Curie point depth, heat flow and geothermal gradient maps of Egypt deduced from aeromagnetic data

Regular annual reports issued by the Ministry of Electricity and Energy show that the established power generating capacity of Egypt is based mainly on oil and natural gas resources. Due to its high energy demand, Egypt needs clean, renewable, alternative energy sources. From this perspective, it is earnestly imperative to utilize geothermal resources to produce power and add to the Egyptian energy supply in a clean and efficient way. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art geothermal resources in Egypt with an emphasis on the current investigation utilizing aeromagnetic data. Power spectral analysis was applied to the aeromagnetic data to estimate the Curie point depth (CPD), heat flow and geothermal gradient. The CPDs range from 8.6 to 35.7 km, the derived geothermal gradients vary from 16.3 to 67.4 °C/km, and the heat flow values range from 47.1 to 195.5 mW/m2. The relation between the CPDs and seismic activity was also examined. Most of the earthquakes that originated in areas with CPDs of less than 25 km are considered promising regions for geothermal exploration, especially in the Gulf of Suez. The results of the current study may guide governmental and private sectors interested in the geothermal energy industry to select the most appropriate geothermal power plant sites in Egypt.