Utilisation of GNSS and seismicity for monitoring crustal deformation of the Northern part of the Nile Delta, Egypt

Abstract

ABSTRACT Nile Delta is one of the most significant regions in Egypt. The offshore Nile Delta is located in a complex structural area of Mediterranean Ridge, which is an important wrench fault separating the Arabian plate to the African Plate. This study aims at monitoring the recent crustal deformation and velocity of the Northern delta beside its connection to the seismicity and tectonic activities of the African plate using the permanent GNNS stations distributed at the Egyptian Delta and Europe. The available GNNS data (2009-2019) were analysed utilising the Bernese 5.2 software, to identify the velocity vectors, and the principal segments of crustal strains along the investigated region. The results show that the average absolute velocity ranges between 14 and 22 mm/yr with an accuracy of 3 mm/yr, and the residual velocity is estimated at 0.51 to 4.98 mm/yr with an accuracy of 2.5 mm/yr. Furthermore, the rate of the gathered strains in the northern Nile Delta was recently changed from low to moderate. The outcomes show that the area under investigation suffers from irregular seismic activity related to the crustal movements, which occurred along with the major fault trends in the region.