Abstract:

Along the coast of Gebel Zeit (Eastern Desert, Egypt) raised beaches were found at different levels. The most obvious ones are marked by coral reefs at approximately 15m MSL, which correspond with the maximum of the last interglacial period (stage 5e). This age has been verified by Th/U- and ESR dating. Another reef (2m MSL) is of Holocene age. Traces of two other former shorelines can be found at approximateley 50m and 65m MSL. They may be attributed to the Middle or Early Pleistocene. Considering the age and the level of the 15m — reef one must assume that the Gebel Zeit region was raised some 5 to 10m in the last 125,000 years. In contrast to these locations there are other sites far south in the fringe area between Gebel Zeit and Little Gebel Zeit where the reef of the last Interglacial is found at approximately 5m MSL. Therefore it must be concluded that there was no uplift in this part since the last interglacial period. Here the coastal plain is fairly wide and the underlying rock is covered by huge alluvial fans. A comparison of our results with those of other studies in this region and context shows that no overall regional similarity exists. This is true neither for the hypsometric location of specific shorelines nor for their physiographic appearance. These differences may be caused by regional tectonic variations or by incorrect dating or by both.