The study area was selected to represent the sediments of paleodrainage delta
in the Western Desert of Egypt, covering about 15615653 feddans (6561199
hectars). The data of Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) 2002 were
used for delineating the physiographic units to be a base for the soil taxonomic
units (all are hyperthermic). These taxonomic units were potentially evaluated
for barley and wheat (grain crops), alfalfa (fodder crop), maize, sun flower and
olives (oil seed crops). The illustrated flow of the paleodrainage delta starts from
the south as undulating delta apex, which most probably was deposited by the
paleodrainage from Eastern Desert through the different rock structures. This apex
includes soils of Calcic Petrogypsids loamy skeletal, gypsic; Typic Clacigypsids,
loamy skeletal, gypsic and Typic Calcigypsids, sandy skeletal, mixed. The unit
is profitable for drip irrigated olives as moderately to marginally suitable and for
quarrying Oligocene gravel. Gently undulating inter delta includes sediments that
was most probably received by reworking and out washing the slopes of delta
apex in relatively more recent fluvial eras. The soils are Typic Calcigypsids, fine
loamy, mixed; Typic Calcigypsids, loamy skeletal, mixed and Typic Calcigypsids,
sandy, mixed. This unit is profitable for drip irrigated olives as highly suitable
and sprinkly irrigated alfalfa, maize and sun flower as marginally suitable. Gently
undulating to almost flat inter delta is most probably received its sediments from
the southern physiographic units by the paleodrainage erosion. The soils are Leptic
Haplogypsids, fine loamy, mixed and Leptic Haplogypsid, sandy, mixed. This unit
is profitable for drip irrigated olives as moderately suitable. In the middle front
of this unit, a township is proposed to be constructed “Al Qattara Town”. Flat
depressed pro delta includes interfered sediments of different paleodrainage eras
being received medium soil matrix over relatively old sediments of weathered
gypsifreous clays (shales). The soils are Leptic Haplogypsids, fine loamy, mixed,
which can be utilized for drip irrigated olives as highly suitable and sprinkly
irrigated alfalfa, barley, maize, sun flower and wheat, as marginally suitable. This
unit can be used for quarrying Miocene clays (shales) as well as for constructing
compounds for producing evaporites, distilled water and fish preserving
manufactories as resources from the detectable Al Qattara Lake. Water logged
and submerged pro delta composed of poorly drained soils partly submerged by
brackish lake or covered by wind-blown sands. This unit (-65 to -134 bsl) includes
soils of Gypsic Aquisalids, fine loamy, mixed. It is highly recommended to be
filled with sea water for a massive hydroelectric project as well as creating extra
water resources and enhancing the local climate. Aeolian deposits were most
probably the resultant of depositing sand over the paleodrainage lines, having
soils of Typic Torripsamments, mixed (calcareous). This unit can be utilized for
drip irrigated olives as moderately suitable and for sprinkly irrigated alfalfa, sun
flower and maize as marginally suitable.

Remote sensing hyperspectral data has many applications especially in the field of
earth science. Utilization of this technology has shown a rapid increase in many
areas of economic and scientific significance. Hyperspectral sensors capture the
detailed spectral signatures that uniquely characterize a great number of diverse
surface materials. Classification, clustering, and visualization of these very highdimensional
signatures need untraditional methods. Different approaches for
spectral image interpretation have been studied using Artificial Neural Networks
(ANNs) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) to meet the challenge of highdimensionality.
The study used SVMs for geological mapping of hyperspectral imagery at Abu
Zenima area, western Sinai, Egypt, the hyperspectral data has been captured in
2003 by Hyperion instrument on the United States Geological survey (USGS)
Earth Observing1(EO-1) satellite. Precisely the study compares between the use
of SVMs and a neural network built on the concept of SVMs, this network uses
the Kernel-Adatron algorithm with the Gaussian kernel for the process of training.
The SVMs also uses the Gaussian kernel with different bandwidths to enhance the
performance of the interpretation process; the results are compared in details.
The Neural Network was trained with four data sets , the first consists of 11310
samples, gives recognition rate of 84%, the second has 22620 samples, recognition
rate was 91.5%; the third has 33930 samples, recognition rate was 94.6%; finally
the fourth has 45240 samples, recognition rate of 99.2%. The previous results fall
in comparison with the results of SVMs which use two algorithms for training the
first is the one against one algorithm which gave a recognition rate of 84% for the
first data set, a recognition rate of 76.9% for the second data set, a recognition
rate of 95.2% for the third one and 98.5% for the fourth one. and the other is one
against many algorithms which gave a recognition rate of 84% for the first data
set, a recognition rate of 72.3%for the first data set, recognition rate of 94.6% for
the second one and 98.5% for the third one.

Single crop coefficient factor (Kc) is an essential component for crop water
allocation for efficient irrigation scheduling and irrigation water management.
Kc is basically defined as the ratio of actual evapotranspiration and grass/alfalfa
reference evapotranspiration and always measured by lysimeter in localized
area in the field, which then generalized on the whole irrigated land. The lack
of precise information about the crop coefficient particularly in our country
together with both small sized fields and heterogeneity of agricultural crops calls
for developing a new methodology for computing a real time crop coefficient
from remotely sensed data. This paper discusses the methodology developed
for obtaining a real time single crop coefficient from Landsat Satellite ETM+7
imageries. The methodology was applied and optimized on one irrigation field
with two different dates and crop cover in the northern Delta of Egypt.

Hazard assessment studies are necessary to identify the investigated area along
Qena-Safaga road, between km 20 – km 30 from Qena City, where extensive
damage has constantly been reported. This damage includes, asphalt road,
breaking of the potable water pipeline, tilting of tower line and telephone poles, as
well as of Safaga-Abu Tartur railroad. These types of damage result from tectonic
activity around the Qena-Safaga district. The structural and seismic maps are used
to interpret and evaluate the deep-seated structures and the tectonic setting of the
study area. Strong ground motion is the most important phenomenon of natural
hazard. It has an effect on the nature, human life and man-made structures.
Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing are useful tools in disaster
management for the study area. These automated tools are used for the storage,
analysis and visualization all geological and geophysical data of the investigated
area to the decision support. Also, by using the Landsat image acquired in 2001
and Aerial photograph dated 1955 reveals that, the spatial deformation of the
recent surface features has been estimated during 46 years.

Flash flood hazard of Wadi Aday threaten human activities in an important urban
area of Muscat City, the capital of Sultanate of Oman. To evaluate and mitigate
these floods; Remote Sensing (IKONOS Images), Topographic and Cadastral
maps, data of rainfall, floods and other data sources have been used under a GIS
environment and manipulated. The study determined the areas under the flood
risk, and clarified the risk class and degree for each of human activities object in
the lower part of Wadi Aday. In order to mitigate the flood hazards, and to utilize
the floods water in such extreme hot desert; the study suggested: establishing two
dams and artificial channel added to some methods that reduce the erosion on
canyon reach road.

In the current study we proposed a new band ratio combination by using Landsat
Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) image. The new proposed band ratio has
been tested for its effectiveness in four regions in the study area. This proposed
band ratio (5/3, 3/1, 7/5 in RGB respectively) with the help of supervised
classification technique were succeeded in discrimination of different types of
rock units. The results revealed that by using the proposed band ratio it was so
effective to discriminate different granitic phases (Kadabora region); serpentinites
from metasediments and sheared granites (El Mayite region); mollase type
Hammamat sediments from metavolcanics and metasediments (Wadi El-Miyah
region); and serpentinites from metavolcanics (El-Baramiya region). The results
demonstrate the accuracy and suitability of using this band ratio as a powerful
tool in lithological mapping and the data was verified by field investigation and
previous studies.

Gabal Qattar area is located in the north Eastern Desert of Egypt between
Latitudes 26° 52´ and 27° 08´ N, and Longitudes 33° 13´ and 33° 25´ E. The
exposed rock units, there, from the oldest to the youngest, are metavolcanics;
granodiorites- diorite complex; Hammamat sediments and younger granites. Most
of the area is densely traversed by felsic and mafic dykes.
The Qattarian younger granites are divided into seven granitic areas according
to their spectral characters to facilitate the studying and delineating physical
characteristic differences between these areas as well as to throw a light about the
best conditions of exploration for radioactive mineralizations. This study is based
on brightness Digital Number values (DNs) of the granitic areas, predominant
trends and densities of the structural lineaments, shape and type of weathering
products. Three areas of these seven younger granite areas form Gabal (G.)
Qattar, and designated Gr1, Gr3 and Gr4, where the other granite areas which
form the G. Um Dissi (Gr2), G. Thelma (Gr5), G. Abu Samyuk (Gr6) and G.
Ayn Al Ruwayshed (Gr7). Photogeologically, these seven granite areas show
some differences in shape, texture, predominant trends and densities of structural
lineaments and ability of weathering.
This study shows that the seven granite areas could be gathered into three
main groups according to their DNs values of Landsat ETM+ spectral bands
especially of band 5, where these three main groups representing different, and
mainly coincide with the three granite phases previously delineated according to
chronological field relation, petrographic and geochemical studies.
The Gr1 area contains all uranium occurrences from locations I to V. This area
is characterized by semi circular shape of NW trend, massive appearance with
high relief peaks, and high fracture density, where the N55°E, N5°E, N45°E and
N45°W are the predominant trends. Some of the N55° E fractures form shear
zone along the contact with Hammamat sediments. This granitic area displays
taffoni weathering with highest clay minerals content in its weathered surfaces.
It shows the highest brightness value (DN), especially in band 5 reaching about
152, due to the highest felsic minerals and the lowest ferromagnesian minerals
contents relative to the other granite areas. Also, the high fractures density of the
Gr1 area acted as good channels for the hydrothermal ascending fluids and the
percolating meteoric water, that leached uranium mineralization and redeposited
it in the shear zones especially at sites of intersection of the main fractures. These
characteristic features of the Gr1 area may be responsible for the presence of
uranium mineralizations.

Gabal EL Minsherah-El Hasanah district, located in the northern Sinai of Egypt,
is highly folded and deformed due to the effect of the Syrian Arc System. The
exposed rock units of the area range from Lower Cretaceous sequence (Malha
Formation) to Early Eocene sequence (Egma Formation).
The lithologic rock units, the structural framework and the high zones of
radioactive anomalies of the study area were interpreted using the Landsat-7
ETM data and digital image processing techniques. The structural interpretation
shows that the main trends of NE-SW and NW-SE normal faults are dissecting the
folds of the area. These folds are mainly double plunging in the east and northeast
directions and form the main heights in the study area. The faulting and folding
in the area led to the disturbance and redistribution of the rock units hosting the
radioactive anomalies.
The image processing of ETM data and the continuous field check and
measurements of the interpreted rock units revealed that the occurrences of
radioactive anomalies were recorded in three sequences of Themed, Sudr and
Egma Formations. The first radioactive anomaly is recorded in gray medium
thick phosphatic limestone bed in the uppermost part of the Themed Formation
and ranging from 50 to 100 ppm due to the presence of phosphatic components
hosted uranium in their apatite structure. The second one is observed in the middle
member of Sudr Formation and ranging from 60 to 110 ppm due to the presence
of phosphatic chertified beds. Whereas the third radioactive anomaly up to 90
ppm is recorded in the upper member of Egma Formation due to the presence of
phosphatic limestone beds.
Generally, the radioactive anomalies in the study area are mainly due to the
occurrence of the phosphatic beds which contain phosphatic components hosting
uranium in their apatite structure.

Gabal Halal is one of the major asymmetrical doubly- plunging anticlinal fold
belts (50 Km length) related to the Syrian Arc System in northern Sinai, Egypt.
The exposed rock units at Gabal Halal range from Cretaceous to Quaternary and
are divided into eight formations which are from base to top: Malha, Halal, Wata,
Themed, Sudr, Beida, Egma and Quaternary wadi deposits. The image processing
is applied using Landsat-7 satellite data to discriminate structure and lithology
for defining the horizons of the radioactive anomalies of each rock unit. The
extracted structural lineaments, using GeAnalyst-PCI package, from digital ETM
data showed that the main structural trends are NE-SW and NW-SE normal faults
which originated as extensional fractures with lateral dip-slip displacement. The
axial trace of Gabal Halal fold is curved and plunging to W and SW directions
while the northeastern part (Gabal Dalfa) is plunging to NE direction. The use
of remote sensing data and field radiometric measurements of each rock unit
revealed the presence of three radioactive anomalies in Malha, Themed and Sudr
Formations. The recorded radioactive anomalies in Malha Formation is ranging
from 50 ppm to 75 ppm due to the capture of uranium by iron oxides of oolitic
ironstone and iron concretions in the thick-bedded ferruginous sandstone member.
The presence of radioactive anomalies up to 71 ppm in the upper unit of Themed
Formation and 90 ppm in the middle member of Sudr Formations is due to the
presence of phosphatic beds hosting uranium in the phosphatic components. The
effect of Syrian Arc System and the structural framework of the area led to the
redistribution of the rock units hosting radioactive anomalies.

A new generation of satellite data has been emerged since the launch of the Moderate
Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), in 1999, for monitoring land
resources and terrestrial environments. Agricultural land area of Egypt in 2005 was
estimated using MODIS data. Four scenes were utilized to extract the total country
area. MODIS vegetation Indices product (MOD13Q1) was the most suitable to
extract the total gross cultivated land area of Egypt. An unsupervised classification
algorithm was applied to estimate the cultivated land area, which approached
8.2 million feddans in 2005. The Nile Delta contains the majority of agricultural
lands (63.2%). The Nile Valley and El-Fayoum Depression possess 33.9% and
the remaining little percent (~3%) represents the scattered agricultural land along
the Suez Canal, Sinai and the Western Desert. The classification accuracy of
agricultural land reached 84%, revealing higher confidence of assessment. The
present study asserts on the importance of using remote sensing in monitoring
agricultural land resources.

Practical and economical constraints prompt the need of obtaining lithological
and structural information for development of desert areas with reduced field
effort. The fusion of multi-sensor satellite data is an effective mean of exploiting
the complimentary nature of different data types. This technique allows fusion of
spectral-spectral information of multi-source data with high accuracy.
In the present study, fusion of SPOT and ASTER data was applied to test the
potentiality of this technique in mapping geological formations and structural
lineaments in Wadi Ghoweiba area, to the west of the northwestern tip of the Gulf
of Suez, Egypt. ASTER data is characterized by a wide range of spectral bands
(14 bands), while SPOT panchromatic data is characterized by high (10 meters)
spatial resolution.
Based on spectral characteristic analysis (SCA) of the 3 VNIR and the 6 SWIR
bands of ASTER data, two false-color band-ratio images (1/3, 2/5, and 4/
9) and (1/5, 8/9, and 4/6) in R, G, B were produced for better lithological
discrimination. SPOT panchromatic image data was fused with ASTER bandratio
images data using principal component (PC) and color normalization or
Brovey transformation techniques. The fused images proved to be excellent for
lithological discrimination.
ASTER data includes bands 3N (Nadir) and 3B (Backward) that are acquired in
the spectral range of near infrared region (from 0.78 to 0.86 microns) allowing
extraction of digital elevation model (DEM). Three-dimensional perspective
views were generated by draping SPOT-ASTER ratio fused images over ASTER
DEM. This technique was used to enhance morphologically-defined structures.
The fused images and the 3D perspective views were interpreted to produce a
photogeological-structural map that was verified using the available geological
maps and subsequent field check. The produced photogeological map indicates
that fusion of SPOT and ASTER ratio image’s data is a reliable technique for
geological mapping especially in remote and inaccessible areas.