The Nubian Sandstone ranges in age from the Cambrian to Upper Cretaceous eras. Positioning of the paleoequator and paleolatitude at 20° S was derived from paleomagnetic data showing the Nubian was originally deposited in the paleoequatorial to subequatorial zone. These paleomagnetic results corroborated previous studies suggesting that north Africa did not shift in latitude from 210 to 110 million years ago and extended this period to 85 million years. Nubian Sandstone was deposited under a tropical to subtropical climate and formed under a variety of continental conditions, including eolian merging intermittently into shallow marine.[2]
Characteristics
Nubian Sandstone formation of Amram Columns, Eilat Massif, Israel
The Nubian Sandstone complex has a thickness varying from under 500 m to over 3000 m, resting on the Precambrianbasement. This is complicated by various structural faults and fold axes traversing the region in a north-eastern direction. Maximum development occurs in the Ain Dalla basin, a downthrown structural block south-west of the Bahariya oasis. Basement features present a dominant control on the complex's structural and sedimentological form. Despite many structural complications, the Nubian Sandstone likely constitutes a single hydrogeological system west of the Suez Gulf. To the east, on the Sinai Peninsula, a second system might exist with some connection to the primary western system in the north. The main western system, extending into Libya and Sudan, consists of a multi-layered artesian basin where massive groundwater reserves accumulated, principally during pluvials of the Quaternary. Locally, carbonate rocks overlying complex karst features and are recharged from the underlying major aquifer.[3]Fluvial and structural interpretations from 2007 show the desert in western Egypt was induced by fluvial action, including recently mapped alluvial fans. In central areas, braided channels are spatially aligned to a north-east structural trend, suggesting preferential water flow paths. Alluvial fans and structurally enclosed channels with gentle slopes and optimal recharge conditions between 1 and 5%, indicating high groundwater potential. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interpretations correlated with anomalies from groundwater in 383 wells, suggest a connection between the spatial organization of fluvial and structural features with low-salinity groundwater, which exists adjacent to alluvial fans and the south-west reaches of structurally enclosed channels. Wells in the vicinity of structures contained low-salinity water.[4]
Derived soils
Nubian Sandstone exposures in sub-humid, semi-arid, and arid conditions produce soil that is red and sandy but very different in other aspects. Only in sub-humid zones do these soils contain a moderately developed profile, including a textural B horizon lacking soluble salts and carbonates. In semi-arid and arid zones, profile differentiation is either weak or does not exist. In arid zones soils are shallow and contain carbonates, and soluble salts, including gypsum. The sole clay mineral common to all Nubian sandstone parent materials is kaolinite, which is the major clay mineral in sub-humid zone soil. In semi-arid soils smectite is a second major clay component. In arid zones small amounts of smectite and palygorskite accompany kaolinite. It is likely that smectite and palygorskite are products of pedogenic neoformation. Aeolian material was probably introduced into the silt and fine sand fractions from semi-arid and arid soils. It is also possible that some contamination of clay fractions occurred.[5]
Nubian Sandstone in Arabia
When in contact with Upper Cretaceous limestone, Nubian Sandstone underlies the latter conformably. In Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon and Hermon it is underlain by Jurassic limestone. Its upper strata is likely from the Lower or Middle Cretaceous age. However, Jurassic limestone is absent in southern areas. In Western Sinai, Nubian Sandstone rests on Carboniferous limestone, and by the Dead Sea on Cambrian limestone: at Petra and other locations it rests unconformably on crystalline rocks. While age calculation for the Nubian Sandstone is relatively simple in Lebanon, Anti-Lebanon and Hermon, it is much more complicated in Western Sinai and the Dead Sea area. Since sandstone is assumed to form more rapidly than other rocks it is difficult to conceive that the 2,000 feet of sandstone in the southeastern Dead Sea was in the formative process from the Cambrian to the Cretaceous.
Nubian Sandstone is most commonly brown or reddish, but in places it shows a much wider variety of color. The ancient temples and tombs in Petra were carved from this rock. In certain places it is extremely friable, and in others compact and hard. Sand in the Arabian deserts was primarily derived from it, carried by prevailing western winds. Where it is covered by a sheet of eruptive rock (charrah), it is protected from erosion. Nubian Sandstone frequently includes strata of clay and shale and thin seams of coal or lignite. This indicates that it was deposited in seas that were relatively shallow at the time.
Etymology
The term Nubian Sandstone was first introduced to the Egyptian stratigraphy by Joseph Rüssegger in 1837, who used the term "Sandstein von Nubien" to designate nonfossiliferous sandstone sections of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age. Rüssegger followed and studied this series of sandstone formations from the Sudan, Egypt, Libya, and Arabia Petrsea (northeastern Arabia).[6]
Bahay, I. (1972). "Review of Upper Cretaceous-Lower Tertiary Stratigraphy in Central and Southern Egypt". AAPG Bulletin. 56 (8): 1448–1463. doi:10.1306/819A40F2-16C5-11D7-8645000102C1865D.
El Shazly, Atomic Energy Establishment, Egypt 1982
A.A. Shata, Hydrogeology of the Great Nubian Sandstone Basin Desert Research Institute, Egypt 1982
Tate, R. (1871). "On the Age of the Nubian Sandstone". Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society. 27 (1–2): 404–406. doi:10.1144/GSL.JGS.1871.027.01-02.47.
El Sayed. A Study of Hydrogeological Conditions of the Nubian Sandstone Aguifer in the Area between Abu Simbel & Toschka, Western Desert, Egypt American Geophysical Union 2001
A.C. Seward: Leaves of Dicotyledons from Nubian sandstone of Egypt, Geological Survey, 1935.
Robinson, C. A.; Werwer, A.; El-Baz, F.; El-Shazly, M.; Fritch, T.; Kusky, T. (2007). "The Nubian Aquifer in Southwest Egypt". Hydrogeology Journal. 15 (1): 33–45. doi:10.1007/s10040-006-0091-7.
El Shazly, E. M.; Krs, Miroslav (1973). "Paleogeography and paleomagnetism of the Nubian Sandstone Eastern Desert of Egypt". Geologische Rundschau. 62 (1): 212–225. doi:10.1007/BF01826828.
Singer, A.; Amiel, A. J. (1974). "Characteristics of Nubian Sandstone-Derived Soils". Journal of Soil Science. 25 (3): 310–319. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2389.1974.tb01127.x.
External links
Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society
The Eastern Desert of Egypt in Ancient Times
The Petra Archeological Park; Petra was carved into lower Paleozoic sandstone.
March 12, 2023
nubian, sandstone, variety, sedimentary, rock, deposited, precambrian, basement, eastern, sahara, north, east, africa, arabian, peninsula, consists, continental, sandstone, with, thin, beds, marine, limestones, marls, deposited, between, lower, paleozoic, uppe. The Nubian Sandstone is a variety of sedimentary rock deposited on the Precambrian basement in the eastern Sahara north east Africa and Arabian Peninsula It consists of continental sandstone with thin beds of marine limestones and marls The Nubian Sandstone was deposited between the Lower Paleozoic and Upper Cretaceous with marine beds dating from the Carboniferous to Lower Cretaceous 1 Contents 1 Formation 2 Characteristics 3 Derived soils 3 1 Nubian Sandstone in Arabia 4 Appearance 5 Etymology 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksFormation EditThe Nubian Sandstone ranges in age from the Cambrian to Upper Cretaceous eras Positioning of the paleoequator and paleolatitude at 20 S was derived from paleomagnetic data showing the Nubian was originally deposited in the paleoequatorial to subequatorial zone These paleomagnetic results corroborated previous studies suggesting that north Africa did not shift in latitude from 210 to 110 million years ago and extended this period to 85 million years Nubian Sandstone was deposited under a tropical to subtropical climate and formed under a variety of continental conditions including eolian merging intermittently into shallow marine 2 Characteristics Edit Nubian Sandstone formation of Amram Columns Eilat Massif Israel The Nubian Sandstone complex has a thickness varying from under 500 m to over 3000 m resting on the Precambrian basement This is complicated by various structural faults and fold axes traversing the region in a north eastern direction Maximum development occurs in the Ain Dalla basin a downthrown structural block south west of the Bahariya oasis Basement features present a dominant control on the complex s structural and sedimentological form Despite many structural complications the Nubian Sandstone likely constitutes a single hydrogeological system west of the Suez Gulf To the east on the Sinai Peninsula a second system might exist with some connection to the primary western system in the north The main western system extending into Libya and Sudan consists of a multi layered artesian basin where massive groundwater reserves accumulated principally during pluvials of the Quaternary Locally carbonate rocks overlying complex karst features and are recharged from the underlying major aquifer 3 Fluvial and structural interpretations from 2007 show the desert in western Egypt was induced by fluvial action including recently mapped alluvial fans In central areas braided channels are spatially aligned to a north east structural trend suggesting preferential water flow paths Alluvial fans and structurally enclosed channels with gentle slopes and optimal recharge conditions between 1 and 5 indicating high groundwater potential Synthetic Aperture Radar SAR interpretations correlated with anomalies from groundwater in 383 wells suggest a connection between the spatial organization of fluvial and structural features with low salinity groundwater which exists adjacent to alluvial fans and the south west reaches of structurally enclosed channels Wells in the vicinity of structures contained low salinity water 4 Derived soils EditNubian Sandstone exposures in sub humid semi arid and arid conditions produce soil that is red and sandy but very different in other aspects Only in sub humid zones do these soils contain a moderately developed profile including a textural B horizon lacking soluble salts and carbonates In semi arid and arid zones profile differentiation is either weak or does not exist In arid zones soils are shallow and contain carbonates and soluble salts including gypsum The sole clay mineral common to all Nubian sandstone parent materials is kaolinite which is the major clay mineral in sub humid zone soil In semi arid soils smectite is a second major clay component In arid zones small amounts of smectite and palygorskite accompany kaolinite It is likely that smectite and palygorskite are products of pedogenic neoformation Aeolian material was probably introduced into the silt and fine sand fractions from semi arid and arid soils It is also possible that some contamination of clay fractions occurred 5 Nubian Sandstone in Arabia Edit When in contact with Upper Cretaceous limestone Nubian Sandstone underlies the latter conformably In Lebanon Anti Lebanon and Hermon it is underlain by Jurassic limestone Its upper strata is likely from the Lower or Middle Cretaceous age However Jurassic limestone is absent in southern areas In Western Sinai Nubian Sandstone rests on Carboniferous limestone and by the Dead Sea on Cambrian limestone at Petra and other locations it rests unconformably on crystalline rocks While age calculation for the Nubian Sandstone is relatively simple in Lebanon Anti Lebanon and Hermon it is much more complicated in Western Sinai and the Dead Sea area Since sandstone is assumed to form more rapidly than other rocks it is difficult to conceive that the 2 000 feet of sandstone in the southeastern Dead Sea was in the formative process from the Cambrian to the Cretaceous Appearance Edit Liesegang rings made of iron oxide in sandstone from a chamber in Petra Jordan Nubian Sandstone is most commonly brown or reddish but in places it shows a much wider variety of color The ancient temples and tombs in Petra were carved from this rock In certain places it is extremely friable and in others compact and hard Sand in the Arabian deserts was primarily derived from it carried by prevailing western winds Where it is covered by a sheet of eruptive rock charrah it is protected from erosion Nubian Sandstone frequently includes strata of clay and shale and thin seams of coal or lignite This indicates that it was deposited in seas that were relatively shallow at the time Etymology EditThe term Nubian Sandstone was first introduced to the Egyptian stratigraphy by Joseph Russegger in 1837 who used the term Sandstein von Nubien to designate nonfossiliferous sandstone sections of Paleozoic or Mesozoic age Russegger followed and studied this series of sandstone formations from the Sudan Egypt Libya and Arabia Petrsea northeastern Arabia 6 See also EditNubian Aquifer System Arabian Nubian ShieldNotes Edit Issawi 1973 p 1433 El Shazly 1982 A Shata El Baz amp El Shazly 2007 A Singer 1974 p 310 R Tate pp 404 406References EditBahay I 1972 Review of Upper Cretaceous Lower Tertiary Stratigraphy in Central and Southern Egypt AAPG Bulletin 56 8 1448 1463 doi 10 1306 819A40F2 16C5 11D7 8645000102C1865D El Shazly Atomic Energy Establishment Egypt 1982 A A Shata Hydrogeology of the Great Nubian Sandstone Basin Desert Research Institute Egypt 1982 Tate R 1871 On the Age of the Nubian Sandstone Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society 27 1 2 404 406 doi 10 1144 GSL JGS 1871 027 01 02 47 Essay and Maps Groundwater Resources of the Nubian Aquifer System El Sayed A Study of Hydrogeological Conditions of the Nubian Sandstone Aguifer in the Area between Abu Simbel amp Toschka Western Desert Egypt American Geophysical Union 2001 A C Seward Leaves of Dicotyledons from Nubian sandstone of Egypt Geological Survey 1935 Robinson C A Werwer A El Baz F El Shazly M Fritch T Kusky T 2007 The Nubian Aquifer in Southwest Egypt Hydrogeology Journal 15 1 33 45 doi 10 1007 s10040 006 0091 7 El Shazly E M Krs Miroslav 1973 Paleogeography and paleomagnetism of the Nubian Sandstone Eastern Desert of Egypt Geologische Rundschau 62 1 212 225 doi 10 1007 BF01826828 International Atomic Energy Agency NSAS Project Singer A Amiel A J 1974 Characteristics of Nubian Sandstone Derived Soils Journal of Soil Science 25 3 310 319 doi 10 1111 j 1365 2389 1974 tb01127 x External links EditQuarterly Journal of the Geological Society Essay and Maps Groundwater Resources of the Nubian Aquifer System The Eastern Desert of Egypt in Ancient Times The Petra Archeological Park Petra was carved into lower Paleozoic sandstone Geology of Saudi Arabia Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nubian Sandstone amp oldid 1026402917, 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