Highlights Inside Egypt

Additional Water Resources for Egypt

Traditional water resources in Egypt must be supplemented by an additional water supply to face the uncontrolled increase in population and the future of Nile Water and the irresponsible use of ground water

It is thus urgent to develop the following possibilities for additional water supplies to overcome the present dismal water conditions.

I- Atmospheric Water Vapour as an

Endless Water Resource

Additional source for water in Egypt can be supplied by the atmospheric water vapour through natural processes or industrial means, by different forms of condensation.

The Dew

Low temperatures about dawn-time cause the condensation of water vapour in the atmosphere as water drops of Dew.

Natural Water Vapour Collections

Long ago Man used different ways to collect the drops of Dew fall to obtain fresh water:

1-Dew Fountains

Pyramidal heaps of limestone pieces (5-10 cm) base (25-30 mrs) and height (10 mms) . Volume of water condensed from due = 55.400  mm³ / day.

2- Funnel Collectors

A Swedish  expert used funnels  ( diameter 1 m) for collecting dew water and was able to collect an average of 123 cms³ / night, near the Mediterranean sea in Egypt.  

3- Barley the best Vapour Collector

The average precipitation of Dew on the North Western coastal zone of Egypt was found to be about 0,7 mm/ day which amounts to about 250 mm/ year.

Barley plant confirmed and applied this result before “Man” in a different way.

Successful agriculture of Barley needs about 400 mm/ year of water, whereas the total rainfall in the coastal zone is only  about 150 mm/ year.

Thus Barley obtains the difference 250 mm/ year from the only possible source, water vapour and dew from the atmosphere which is the same result previously deduced.

Man , Water and Energy

Before the Advent of Man, Nature paved the way for his existance and welfare depending on atmospheric water, vapour and Solar energy.

Fresh Water Industry

Atmospheric water vapour is the mother source of water on our Planet the Earth, which condensed on cooling, Naturally & Artificially.

Natural collectors have been already dealt with. Artificial condensation of water vapour is carried out by specially designed and manufactured Air conditioners using electric power generated by Solar Energy, Now available with different specifications and capacity.

II- Desalination by Solar Energy

In 1892 a Britich engineer in chely used a basin (area 400 m² ), with a glass cover with a bottom black in color, on both sides there are two canals to collect the condensed water from the evaporating saline sea water.

The average volume of water distilled amounts to five litres for every square meter of the basin, I.e.2.3 m³ per day.

In Egypt

At EL Hamrawein  near EL- Quseir on the Red Sea , a solar desalination unit produces an average 2.5 liters for every square meter of the evaporating surface.

Water From Oil Wells

A valuable source of an additional water supply for Egypt can be obtained from data and information previously collected from Oil exploration, development and production related to ground water, especially electrical well logging. This was originally neglected relative to the main objective, Oil.

Reinterpretation of this “huge” data and information will, undoubtedly lead to new ground water discoveries and fields.

KIFAR was the Beginning

In my Ph. D thesis (1957) , chapter (V) :

New light on the orign of Artezian Water in the western Desert of Egypt, the latest available data considered Baharia Oasis as the most Northern limits of Fresh ground Water front in the western Desert of Egypt (200 p.p m) .

Whereas Siwa Oases water (2000 pp) and more, represents  the border of brakish water.

Recently , the fresh ground water was discovered in Siwa Oasis deep wells (1000 m) and more ( 200 ppm and less) , and Kifar oil exploration well south East Matrouh,(200 ppm)

This was the beginning and only an example of additional water resources in Egypt, which could be overlooked, forgotten or GOD knows.

Looking for ground water inside Egypt

By: Prof. Dr. M. Sabry Youssef (PhD)

Time lagged during evolution from dowsing to resistivity in looking for ground water inside the earth.

I was attracted to this field since 1946 during my postgraduate study for the Diploma in Geophysics in Cairo University.

Meanwhile, I was able to fulfill the following achievements:

1- Published three papers on the evaporation of ground water.

2- Obtained the M.Sc. degree in 1953.

3- Obtained the Diploma in applied geophysics in 1954.

4- Published three papers on representation and interpretation of ground water analyses.

5- Constructed my first Resistivity Apparatus in 1955.

6- Carried out the first geo-electric exploration in Eastern Desert of Egypt using my own equipment in 1956.

7- Obtained the Ph.D. degree in 1958.

8- Appointed Chief Geophysicist, Geological Survey of Egypt, from 1958 - 1978

9- Ground Water in Arab Nations, my text book in Arabic, published by the Egyptian Academy of Science and Technology in 1998.

    

Ground water exploration in Egypt

I spent more than fifty years looking for ground water in Egypt, using my own updated equipment.

The major Egyptian territories were nearly investigated in the following three water fields discovered, are briefly described among other successful examples related to prolific aquifers supporting various projects.

Water fields discovered:

I- A ground water field was discovered near EI Sokhna region in the   Northern Eastern desert by the application of electrical resistivity method.

This discovery supported the water supply for Cement Industry in the region.

II- Dry wells beside the river Nile. I was able to solve this problem by the application of the electrical resistivity method and locate favorable sites for production wells.

This occurred near Kom Ombo region in Upper Egypt where the river Nile cuts through impervious clay formations overlying pervious old drainage.

Inland percolation of Nile water was thus only possible wherever the above condition prevailed.

III. An old Nile branch

Chemical Industry was established at Aswan depending on the electric power generated by the High Dam. Water needed was obtained from the wells drilled within the premises of the chemical plant. After many years of production the water wells suffered from troubles and depletion.

 I was thus called for diagnosis, investigations and recommendations:

The discovery accomplished

       1- Reconnaissance geological survey and review of literature related to Aswan Region, confirmed the discovery of the Old Nile Branch running along Wadi EL Bowirat. This branch migrated westward, two times to its present channel, leaving Wadi EL Bowirat as a dry valley supplying, but still connected in its subsurface with the main stream supplying a ground water table.

       2- Electrical Resistivity Sounding (VES) along Wadi EL Bowirat confirmed by interpretation and verified by drilling.

       3- Wells drilled produced enough supply of fresh potable ground water enough to support the chemical industry in Aswan.

Ground Water Problems

In addition to my Ground water exploration and discoveries in Egypt several hydrological problems have been solved.

Among the most important is the following, which remained during the last century without sufficient evidence.

Sources of Ground Water in western Desert of Egypt

Conclusions:

I.Southern Regions:

Mainly Darb El Arbaein & East Oweinat

1- An Autochtone  ground water region.

2- Source mainly local rainfall during pluvial periods

          II. Oases Region

                  An  Allochtone ground water region.

The Egyptian Nationality for the Oases Water:

The Oases water acquired its Egyptian nationality by birth on top of the Red Sea Mountains in the Eastern Desert of Egypt from the heavy rainfall during Pluvial periods, thousands of years ago.

            III. Northern Region

       1- An Autochtone  ground water region.

       2- Present local rainfall is the source of ground water which is

            the only rechargeable fresh water in Egypt.

Sources of Ground Water In the Western Desert of Egypt

By: Prof Dr. M . Sabry Youssef (PhD)

The Eastern Desert as a Source of Oasis Water

The source of ground water in the Western Desert represents one of the most important unsolved hydrogeological problems in Egypt.

Different views have been suggested during the last century mostly lacking field observations measurements & material evidence, except John Ball who presented his work in 1927 accompanied by a map showing the contour lines of static water levels in the Western Desert

Previous authors   neglected probably unintentionally, depending on ground Water quality for tracing its source in spite the fact that soluble components in natural waters represent the only wetness on its Source from rainfall, to surface water, until final storage as ground water.

In addition, Ground Water in the Western Desert of Egypt represents a multi dimensional problem in which water quality vary in the three diminutions, as well as in age of aquifer source of its water.

Moreover, other discrepancies drawbacks in previous works is the belief of only one Source only one huge ground water reservoir.

A New Approach

More than fifty years ago, the Author realized the need to study Ground Water in Egypt on New Bases, the chemical analysis of dissolved salts, in ground water from different regions.

This necessitated :

1- Using Statistical methods to deal with the data collected.

2- Inventing New Techniques for Representation, classification and

    interpretation.

                                                   

                 Possible Sources for Oases Water

I- Local downward percolation:

1- From Local rainfall.

2- The River Nile.

In both cases, water salinity increases with depth. Whereas it is always found that Oases water decreases in salinity with depth.

Thus local downward percolation can be excluded as a source of Oases Water.

The Oases an Allochtone Ground water Region

II- lateral percolation of water from sources outside the Oasis:

1- Southern Sources:

Mainly Darb El Arbaein region, East oweinat region and the Sudan.

Water percolating from these regions will undoubtedly be higher in salinity than Oases water which allows to exclude these sources for Oases Water.

2- Western and Northern Sources:

These sources lack suitable environments for the formation of source water, its migration and storage.

a- Heavy rainfall .

b- Dense vegetation .

c- Basement rocks mainly granite.

d- Out crops of Nubian sandstone.

e- Static levels high enough to afford suitable gradient for the percolation of

    source water to the depths of the western Desert.

3- Eastern Sources:

All possible sources of water excluded except Eastern sources.

1- Source of Oases water lies to the East of the western Desert.

2- Environmentals and water quality are almost similar in Oases water

    and the White Nile.

3- Similar environments prevailed in the Eastern Desert during Pluvial

    periods. It is thus believed that Oases water was born on the Red Sea

    Mountains in the Eastern Desert of Egypt during Pluvial Periods

     thousands of years ago.

Sufficient evidence and confirmation will be given in the fallowing pages:

The Story of Oases Water

Quality of Source Water

Critical inspection of the chemical analyses of ground water from different oases locations and depths, there exists a limited number characterized by:

a- Almost similar chemical analyses.

b- Always the deepest

c- Nearest to geological structures especially faults.

These cases were nominated by the Author as the “Source of Oases water”

The Mighty Fresh Water Industry

Rain water is almost Distilled water, almost free of salts essential for animal and human life.

Thus Mighty water industry was created for the production of freshwater before the advent of man and for his existence and welfare.

Thus Freshwater was derived from rainwater and elements supplied by Igneous rocks in presence of carbon dioxide supplied by plants, through chemical weathering.     

A unique example is found in the formation of oases water in the Western Desert of Egypt from Past Rainfall on the Eastern Desert during Pluvial period.

The Fresh Water Source Equation

Na₂ O.Al₂ O₃        6 Sio₂         + Co₂          +  H₂O

Feldspar

Al₂ O₃. 2 Sio₂ . 2H₂O + Sio₂ + NH₂O + Na₂ Co₃                  

This equation represents a Mighty reaction which released metallic elements from silicate minerals at normal temperature in the atmosphere in presence of rainwater supplied by clouds high in the sky and dense vegetation and trees supplying the carbon dioxide essential for the reaction to produce Fresh water through chemical weathering.

This reaction occurred at normal conditions on top of high mountains.

It is miraculous that the same reaction in the laboratory requires fusing the silicate mineral in a platinium crucible in a muffle furnace at 1200  c

For many hours, as experienced by the Author in the Government Chemical Laboratories many years ago.

Favorable Environments in the Eastern Desert

1- During pluvial Periods, the Eastern Desert supplied the input

    components in the mighty reaction and equation, as follows:

     a-The liquid water (H₃O) as heavy rainfall from the sky.

     b-The carbon dioxide gal (CO₂) supplied by forests and dense

        vegetation on the earths surface.

     c-The solid metallic component mainly Na ,K ,Ca & Mg. supplied by

        igneous rocks from great depths in the earths crust to the ground

        surface:

               Na K from younger granites

               Mg from serpentines

               Ca from Basalt and older granites   

      Source water was thus formed on top of the Red Sea mountains.

2- Drainage basins collected the run - off and huge valleys water developed

3- Weathered basement rocks and over lying Nubian sandstone formations

    formed the outcrops which received the surface running source water

    and the birth of ground water in the Eastern Desert.

4- High altitudes of the Eastern Desert furnished enough static levels for

    ground water percolation to the heart of the western Desert, the Oases.

5- The relief of basement rocks below the western Desert interpreted from

     geophysical investigations.

6- The interpreted subsurface geological section across the South East to

     the North west covering the five Oases of kharga , Dakhla , Farafra,

     Baharia, Siwa and the Major fault (FF).

References

1- Sabry Youssef M.,(1957). Three new systems for the representation and

    classification of natural waters and their applications in Egypt:

I-      classification of ground water in Egypt.

II-   Relation between water quality and geological structure in kharga Oases.

III-                        New light on the origin of artesian water in the western desert in Egypt.

PhD thesis, Faculty of science, Cairo University.

2- Sabry Youssef M., (1998): Ground water in Arab nations. Text book

    published by the Academy of science and technology. Egypt. (In Arabic).   

Ground Water in Egypt From the Eastern Desert

By: Prof. Dr. M. Sabry Youssef (PhD)

The Eastern Desert of Egypt was always responsible, not only for its ground water supply, but also the source of Oases ground water in the Western Desert, in addition to hopeful Mineral Resources for future development.

Ground water exploration and research in the Eastern Desert followed the following stages:

The first Approach

Trees as Electrodes:

Wadi um Samuki in the Southern Eastern Desert was the location.

Life was completely absent except some scattered dry Sayal trees fighting for existence. Beside one of these trees I landed my Equipment.

It was very difficult to have a measurable current due to the extreme dryness of the top soil. I solved this problem by connecting one of the current electrodes to the Stem of the tree.

I expected that Roots in the Subsurface must meet a humid Zone. Thus a reliable current was obtained, and a smooth VES  curve indicated a three layer case. Dry top soil, semi- aquifer and a highly resistant  basement. 

Drilling confirmed my interpretation.

The results indicated that

R2 = 200 ohm.mrs is much greater than prolific aquifer which was confirmed by later experience.

Data Base:

1-     Reconnaissance work:

Our geophysical expeditions in the Eastern Desert collected available Date and measured VES near the following wells:

Um khariga – Wadi EL Gemal – Sheikh Shazly – Um Samuki –

Bir EL Gahilia – Bir Rahaba.

The paper was published later (M.Sabry Youssef etal, 1970)

2-     Two Drainage Systems:

I selected two drainage basins separated by a water divide to represent the Eastern Desert one basin draining East towards the Red Sea, a Long wadi karim. The other basin draining west towards the Nile Valley along wadi Baizah . The two basins were covered by the following

a-   Electrical Resistivity VES.

b-   Magnetic profiles.

c-  Photo geological maps.’

d-   Pedological maps.

Results and details of this work are completed in the M.Sc. Thesis, by M. Shaban, under my supervision 1967.

Mineral Exploration in Egypt

Introduction

 

  The more you know about Egypt and the more you look inside Egypt, the more you are fascinated and filled with pride and dignity. This was my inherited belief since 1923 when I was born.

     I spent more than fifty years looking inside Egypt for ground water and mineral resources, supported by necessary education and research (BSc, MSc, Dipl. Geoph., PhD) and practical experience required for this responsibility (constructed my own geo-electrical exploration apparatus and equipment, and presented three new systems for representation and interpretation of water analysis).

 

Mineral Exploration in Egypt

     Mineral exploration in Egypt was exclusively geological prospecting until 1956 when I made the first geophysical exploration for mineral deposits in Egypt using my own equipment for investigating two old Lead and Zinc mines in the Eastern Desert between “Quoseir” and “Marsa Alam”.

     The first is a Lead-galena mine discovered by a French geologist for Mohamed Ali Pasha Military industry at “El kala’a”.

     The electrical self-potential method was used without enough anomalies due to the depletion of the ore deposit at “Gabal El Rosas”.

     The second locality was a Lead-Zinc mine at “Um Gheig” area. I worked inside the deserted mine along the main tunnel, through the main shaft with my equipment. It was possible to measure an SP profile and one VES. To my knowledge, this adventure was not repeated in Egypt.

     The area of “Um Gheig” was also covered with surface geo-electrical investigations, and the whole work published by the geological survey of Egypt in 1963, paper No. 33, when I was appointed chief geophysicist (1958-1978).

Main Results Obtained

     The Lead-Zinc deposit at “Um Gheig” mine is a disseminated ore body partly oxidized near the surface. Reliable anomalies SP and resistivity were not clearly indicated and other suitable methods must be looked for.

Looking Inside the Eastern Desert of Egypt

     Many factors and effort participated in the solution of the above problem. The result can be considered as a typical discovery not only at “Um Gheig” area, but all over the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

     The Induced Polarization method was successfully applied for the exploration and discovery of metallic ore bodies at “Um Gheig” area and neighbourhoods.

Results and Conclusions

1-     The Induced Polarization (IP) method outlined clearly the known ore body at “Um Gheig” area.

2-     Anomalies beyond the limits of the known ore body were verified by drilling which proved the presence of sulphide mineralization.

3-     South-East continuation of “Um Gheig” deposit, the IP anomalies are of a deep ore character.

4-     Depth of penetration of IP method is 80-100 meters.

5-     Regional gravity and charged body methods can also be applied thus, a geophysical complex technique is recommended.

6-     The ore is a bed-like deposit of various dips.

7- Drilling 3 boreholes below the water table indicated sulphide mineralization in the Middle Miocene rocks containing minerals of non-ferrous metals and further studies are necessary.

8-     “Um Gheig” deposit extends south-east at least 600 meters up to the southern side of the main “Wadi of Um Gheig”.

9-     A new mineralized bed north-east “Um Gheig” deposit extends north-west at least 500 meters.

10-  Well No. 3 crossed:

* 40 meters oxidation zone.

* 60 meters and deeper: Disseminations of galena and pyrite.

Recommendations

     Mineral wealth kept inside Egypt is awaiting sincere exploration, exploitation and mining, simultaneously accompanied by an industrial stage of Metallurgy and chemical industries related to mineral products.