The Current State of Deformation Parameters in the Nile Delta, Egypt, Using GNSS and Seismological Data

Abstract

Nile Delta region in northern Egypt and the Nile River separates it into two branches in the west, at Rosetta, and in the east, at Damietta, before draining into the Mediterranean Sea. Nile Delta is the most valuable commercial, agricultural, and industrial supply as well as over 70% of the country’s industrial and economic operations. More than half of Egypt 100 million population live there. Due to the vital value of the Nile Delta, the crustal deformation study in the Nile Delta has become one of the most essential researche. Using precise and accurate geodetic data, such as the Global Navigation Satellite System has been applied in the current work to evaluate the rates of crustal movements, including regional and local velocities, as well as the assessment of deformation characteristics, such as rates of dilatation, maximum shear and principal strain component analysis. Bernese 5.2 software was used to process data between 2013 and 2020 for fourteen Global Navigation Satellite System permanent sites. The result shows that the Delta has different geodynamic behaviors related to its structural properties as well assuffering from heterogeneous crustal movement. The northeastern side of the Nile Delta may suffer from sinking under the Mediterranean Sea more than the northwestern side because of its high subsidence rates, Crustal movements and deformation parameters Show; VN average values: 0.56 mm/yr, VE average values: 0.62 mm/yr for local velocities and average values -4.60 mm/yr for vertical subsidence. Also, the area is characterized by medium shear strain, indicating that the risk of an earthquake is low.