Mena Elassal | King Khalid University (original) (raw)

Papers by Mena Elassal

Geoheritage, 2020

This study is going to deal with attractions proposed by the geomorphological heritage in Asir Mo... more This study is going to deal with attractions proposed by the geomorphological heritage in Asir Mountains. The reason behind conducting this study is for presenting the abilities of geo-tourism development in Asir Mountains. The geomorphological heritage embraces landforms and processes playing a key role in the understanding the history of earth and having a strict relationship with both the geomorphological and cultural heritage. The geomorphological heritage is unique and distinctive within the geo-heritage and has promoted great interest over time from a touristic viewpoint. Geomorphological heritage is more than ever in a position to become a significant sustainable territorial resource, enhanced through geo-tourism. A heritage geomorphology emerges, which are not only the characterization of the geomorphological heritage, but also methods of protection and management. In order to analyze geomorphological features of this area and to achieve a digital map, a GIS database created by using both of topographic and lithological maps and satellite images. Using these datasets, the main geomorphologic features extracted and realized based on two stages. First stage is consisted of field campaigns to collect morphological information, and selection of significant geomorphologic sites was based on field survey and study of relevant literature, which chose ten geomorphologic sites. The second one achieved the map of landforms that have geo-touristic potentials in the study area. As a result of this study, the main geomorphological heritage sites were extracted; these geosites can help to interest of the geotourism attractions in Asir Mountains. All these geosites should be conserved and developed to maintain and protect natural and geological attractions while supporting the geotourism for the use of scientists and students and tourists and other casual recreationalists in Asir Mountains.

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2012

Bulletin de la Société de Géographie d Egypte, Dec 1, 2020

Coastal Plain in Asir Region under investigation stretches in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. The ... more Coastal Plain in Asir Region under investigation stretches in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. The geo-morphologic features, shoreline configuration, sediment characteristics and dynamics have been established for understanding the processes that influence the coastal environments. The shoreline of the studied area is not linear and smooth; instead, it is complicated by arcuate beaches, sharms, inlets, lagoons, barriers and rocky hills. The width of the coastal plain varies widely; it is wide and featureless towards the south of the study area while being narrow and bounded by resistant sea cliffs towards the north of the study area. Asir coastal landforms include a marsh system, inlet and swamps, wave swash, dunes, shoreline processes, beach bars, a spit system, wadi systems and sabkha systems. Conditions on such beaches change rapidly. It is a unique environment, being characterized by some of the major geological environments (e.g. coastal reefs, mangrove stands, marshes, sabkhas, alluvial fans, sea cliffs, recent sediments, sand dunes, sabkhas, sand beaches, lagoons, nebkas, wadis, coral reefs, organic matter, and vegetation areas). The aim of this paper is to follow and assess the environment and characteristics of landforms. The previous procedures happen through measuring biodiversity, landforms and geomorphological processes on the coastline. The study uses several methods such as field study, collection of samples from different geo-morphic environments of the coastal area, comparing the geo-morphological and environmental changes from maps and also using remote sensing and GIS techniques.

E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, pp. 93-104., 2021

Flaux, C., Giaime, M., Pichot, V., Marriner, N., el-Assal, M., Guihou, A., Deschamps, P., Claude,... more Flaux, C., Giaime, M., Pichot, V., Marriner, N., el-Assal, M., Guihou, A., Deschamps, P., Claude, C., and Morhange, C.: The late Holocene record of Lake Mareotis, Nile Delta, Egypt, E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, pp. 93-104. https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-93-2021, 2021. Abstract: Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and economy during Greco-Roman times. Its shores accommodated major economic centers, and the lake acted as a gateway between the Nile valley and the Mediterranean. It is suggested that lake-level changes, connections with the Nile and the sea, and possible high-energy events considerably shaped the human occupation history of the Maryut. To reconstruct Lake Maryut hydrology in historical times, we used faunal remains, geochemistry (Sr isotopic signature of ostracods) and geoarcheological indicators of relative lake-level changes. The data show both a rise in Nile inputs to the basin during the first millennia BCE a...

E&G Quaternary Science Journal

Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and eco... more Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and economy during Greco-Roman times. Its shores accommodated major economic centers, and the lake acted as a gateway between the Nile valley and the Mediterranean. It is suggested that lake-level changes, connections with the Nile and the sea, and possible high-energy events considerably shaped the human occupation history of the Maryut. To reconstruct Lake Maryut hydrology in historical times, we used faunal remains, geochemistry (Sr isotopic signature of ostracods) and geoarcheological indicators of relative lake-level changes. The data show both a rise in Nile inputs to the basin during the first millennia BCE and CE and a lake-level rise of ca. 1.5 m during the Roman period. A high-energy deposit, inferred from reworked radiocarbon dates, may explain an enigmatic sedimentary hiatus previously attested to in Maryut's chronostratigraphy. Kurzfassung: In griechisch-römischer Zeit spielte der Maryut-See (nordwestliches Nil-Delta, Ägypten) eine wirtschaftliche Schlüsselrolle im Hinterland von Alexandria. An seinen Ufern befanden sich wichtige Wirtschaftszentren und der See fungierte als Bindeglied zwischen dem Niltal und dem Mittelmeer. Es ist zu vermuten, dass Schwankungen des Seespiegels, Verbindungen zum Nil und zum Mittelmeer und mögliche Hochenergieereignisse die menschliche Besiedlungsgeschichte des Maryut-Sees beachtlich geprägt haben. Um die Hydrologie des Maryut-Sees in historischer Zeit zu rekonstruieren, untersucht diese Studie Faunenreste, geochemische (Sr-Isotopensignaturen von Ostrakoden) und geoarchäologische Indikatoren, die relative Schwankungen des Seespiegels anzeigen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen sowohl einen Anstieg der Nileinträge in den See während des ersten Jahrtausends v. Chr. und n. Chr. als auch einen Anstieg des Seespiegels um ca. 1,5 m während der Römerzeit. Ein Hochenergieereignis, ausgewiesen durch umgelagerte 14 C Alter, könnte die Ursache eines rätselhaften Hiatus in den Pro-Published by Copernicus Publications on behalf of the Deutsche Quartärvereinigung (DEUQUA) e.V. 94 C. Flaux et al.: The late Holocene record of Lake Mareotis, Nile Delta, Egypt filen sein, der zuvor in der Chronostratigraphie des Maryut-Sees nachgewiesen wurde. (Abstract was translated by Martin Seeliger.

E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 2021

Lake Maryut (northwestern Nile Delta, Egypt) was a key feature of Alexandria's hinterland and economy during Greco-Roman times. Its shores accommodated major economic centers, and the lake acted as a gateway between the Nile valley and the Mediterranean. It is suggested that lake-level changes, connections with the Nile and the sea, and possible high-energy events considerably shaped the human occupation history of the Maryut. To reconstruct Lake Maryut hydrology in historical times, we used faunal remains, geochemistry (Sr isotopic signature of ostracods) and geoarcheological indicators of relative lake-level changes. The data show both a rise in Nile inputs to the basin during the first millennia BCE and CE and a lake-level rise of ca. 1.5 m during the Roman period. A high-energy deposit, inferred from reworked radiocarbon dates, may explain an enigmatic sedimentary hiatus previously attested to in Maryut's chronostratigraphy.

Saudi Arabia has an extremely dry climate, but in the southwest region, comparatively, more rainf... more Saudi Arabia has an extremely dry climate, but in the southwest region, comparatively, more rainfall events occur within the effects of topography and seasonality. This article focuses on studying and analysing the rainfall variability in Asir area. Data for rainfall variability was collected from the Metrological Station in Abha and Khamis Mushait for the period from 1978 to 2014. Statiscal analyses were carried to determine variability in annual rainfall among years for each station separately. The mean, standard deviation, and coefficient of variation were used to calculate the rainfall variability on longterm annual basis. Present results for Abha and khamis separately: Abha showed rainfall varied and fluctuated over the time, with lower value of 84.8 mm in 2009, and higher value of 639.5 in 1983.and mean of 254.0.mm over the years, and Khamis showed rainfall varied with lower value of 34.1 in 2009, and higher value of 355.9 in 1997and mean of 178.7mm. The average annual rainfall reached more than 202.9 mm. Variation among the years was high with a coefficient of variation for equal to 0.64 and the standard deviation was 110.2 and the standard error of the mean was 102.8.

Marine Geology

The mouths of the Nile Delta are sensitive coastal areas, their geomorphology primarily being med... more The mouths of the Nile Delta are sensitive coastal areas, their geomorphology primarily being mediated by relative sea-level rise and sediment supply. To further document the Holocene evolution of the Nile's Canopic mouth, a core was taken from the southern shores of Abu Qir Bay, close to the ancient Canopic channel. Core bio-sedi-mentology and chronostratigraphy highlight four stages of marine incursion which are juxtaposed upon the general progradation trend of the Nile coast in this area. Compiled age-depth points from sediment cores taken in Abu Qir Bay underscore two phases of negative sediment budget at the Canopic mouth: (1) a first period, between 3.5 and 2 ka cal. yr BC, probably in relation to the well-documented mid-to-late Holocene decline in Nile flow; and (2) a second phase, after 0.5 ka cal. AD, linked to a decline in Canopic sediment supply to the coastal area, and concomitant with the development of the Rashid branch. The erosion and reworking of material flattened and lowered the promontory surface by up to 4 m. The submersion of the Canopic promontory was completed by relative sea-level rise, primarily controlled by the compaction and liquefaction of unconsolidated lagoonal muds. The lowering of the Canopic mouth led to the submersion of two ancient estuarine-harbor cities, known as East-Canopus and Herakleion, whose remains lie 4-7 m below present mean sea level. It is argued that the subsidence of the two cities cannot explain their abandonment during the late 7th-early 8th century AD, taking into account the regional occupation pattern during Antiquity. Rather, the longevity of the two cities, spanning more than 13 centuries, shows that adaptation to coastal risks including erosion, subsidence and high-energy events like storms or tsunamis, was the rule.

A B S T R A C T Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long... more A B S T R A C T Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long lake waterfront on its southern side. This dual waterfront was praised by the ancient geographer Strabo in the first century BCE, because its geomorphological configuration opened Alexandria to Mediterranean trade, and also the Nile delta and Egypt. While the city's maritime palaeogeography has been widely described and studied, Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront has largely been neglected and little is known about its palaeo-geography and archaeology. Here we report the chronostratigraphy of the southern edge of the modern city. Bio-sedimentological analyses of sediment archives allow us to reconstruct the evolution of the depositional environments and palaeogeographies for parts of ancient Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront. The chronological framework spans the last 2000 years. By marrying our data with ancient maps and historical sources, we propose a location for Portus...

This is study follows environmental diversity assessment for geotourism development in Asir regio... more This is study follows environmental diversity assessment for geotourism development in Asir region. Geotourism seeks to supporting the tourism landscape in its interaction with the historical and archaeological, architectural or immaterial heritage, and requires diversification in terms of product, market and geographical potential. The study is based on various tourist facades and environmental diversity in Asir. As tourism development is a comprehensive undertaking involving many sectors, and these are the challenges to which the country’s tourism industry should respond to promote domestic tourism. quality and spatial pattern of tourism resources, climate comfort, and natural disaster possibility. Based on analyze multi-source datasets collected, geomorphological features of this area, we created a GIS database comprising geologic and topographic maps, and satellite images using these datasets. The findings of the study provided valuable insights into the role of environmental di...

The Egyptian Journal of Environmental Change

Bulletin de la Société de Géographie d'Egypte

Abha Urban is located in Asir region, southwest of Saudi Arabia. Geomorphology is one of the most... more Abha Urban is located in Asir region, southwest of Saudi Arabia. Geomorphology is one of the most influential controls in urban planning, which gives an idea about the variations in landscape/landforms and indirectly facilitates in evaluating the resources of an area. for detailed study, multi-temporal satellite remote sensing imageries and ArcGIS were used to compile and create database that provided a visual and historical perspective of the urban expansion practiced in the study area since 1970 to 2018. the different thematic map such as land use change pattern analysis, topography, and geomorphology highlight the profound changes to the landscape/landform that have incrementally developed over time. Through studying geological structures, analyzing the height and slope of the surface -topography of the surface -and their impact on the urban expansion of the region, this research illustrates how geomorphological expert knowledge can be integrated in a GIS and RS for the evaluation of Geomorphological hazards. Geomophological hazard assessment is an important component of natural hazard risk assessment. This paper presents GIS-based geomorphological hazard mapping in Abha urban, this includes the integration of published geological, geomorphological, and other data into GIS, and generation of new map products, combining governmental concerns and legal restrictions. Detailed geomorphological hazard maps for flooding zones and earth movement potential, further the paper illustrates the application of vulnerability maps dealing with the effect of hazard on urban areas, these maps can help to initiate appropriate measures to mitigate the probable hazards in the area. And trying to propose appropriate solutions for urban expansion in the light of the Geomorphological hazard's studies. [Bul. Soc. Géog. d'Égypte, 2019, 92: 53-75].

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long lake waterfront... more Ancient Alexandria possessed not only an important maritime front but also a long lake waterfront on its southern side. This dual waterfront was praised by the ancient geographer Strabo in the first century BCE, because its geomorphological configuration opened Alexandria to Mediterranean trade, and also the Nile delta and Egypt. While the city's maritime palaeogeography has been widely described and studied, Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront has largely been neglected and little is known about its palaeo-geography and archaeology. Here we report the chronostratigraphy of the southern edge of the modern city. Bio-sedimentological analyses of sediment archives allow us to reconstruct the evolution of the depositional environments and palaeogeographies for parts of ancient Alexandria's lacustrine waterfront. The chronological framework spans the last 2000 years. By marrying our data with ancient maps and historical sources, we propose a location for Portus Mareoticus. The lake's geomorphology suggests the presence of three ancient jetties, perpendicular to the shoreline and several hundreds meters long. The occupation of the investigated area began at the end of the first century BCE, linked to Roman domination and probably ended during late Roman times. The waterfront was then disconnected from the city during the 9th century CE, due to the desiccation of Maryut Lake, concomitant with the drying-up of the Canopic branch. Alexandria canal subsequently became the sole waterway linking the city to the Nile. The most western part of the canal, which extended freshwater supply and fluvial navigation down to the western marine harbour of Alexandria, was completed in the 16th century, probably in relation to the development of the marine harbours at the beginning of the Ottoman period. Our research sheds new light on the topography of ancient Alexandria.

Journal of Earth Science, 2010

Here, we interpret the evolution of Maryut lagoon (Egypt) during the past w2000 years. Chronostra... more Here, we interpret the evolution of Maryut lagoon (Egypt) during the past w2000 years. Chronostratigraphy and laboratory analyses have enabled us to identify four main phases since the 3rd century AD: (1) a fluvial-dominated lagoon between the 2nde3rd and the 8e9th centuries cal. AD; (2) a gradual desiccation of the lagoon toward a sebkha-like environment from the 9e10th to the 13th centuries cal. AD; (3) a fluvial-dominated lagoon from the 13th century cal. AD; and (4) a second gradual desiccation between the 17th and the 18th centuries cal. AD. The general aridification trend described throughout the study period may be linked to the gradual decline of the Canopic branch, which supplied the Maryut lagoon with freshwater. Nonetheless, at shorter timescales, the different phases of lagoon aridification and flooding coincide with land abandonment and irrigation works in the region. It is suggested that the history of the Alexandria countryside has been a key driver in shaping the environmental history of the Maryut during the past w2000 years.