ANALYSIS OF THE BOUGUER GRAVITY DATA OF NORTHWESTERN SINAI BASIN USING THE HORIZONTAL GRADIENT MAGNITUDE

The present work deals essentially with the analysis of the Bouguer gravity map of north Sinai basin via computing the horizontal-gradient magnitude (HGM). The data of the computed map has been processed using the horizontal-gradient depth analysis (HDEP), as implemented by Phillips (1997), where the locations and depths to layer edges were determined. Inspection of the resulted map exhibits the basement configuration as being a number of causative sources, domal structures and/or uplifts similar to those belonging to the Syrian arc system present at the surface to the south of the studied area. Also, structural elements (faults) exhibit arcuate strikes making structural complexities typical of extensional faulting such as en echelon and anastomosing fault segments. On the other hand, depth estimates showed that shallow depths approaching 0.5 km are associated with the tops of the interpreted causative sources and domal structures, whereas deep ones reaching 8.0 km occupy the northern, southeastern and southwestern parts of the area.