Abstract:

Wadi El Natrun is one of the prominent geomorphological features in the North-Western Desert of Egypt. The Wadi El Natrun saline lakes in Egypt are used for natural salt production. The geology of such area suggests an ideal environment for salt-mineral exploration since the occurrence of many saline lakes along the depression. Several studies on the geology, hydrogeology, and mineralogy of the saline deposits of Wadi El Natrun were achieved. A comparative mineralogical study of saline deposits in the study area was carried out by. Mass developments of sulfide- oxidizing phototrophic bacteria in the upper sediments and in the waters of Wadi El Natrun lakes have been observed. This project aims to investigate the salt-rich sediments occurrences at two main saline lakes (i.e. El Beida and El Fasda) at Wadi El Natrun area.

Results:

The study showed that we have salt rich sediments at two saline lakes in the form of salt-rich shale and we recommended drilling two test boreholes at two sites.

The 2D interpretation sections of the 2D profiles P1-P2 and P3, at El Beida saline lake, obtained from inversion of Wenner data set (resistivity (top) and IP (bottom).