Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences, August 2020, Vol. 15, No. 2, p. 323 – 326; Doi:10.

26471/cjees/2020/015/132

ENHANCING LINEAR FEATURES IN AEROMAGNETIC DATA USING

DIRECTIONAL HORIZONTAL GRADIENT AT WADI HAIMUR AREA,
SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Ahmed Mohammed ELDOSOUKY 𝟏𝟏 , Sayed Omar ELKHATEEB 𝟐𝟐 , Abeer

ALI 𝟐𝟐 & Sherif KHARBISH 𝟏𝟏
1
Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Suez University, Suez, 43518, Egypt.
2
Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, South Valley University, 83523, Qena, Egypt.
*Corresponding Author. Tel:+201153267202; Email address: [email protected] and/or
[email protected]. Co-authors. [email protected]; [email protected],
[email protected].

Abstract: The present work deals with the detection of linear features in aeromagnetic anomalies of Wadi
Haimur area, South Eastern Desert (SED), Egypt, according to the directional horizontal gradient (DHG)
technique. DHG is an effective tool to improve the linear features in potential data. Given the elevation and
azimuth of the anomaly, it calculates sharp lateral variations in densities. Straight features perpendicular on
the horizontal azimuth are enhanced, while the parallel ones become limited. It is a standard enhancement
technique applied in the interpretation of geophysical data. The DHG algorithm is applied in a different
azimuth from an original zero reference line (x-direction). This technique enhances linear features giving
more details in the data than those interpreted from other filters. The study of the aeromagnetic anomaly of
Wadi Haimur area displays five notable faults trending to NW, NE, N-S, NNW, and NNE directions. This
paper introduces a horizontal gradient analysis that does not require the calculation of the vertical derivative
of the field and thus is faster and has extensive application for enhancing the linear features of potential
field data.

Key words: Aeromagnetic, Linear features, HGM, Directional horizontal gradient.

1. INTRODUCTION assisting the geologic understanding process (Cooper,

2003). One of these methods is to apply directional
Magnetic methods are one of the common horizontal gradient (DHG), i.e. the data gradient in a
powerful and accessible tools that assist in the given direction, in either the frequency or space
identification and mapping of the surface and domains (Cooper, 2003).
subsurface geology. Utilization of aeromagnetic In the present study, we apply horizontal
analysis helps in explaining the problems of gradient magnitude (HGM) and DHG to
provincial geologic mapping, boundaries detection aeromagnetic data of Wadi Haimur area, South-
and structures (Eldosouky & Elkhateeb, 2018; Eastern Desert (SED), Egypt for a better
Eldosouky, 2019; Sehsah et al., 2019; Pham et al., understanding and a more obvious analysis of linear
2019), representation of buried contacts, position of features affecting the study area
the presumable fields of rock differentiation,
mineralization (Eldosouky et al., 2017; Pham et al., 2. GEOLOGY OF THE STUDY AREA
2018; Ekwok et al., 2019; Eldosouky et al., 2020) and
density of sedimentary cover. Wadi Haimur area is situated southeast to
Linear feature enhancement in potential field Aswan in the South-Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt
data is very helpful as it enables dykes, faults, and between latitudes of 22º 35' 00" and 23º 00' 00" N and
other features to be presented more obviously, thus longitudes of 33º 52' 50" and 34º 10' 00" E (Fig. 1).

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The Northern Sudan, Egyptian Eastern Desert (EED), instinctive products to exhibit the anomaly texture of
and western part of Saudi Arabia have been magnetic maps and to delineate discontinuities in the
collectively named the Arabian–Nubian Shield anomaly pattern. Cordell et al., (1985) stated that the
(ANS), which is distinguished by four principal rock one dimension of the horizontal derivative can be
associations: (i) an arc association; (ii ) an ophiolite acquired in the space domain by subtracting the first
association; (iii) a gneiss association; and (iv) value (𝑥𝑥1 ) from the third one (𝑥𝑥3 ) or by subtracting
intrusions of granite (Abdel Rahman, 1995). two consecutive values; the resultant value will
represent the midway point (Δx) between these two
values as:
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥)1.5 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)3 −𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)1
𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥)
= � 2∆𝑥𝑥
� (1)
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥)2 𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)2 −𝑓𝑓(𝑥𝑥)1
𝜕𝜕(𝑥𝑥)
= � 2∆𝑥𝑥
� (2)
The HG algorithm can be applied to different
angles from an original zero reference line (x-
direction) to generate directional horizontal gradient
(DHG) maps.

3.2. Horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM)

Horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM)

approach (Blakely and Simpson, 1986; Nassreddine
& Haydar, 2001) is conceivably the most simplistic
method to determine the locations of magnetic
contact and depths because it does not require the
Figure 1. Location and geology of Wadi Haimur area. consideration of vertical derivatives but only the two
first-order horizontal derivatives of the domain. Thus,
Wadi Haimur region is a section of the for a grid of magnetic field value T (x, y), the HGM
Precambrian belt in the SED of Egypt (Fig. 1). Three is expressed by:
different rock units are distinguished: ophiolites, 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 2 2
gneisses and granites. The amphibolites, which form 𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻𝐻 = �� � + � � (3)
𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕 𝜕𝜕𝜕𝜕
the principal rock type of the ophiolitic rocks, were
formed in a back-arc setting (Abd El-Naby, 1998), 4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
while the granites are associated with collision-related
magmatism. The gneisses of Wadi Haimur area are In this work, aeromagnetic data is employed to
described to have a sedimentary origin. Compositions analyze the structural trends of the studied region. To
of amphibole and muscovite indicate that the gneisses achieve this, the reduced to the pole (RTP) map
relate to a low-pressure metamorphic facies (Aero-Service, 1984) was enhanced (Fig. 2). RTP
progression (Abd El-Naby, 1998). Relationships map of the study area (Fig. 2) shows magnetic highs
between the prevailing features of Wadi Haimur and lows (positive and negative anomalies) ranging
metamorphic sequence (amphibolites, metagabbros, from -115.4 to 323.6 nT. It is clear to notice that the
and hornblendites) and metamorphic soles underneath northern part shows magnetic highs while magnetic
ophiolites (Searle & Cox, 1999) suggest such an origin lows are dominant the southern part.
for Wadi Haimur rocks. The DHG algorithm is applied to RTP dataat
Abd El-Naby et al. (2000) studied Wadi various angles from an original zero reference line (x-
Haimur area and concluded that Wadi Haimur–Abu direction) to generate DHG maps. The used angles are
Swayel region revealed the remnants of back-arc 0º, 22.5º, 45º, 67.5º, 90º, 112.5º, 135º and 157.5º.
oceanic crust that causes a metamorphic bottom Figure 3a shows the DHG of Wadi Haimur area
underneath an allochthonous ultramafic source, with an angle of 0º from the reference line (x-
which was overthrust as a hot body. direction) representing the N-S direction. This figure
(3a) maps well the locations of the N-S trend affecting
3. DATA AND METHODOLOGY the study area and illustrates that it was scattered by
NE and NW directions. While the DHG with an angle
3.1. Horizontal gradient (HG) of 22.5º (Fig. 3b) illustrates that the NNW direction
has small traces in the study area.
HG derivative maps are simple and

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 Figure 2. RTP map of Wadi Haimur area.
Figure 4. The DHG-RTP of Wadi Haimur area with an
angle from the reference line (x-direction) of: a) 90º; b)
112.5º; c) 135º; and d) 157.5º.

Figure 3. The DHG-RTP of Wadi Haimur area with an

angle from the reference line (x-direction) of: a) 0º; b) Figure 5. Horizontal gradient magnitude (HGM-RTP)
22.5º; c) 45º; and d) 67.5º. map of the study area.
The DHG with an angle of 45º (Fig. 3c) which is The DHG of Wadi Haimur area with angles from
related to NW direction shows that this one is the the reference line (x-direction) of 90º, 112.5º, 135º and
predominant structural trend affecting the study area and 157.5º to the RTP data as shown in figure 4 (a, b, c, and
is scattered by the NE direction. The WNW direction d). These DHG maps represent the E-W, ENE, NE and
can be traced in the southern part of the study area where NNE directions respectively. The E-W and ENE
the DHG of 67.5º was applied (Fig. 3d). directions have a limited effect on the study area appears

325
the southern part of the map (Figs, 3a, and 3b Geophysics 51 (7), 1494–1498 (July).
respectively). Cooper, G.R.J., 2003. Feature detection using sun shading.
Equation 3 was applied to the RTP data to Computers & Geosciences 29, 941–948.
Cordell, L., Lindrith, & Grauch, V. J. S., 1985. Mapping
estimate the HGM map as shown in Figure 5. From the basement magnetizatin zones from aeromagnetic data in
HGM-RTP map one observes that the faults/boundaries the San Juan basin. New Mexico in Hinze, W. J., ed., The
are located at the maxima of the HGM. The most utility of regional gravity and magnetic anomaly maps:
obvious structural trends are the NW, N-S, and NE Society of Exploration Geophysicists, p. 181-197.
directions. Comparison of HGM results with those of Ekwok, S.E., Akpan, A.E., & Ebong, D. E., 2019. Enhancement
DHG showed that the DHG results have more details for and modeling of aeromagnetic data of some inland basins,
southeastern Nigeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences,
trend analysis. The detailed structural features obtained 155, 43-53.
from DHG technique, than the trends that dectecetd and Eldosouky, A.M., Abdelkareem, M., & Elkhateeb, S.O., 2017.
obtained from HGM map, can be interpreted according Integration of remote sensing and aeromagnetic data for
to Grauch (1987) who stated that the horizontal gradient mapping structural features and hydrothermal alteration
magnitude identifies only the faults that have a vertical zones in Wadi Allaqi area, South Eastern Desert of Egypt.
extension. On the other hand, the DHG can detect faults Journal of African Earth Sciences, doi: 10.1016.
Eldosouky, A.M., & Elkhateeb, S. O., 2018. Texture analysis of
and geologic boundaries that have both vertical and
aeromagnetic data for enhancing geologic features using
horizontal extensions. co-occurrence matrices in Elallaqi area, South Eastern
Desert of Egypt. NRIAG Journal of Astronomy and
5. CONCLUSION Geophysics, 7, 155–161.
Eldosouky, A.M., 2019. Aeromagnetic data for mapping geologic
The present work deals with the interpretation of contacts at Samr El-Qaa area, North Eastern Desert, Egypt.
the magnetic anomalies at the Wadi Haimur area, South Arab J Geosci (2019) 12: 2.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-018-4182-2.
Eastern Desert (SED), Egypt, caused by the distribution Eldosouky, A. M., Sehsah, H, Elkhateeb, S. O., & Pour, A. B.,
of surface and subsurface geologic formations and their 2020. Integrating aeromagnetic data and Landsat-8
structures. The application of directional horizontal imagery for detection of post-accretionary shear zones
gradient (DHG) method to magnetic data is used in controlling hydrothermal alterations: The Allaqi-Heiani
interpreting the structural directions of Wadi Haimur Suture zone, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Advances in
area. The DHG delineated faults/boundaries that have Space Research 65, 1008–024.
Grauch, V. J. S., 1987. A new variable-magnetization terrain
no clear evidence on the HGM map and cannot be correction method for aeromagnetic data, Geophysics 52,
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present work lead to a better understanding of structures Nassreddine, B., & Haydar, A. B., 2001. Interpretation of
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which can be used in similar districts for trend and analytical signal. Annali Di Geofisica, v. 44, pp. 505-526.
structural analysis purposes. Pham, L. T., Le-Huy, M., Oksum, E., & Do, T. D., 2018.
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Received at: 15. 04. 2020

Revised at: 24. 05. 2020
Accepted for publication at: 29. 05. 2020
Published online at: 10. 06. 2020

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