Interpretation Of Gravity And REmote Sensing Data For Improved Geological mapping North Of Port Sudan Area - Red Sea Region -sudan

Abstract

The study area lies in NE Sudan and is situated in the Red Sea State It is bounded by latitudes (20° 19' 35.1" _ 21° 34' 20.5" N) and longitudes (36° 53' 37.92" _ 37° 12' 47" E). It cover approximately 3539 sq km, almost The whole area covered by Mohammed Qol and Dungunab (l:250.000) toposheets of the Sudan Smvey Department. Difierent digital image processing techniques have been applied to Landsat ETM+ image in order to increase the discrimination between various lithological units. Image sharpening was performed to enhance the spatial resolution of the image for more detailed information. Contrast stretching was applied, after the various digital processing procedures to produce more interpretable images. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) transfomiation yield saturated images and resulted in more interpretable image than the original data. Several ratio images were prepared, combined together and displayed in RGB color composite ratios images. All the images, obtained through the above mentioned processes, have used simultaneously to produce the geological map of the study area in the GIS environment. Gravity point data obtained by diiferent oil companies was used in the present study. Polynomial fitting was used in order to separate the regional from the residual component of the gravity. The first and second vertical derivatives and the first horizontal derivative were computed in order to study the presence of faults. Moreover, three profiles were constructed across the residual gravity map in an approximately NS, NE- SW and NW-SE directions cutting the most prominent anomalies in the area. The outcome of the present study is the modeling of the subsurface geology of the study area based on the residual gravity map and the above- mentioned three profiles.