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Two Late Triassic alkaline ring complexes in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt: the Gezira [229 +/- 5 Ma, K/Ar biotite] and Bir-Umhebal [223 +/- 9 Ma, Rb/Sr], were paleomagnetically studied to determine the paleo-latitude position of Northeast Africa during the Late Triassic just before the Jurassic dispersion of Pangaea. The initial isothermal remanent magnetization [IRM] study was followed by the progressive thermal demagnetization of all samples to verify the characteristic natural remanent magnetic directions of both complexes. The analysis revealed that: (i) the magnetite-dominated sites generally, had dual-polarity, bi-vectorial with shallow sub-equatorial N-S to NNW-SSE anchored remanent magnetic component, while (ii) the hematite/goethite sites were characterized by normal polarity, bi-vectorial decay with a northward anchored component fluctuating around zero inclination.

Based on their thermal demagnetization behavior, only the magnetite-dominated sites were considered as representing the average Late Triassic paleomagnetic field in the study areas during cooling of the studied complexes. The mean paleomagnetic north poles of the isolated characteristic component using the principal component analysis [PCA] for each complex were: (i) the north poles of Gezira Complex [22.3A degrees N/33.6A degrees E] was at (54.6A degrees N/226.2A degrees E, Dp/Dm= 5A degrees/9A degrees); (ii) the north poles of Bir-Umhebal Complex [23.75A degrees N/28 33.3A degrees E] was at (56.4A degrees N/236A degrees E, Dp/Dm= 3A degrees/6A degrees), and (iii) the mean north pole of both complexes [23A degrees N/33.5A degrees E] was at (56A degrees N/231A degrees E, Dp/Dm = 3A degrees/6A degrees).

The obtained Late Triassic [Late Carnian-Early Norian] paleomagnetic poles for the two ring complexes of Egypt show reasonable consistency with their synchronous African poles as well as poles rotated from the main tectonic units to the Northeast Africa using appropriate Euler pole parameters. These poles reveal that in the Late Triassic:The obtained Late Triassic [Late Carnian-Early Norian] paleomagnetic poles for the two ring complexes of Egypt show reasonable consistency with their synchronous African poles as well as poles rotated fromthe main tectonic units to the Northeast Africa using appropriate Euler pole parameters. These poles reveal that in the Late Triassic: (i) the northern part of Africa was in Equatorial paleo-latitudes with Northeast Africa lying just south the Equator. Cairo [Now at 30A degrees N] was at -4.4A degrees to -1A degrees paleo-latitude; (ii) the Azimuth of the African Plate was between N and 37 NNE about 9A degrees to14A degrees clockwise to its present-day azimuth.