Geophysical investigation in the Northwestern part of the Gulf of Suez, Egypt

Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) and shallow seismic refraction data interpretation have been used to delineate groundwater aquifer and fault elements which are dissecting the northwestern part of Gulf of Suez. Thirty-five Vertical Electrical Soundings (VES) were carried out and inverted through 3-D VES inversion to determine the subsurface stratigraphy, structures and groundwater aquifer potentialities. The results of VES inversion indicate that the study area consists of four geoelectrical units interpreted as surficial dry sand and gravels deposits, underlain by fresh water bearing zone, salt water bearing unit and limestone layer, at the bottom. The 3-D VES inversion indicates that the area is dissected by normal fault of NE-SW direction. Thirty-four shallow seismic refraction profiles of 94 m spread length have been used to delineate the geotechnical characteristics of surface layers, subsurface structures and subsurface lithology. The results of shallow seismic refraction indicate that the shallow part of the subsurface section consists of three layers, the first soil layer (dry gravels and sands of the recent deposits) underlain by the second soil layer (sands and gravels of the Pleistocene) while the third layer is the bedrock layer of sandstone and shale belonging to the Middle Miocene.