GEOMORPHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE FAYIUM-WADI EL RAYAN STRETCH, EGYPT, LANDFORMS RELATED TO CLIMATIC CHANGES

R. A. Osman1,M. Salem1, S. M. Ahmed1 and Alz. Meabed2
*Depart of Geology, Faculty of Science, Banha University, Banha, Egypt.
**Fayium Governorate, Egypt.


ABSTRCT
The Middle and Lower Eocene rocks in the Fayium and El Rayan depressions were hewed till -45 and -16m b.s.I, reprectively. Deflation and mass wasting were the most important processes acted on these rocks during the Tertiary till the Quaternary, while fluvial and karst processes are less prominent. Different geomorphic features in the area studied such as piedmonts, dissected slopes, residual hills and scarps were the products of these denudation. The detailed geologic study of Wadi Gabgaba area reveals a consideration thickness of Palezoic clastics. The glaciogene sediments are classified into Gabgaba conglomerate at base resulting from the melting of the Late Ordovician ice sheets, hence the conglomerates were released into paleovalleys developed on the piedmont of the rising Red Sea Hills in the area during post-Cambarian time. The complete melting of the ice led to wash sediments; Naqus Formation during Early Silurian time. The rising Red Sea Hills took place in tandem during Paleozoic, but the Carboniferious sediments(Gilf Formation) unconformably overlie different Paleozoic rock units. The retret stopped Gabal Qatrani for the presence for the presence of thick hard Basalt still in the Gabal.