INTERPRETATION OF THE POTENTIAL FIELD DATA TO ESTABLISH THE TECTONIC SETTING OF EL-GARRAH EL-HAMMRA AREA, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Ground magnetic and Bouger gravity data of El-Garrah El-Hammra area was carried to delineate the surface and subsurface structural configuration within the Bahariya Oasis area. The study area is located between Latitudes 28o:25′ to 28o:45′ N and Longitudes 29o:00′ to 29o:20′ E. Various techniques involving reduction to the northern magnetic pole (RTP). Both Bouger gravity and RTP maps were separated into their regional and residual components using Fast Fourier Transformation techniques (FFT) in order to identify near surface structures from deep seated structures. First vertical derivative and Euler Deconvolution method techniques were applied also on magnetic and gravity data to estimate the depth to the basement rocks and detect the regional structural framework of the area. The depth to basement rocks was found to range from 0.75 to 2.0 km.
The results of the previous analyses were integrated with all surface and subsurface geologic information to construct the basement tectonic pattern of the study area. The results indicate that the most two predominant structural trends are the NW-SE trend of Olig-Miocene age and NE-SW directions of Cretaceous age. The NE trend is considered to be the main trend of folded anticlinal faulted structures known in the area.