干旱区生态环境知识资源中心

Remotely sensed data show details of the geomorphic features and landscape evolution west of the Nile. The detected features include remnants of paleochannels, flutes and rock-mass movements. Fused radar/optical data, altitudinal profiles and 3D perspective view provided evidences of massive landslides that fully blocked the earlier Nile channel near to the Western Desert plateau. This channel was similar to 30 km west of the present Nile at similar to 100 m above the present level of the Nile. Subsequently, the fluvial activities shifted about similar to 10 km eastward, leaving behind several remnants of paleochannels, fluvial deposits, ancient landscape and Nilotic fauna. The automatic extraction of stream networks clearly depicts the developments of paleochannels. Our results revealed that fluvial activity switched from the Gallaba plain to the present Nile course through a series of tectonic and climatic changes. Furthermore, integration of radar and optical images provided an explanation for causes of the undulated forms ’flutes’.