensing, and geophysical tools, are used and integrated to study the subsurface lithology, caves and structures to evaluate the possible geotechnical problems in these zones for expected future development in this area. Remote sensing applications indicate that the main trends of surface lineaments are E-W to NW–SE, whereas the minor trends are N-S to NE-SW. Ten vertical electrical sounding stations (VESs) were acquired and interpreted to delineate the subsurface stratigraphy. The interpretation results of these data show that the subsurface stratigraphy consists of 6 geoelectric units arranged from the surface to the bottom: fractured limestone, clay, marly limestone, dolomitic limestone, marl and marly limestone, and limestone. Nine electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles, twelve shallow seismic refraction (SSR) profiles, and ten ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles were acquired to study the shallow subsurface stratigraphy. The integration results of ERT and SSR measurements indicate that the shallow subsurface stratigraphy is composed of different rock units. The first layer is fractured limestone, which represents the surface layer of the upper plateau and contains caves in some areas. Then, layers of clay and marl, which are important geotechnical hazard sources, are present. Finally, a layer of limestone appears in the bottoms of some sections, and this limestone layer also contains caves. The GPR profiles have the highest resolution and can discriminate the top horizon into three to four detailed stratigraphic units, each of which has different amplitude values and caves and fractures in some profiles.

Research paper thumbnail of Environmental investigation using geophysical data at East Sadat City, Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Petroleum, 2019

Three geophysical techniques such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and GPR have been applied t... more Three geophysical techniques such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and GPR have been applied to delineate the depth to the groundwater surface, subsurface stratigraphy and subsurface structures which control the configuration and distribution of the groundwater aquifer. Five vertical electrical sounding (VES) were measured by using Syscal-R2 instrument of electrode separation ranging from AB/2 = 1-500 m to reach depth of investigation about 150 m. The results of quantitative interpretation of the VES data indicate that the subsurface sequence composed of six geoelectric units; the first unit is characterized by resistivity values up to 2007 Ohm.m corresponding to sand & gravel and thickness up to 1.2 m. The second geoelectric unit is corresponding to sandy clay which exhibits resistivity up to 235 Ohm.m and depth up to 1.2 m. The third geoelectric unit is characterized by resistivity values up to 1483 Ohm.m corresponding to dry sand which of depth up to 2.6 m. The fourth geoelectrical unit consists of sand saturated with ground water and exhibits resistivity values ranging from 20.2 to 52.9 Ohm.m and depth ranging from 7 to 16.8 m. The fifth geoelectrical unit reveals resistivity values ranging from 7 to 32.6 Ohm.m and consists of sandy clay saturated with groundwater of depth up to 111 m overlaying the sixth unit which reached to depth up to 165 m and characterized by resistivity values ranging from 54 to 91 Ohm.m corresponding to sandstone saturated with ground water. Five shallow seismic refraction spreads of geophone spacing 4 m were measured to investigate the subsurface sequence, where the results of interpretation indicate that the subsurface section consists of three seismic layers; the first layer is unsaturated overburden with seismic velocity range from 280 to 770 m/s and thickness reach about 6 m. The second layer is sand saturated with ground water with velocity range from 760 to 1300 m/s and maximum thickness of about 7 m overlaying the third layer reached to depth up to 24 m and corresponding sandy clay saturated with groundwater with seismic velocity range from 1130 to 2260 m/s. Five GPR profiles are measured using MALA RAMAC GPR System with a Rough Terrain Antenna (RTA) system of central frequency of 100 MHz. The interpretation of GPR data indicate that the expected water table ranging from 8 m to 11 m in the study area. Interpretation of the obtained results and correlation with the available geological and different geophysical data revealed that, the depth to the groundwater table of the investigated area ranges between 7 and 16.8 m.

Research paper thumbnail of Contribution of geophysical studies on detection of the Petrified Frost Qattamiya, Cairo, Egypt

Egyptian Journal of Petroleum, 2017

Different geophysical tools such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and magnetic survey have bee... more Different geophysical tools such as resistivity, seismic refraction, and magnetic survey have been applied to delineate the subsurface stratigraphy and structural elements, which controlled the distribution and origin of the Petrified wood in Qattamiya, Cairo, Egypt. Land magnetic survey was carried out in the study area through two stages, the first stage includes all area by measuring 11,674 stations and the second stage was carried out in the detailed area that was located at the southeastern part of the all area including 9441 stations. All measurements have been corrected for diurnal variation and reduced to the north magnetic pole. The results of magnetic interpretation indicated that the area dissected by different structural elements trend toward NE-SW, NW-SE, N-S and E-W directions. Twenty-eight samples have been collected from the detailed area to analyze for magnetic susceptibility values. Four electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) profiles were measured by using dipole-dipole configuration to estimate the vertical and lateral variation of the subsurface sequence. Results of quantitative interpretation of the ERT data indicate that the subsurface sequence consists of different geoelectric units; the first unit is characterized by high resistivity values upto 1000 ohm m corresponding to sand, gravel and Petrified wood at the surface and extends to a depth of a few meters. The second geoelectric unit is corresponding to sandy clay which exhibits moderate resistivity (few hundred ohm m) values with thickness ranging from 6 to10 m. The third geoelectric unit is characterized by very low resistivity corresponding to clay of depth ranging from 10 to 30 m overlaying the fourth unit which reached to a depth ranging from 30 to 56 m and characterized by very high resistivity (8000 ohm m) corresponding to limestone. Three shallow seismic refraction spreads of geophone spacing 7.5 m were measured to investigate the subsurface sequence, where the results of interpretation indicate that the subsurface section consists of three units of average velocity 500, 2000 and 4000 m/s, respectively corresponding to sand, gravel and Petrified wood, sandy clay, clay and limestone.

Research paper thumbnail of Delineating groundwater and subsurface structures by using 2D resistivity, gravity and 3D magnetic data interpretation around Cairo–Belbies Desert road, Egypt

NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and Geophysics, 2015

Geophysical tools such as magnetic, gravity and electric resistivity have been used to delineate ... more Geophysical tools such as magnetic, gravity and electric resistivity have been used to delineate subsurface structures, groundwater aquifer around Cairo-Belbies Desert road. A dipole-dipole section was measured at the central part of the study area with 2100 m length and electrode spacing 50 m for greater penetration depth. The results of the inverse resistivity data indicate that the study area includes two groundwater aquifers at different depths. The shallow aquifer water is near the surface and the deep aquifer lies at depth of about 115 m and exhibits low resistivity values ranging from 20 to 100 ohm m. One hundred and fifty-two gravity stations were measured using Autograv gravimeter (CG3), different gravity corrections (drift, elevation and latitude corrections) were applied. The corrected data represented by Bouguer anomaly map were filtered into regional and residual gravity anomaly maps. The residual gravity map indicates that the area is dissected by many faults with NW-SE, N-S, E-W and NE-SW trends. One hundred and fifty-three ground magnetic measurements are collected using two Proton magnetometers (Envimag). The corrected magnetic data are represented by total magnetic intensity map that was reduced to the magnetic pole. 3D magnetic modeling was applied to detect the depth

Research paper thumbnail of Delineating subsurface structures and assessment of groundwater aquifer using integrated geophysical interpretation at the central part of Sinai, Egypt

Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 2015

In the present study, three geophysical techniques (land gravity, electrical resistivity, and lan... more In the present study, three geophysical techniques (land gravity, electrical resistivity, and land magnetic) have been applied to identify and evaluate the groundwater occurrences in the studied area, which lies between latitudes 29°18′ and 29°52′ N and longitudes 33°25′ 34°32′ E. Twenty-six deep vertical electrical sounding (VES) stations were measured and interpreted to delineate the Nubian sandstone aquifer in the area. The depth of upper surface of the aquifer varies from 483 to 1079 m, and the resistivity values of the aquifer range from 109 to 522 Ohm-m which represents the fresh water aquifer in the study area. The results of gravity interpretation indicate that the area is dissected by different fault elements of different directions such as NE-SW trend parallel to the Gulf of Aqaba, NW-SE trend parallel to the Gulf of Suez, and E-W trend parallel to the Mediterranean Sea. The depth of basement rocks range from 2100 to 4300 m.

Research paper thumbnail of Geophysical studies around abu gharadig basin, North Western desert, Egypt