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Desertification Risk Assessment of Sand Dunes in Middle Egypt: A Geotechnical Environmental Study

  • Research Article - Earth Sciences
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A Correction to this article was published on 16 May 2019

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Abstract

The evaluation of aeolian desertification of sand dunes in north Assuit, Middle Egypt, has been achieved throughout a variety of detailed field investigations and laboratory measurements. The study area lies in hot dry desert climatic conditions where the sand dunes migration represents an effective threat cultivated lands, reclaimed lands, asphaltic roads and the systems of human distribution. Its mean annual rainfall is about 51 mm. Except the Nile Valley, Egypt is mostly considered as dry desert lands so about 4% of its surface area is under plough. The study barchans are mainly composed of poorly graded sands and consist of fine sand, medium sand and a negligible amount of coarse sand, silts and clays. Compositionally, the studied sand dunes are mainly consist of quartz, rock fragments and negligible amounts of feldspars with the absence of any chemically active constitutes (e.g. chert, flint, chalcedony and dolomite). These sands are also free of organic matter. The removal of dune sands in hazardous sites considers a short-term solution method of the aeolian desertification problem.

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Change history

  • 16 May 2019

    In the original publication the grant number is incorrectly published. The grant number D-071-145-1439.

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Acknowledgements

This paper was funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR), King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, under grant no. (D-145-078-1439). The authors, therefore, acknowledge with thanks Deanship of Scientific Research (DSR) for technical and financial support. Also, the authors are deeply grateful to Professor Bassam El Ali (editor of Arabian Journal for Science and Engineering) as well as the anonymous reviewers for insightful comments and criticism that improved the original manuscript.

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  1. Faculty of Earth Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    El-Sayed Sedek Abu Seif

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, P.O. Box 82524, Sohâg, Egypt

    El-Sayed Sedek Abu Seif & Mohamed H. El-Khashab

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Abu Seif, ES.S., El-Khashab, M.H. Desertification Risk Assessment of Sand Dunes in Middle Egypt: A Geotechnical Environmental Study. Arab J Sci Eng 44, 357–375 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-018-3343-7

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