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Geothermal signature of basaltic flows using aeromagnetic data, west Cairo area, Egypt

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Abstract

Tertiary volcanics in Egypt are basaltic flows. These are recorded in the subsurface of Nile Delta and west Cairo in the Khattatba and Abu Roash regions but exposed on Gabal Qatrani. Such flows and structure trends made west Cairo the focus of geothermal exploration. The present study aimed to discover the geothermal resource and its relation with basaltic flows and subsurface structures in the area. To achieve these aims, aeromagnetic data (TMI) map, scale 1:500,000, was used. The source parameter imaging technique was used to calculate the depth of basement rocks. The results indicated that depth to the basement varies from 700 m at Khattatba and Abu-Roash regions to 4400 m southward and at G. Muqattam in the extreme eastern parts. These results are verified by subsurface data of three drilled deep wells. The detected major structure trends run in three directions: east-west, northeast-southwest, and northwest-southwest. The Curie point depth (CPD), geothermal gradient (GG), and heat flow (HF) were all calculated using the spectral analysis technique. CPD values range from 14 km in the eastern parts of the area to 34 km in the south-west. The GG values range from 15 to 33 °C/km. The HF values range between 38 and 86 mW/m2. The high GG and HF values recorded at Khattatba and Abu-Roash are due to the basaltic flows in the subsurface. The two regions are considered reservoirs that were promising for geothermal energy. Increase in thickness of the sedimentary cover to 4000 m southward indicates the possibility of hydrocarbon occurrences.

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  1. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Assiut, 71516, Egypt

    Haby S. Mohamed, Mahmoud M. Senosy & Heba Salah

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  1. Haby S. Mohamed
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  2. Mahmoud M. Senosy
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Correspondence to Haby S. Mohamed.

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Mohamed, H.S., Senosy, M.M. & Salah, H. Geothermal signature of basaltic flows using aeromagnetic data, west Cairo area, Egypt. Arab J Geosci 14, 911 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-07242-9

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