Geomorphology of Dakhla Depression
Atef Moatamed A. Mohamed
Abstract This chapter deals with the geomorphological units of Dakhla Depression from a wider scope of view. The major units are tabular plateau, escarpment,
piedmont, peneplain, dune fields, inner depressions, and springs. The method of
analysis is based on the geomorphological system connecting the sub-units together.
In relation to interpreting up-to-date remotely sensed data, information sources are
variable, particularly analysis of prior literature, ancient and recent maps. Since the
author works in the area periodically, field observations are included in this review
and enhanced by ground photographs.
Keywords Western Desert · Dakhla Depression · Arid land geomorphology ·
Sand dunes · Playa and springs
1 Introduction
Dakhla Depression (see Fig. 1) represents one of the series of structurally-oriented
desert depressions below the scarp of the Libyan Plateau. Climatic conditions have
been classified as hyper-arid in a region lying between the two parallels of 28° E and
30° E, and the two latitudes of 24° 40
N and 26 N. Mut, the urban center and the
capital city of Dakhla Oasis, lies almost in the midway between the Nile Valley in
the east (350 km) and the borderline with Libya in the west (390 km). This central
geographic location is also noticeable between Mut and East of Uwainat agricultural
project (380 km) in the south and Bawity town in Bahareya Oasis (420 km) in the
north.
Dakhla Depression in its wider border extends 200 km WNW to ESE direction
and is up to 50 km wide northeast to southwest. There is no fixed contour line to
delineate the depression basin. Brooks. I. 1993 adapted that the depression is confined
within the 140 m contour line. The current study tends to deal with a wider view (up
A. M. A. Mohamed (B)
Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_4
45
Atef Moatamed A. Mohamed
Abstract This chapter deals with the geomorphological units of Dakhla Depression from a wider scope of view. The major units are tabular plateau, escarpment,
piedmont, peneplain, dune fields, inner depressions, and springs. The method of
analysis is based on the geomorphological system connecting the sub-units together.
In relation to interpreting up-to-date remotely sensed data, information sources are
variable, particularly analysis of prior literature, ancient and recent maps. Since the
author works in the area periodically, field observations are included in this review
and enhanced by ground photographs.
Keywords Western Desert · Dakhla Depression · Arid land geomorphology ·
Sand dunes · Playa and springs
1 Introduction
Dakhla Depression (see Fig. 1) represents one of the series of structurally-oriented
desert depressions below the scarp of the Libyan Plateau. Climatic conditions have
been classified as hyper-arid in a region lying between the two parallels of 28° E and
30° E, and the two latitudes of 24° 40
N and 26 N. Mut, the urban center and the
capital city of Dakhla Oasis, lies almost in the midway between the Nile Valley in
the east (350 km) and the borderline with Libya in the west (390 km). This central
geographic location is also noticeable between Mut and East of Uwainat agricultural
project (380 km) in the south and Bawity town in Bahareya Oasis (420 km) in the
north.
Dakhla Depression in its wider border extends 200 km WNW to ESE direction
and is up to 50 km wide northeast to southwest. There is no fixed contour line to
delineate the depression basin. Brooks. I. 1993 adapted that the depression is confined
within the 140 m contour line. The current study tends to deal with a wider view (up
A. M. A. Mohamed (B)
Faculty of Arts, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
E. Iwasaki et al. (eds.), Sustainable Water Solutions in the Western Desert,
Egypt: Dakhla Oasis, Earth and Environmental Sciences Library,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64005-7_4
45