PRELIMINARY ACTIVE TECTONIC ASSESSMENT OF WADI GHOWEIBA CATCHMENT, GULF OF SUEZ RIFT, EGYPT, INTEGRATION OF REMOTE SENSING, TECTONIC GEOMORPHOLOGY, AND GIS TECHNIQUES

Abstract

The Wadi Ghoweiba catchment located at the northeastern part of the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt has been examined to evaluate the impact of tectonic activity remarks through a significant analysis of the morphotectonic indexes that were calculated using geographic information systems (GIS) technique. Four morphotectonic indexes, including mountain front sinuosity, valley floor width-to-valley height ratio, rock strength, and stream length gradient index were applied and processed for recognition of tectonic activity evidence. The results computed from theses indexes were combined to examine different fracture and/or fault segments of the catchment. The values of the measured morphotectonic indexes were used to evaluate the distribution of the different tectonic signals of the study catchment. The examined catchment mostly reflects low-to- medium tectonic activity signals. From 25 studied segments, only two segments found at the southern Ghoweiba catchment wall record medium-to-high tectonic values which indicate very small significant tectonic activity compared to the whole catchment. Based on these morphotectonic indexes, the southern segments might with respect to the northern segments of the study catchment.