Sinai Peninsula: An Overview of Geology and Thermal Groundwater Potentialities

Abstract

The Sinai Peninsula is the Asiatic part of Egypt, covering an area of some 61,000 km². It has a triangular shape and is separated geographically from the Eastern Desert by the Gulf of Suez. Unconformable overlying the Precambrian basement is a section of Carboniferous through Eocene sedimentary rocks (shales, sandstones and limestones). Porous sandstone of Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age, ranging in thickness from 90 to 150 m, is widespread in the northern Gulf area. This sandstone, commonly referred to as the Nubian sandstone, has hydrologic aquifer properties and is overlain by a sequence of Upper Cretaceous through Upper Eocene limestones, dolostones, chalks and marls, which act as an aquiclude to the underlying Nubian sandstone. Sinai area is characterized by superficial thermal manifestations represented by a cluster of hot springs with varying temperatures of 35–72 °C. These springs mostly issue out of fractures and are distributed along the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez. Four important thermal water therapeutic sites in Sinai, namely Oyun Mousa, Ras Sidr, Hammam Pharaoun and Hammam Mousa, which are located on the eastern shore of the Gulf of Suez, have been described.