Development of AUTHORS

Amgad I. Younes Fault Dynamics

accommodation zones in the Research Group, Geology Department, Royal
Holloway University of London, Egham,
Gulf of SuezRed Sea rift, Surrey, TW20 0EX; current address: Shell EP
Technology Applications and Research, P.O.
Egypt Box 481, Houston, Texas, 77001;
ayounes@shell.com
Amgad I. Younes and Ken McClay Amgad Younes received a B.Sc. degree in
1985 from Ain Shams University, Egypt, an
M.Sc. degree in 1991 from Ball State, and a
Ph.D. in 1996 from Penn State University, all
ABSTRACT in geology. He completed three years of
postdoctoral appointment at Royal Holloway
Basement rocks on the margins of the late OligoceneMiocene Gulf University of London and Stanford University
of SuezRed Sea rift system contain penetrative west-northwest, from 1996 to 1999. He then joined Marathon
northwest, and north-south Precambrian structures, including fo- Oil Petroleum Technology Center in Denver
liations, fractures, faults, and regional sinistral shear zones. These from 1999 to 2001. He is currently a senior
have been reactivated during the Cenozoic rifting and have exerted research geologist at Shell Research Center.
fundamental controls on both rift-border fault geometries and the His interests are focused on reservoir
location of accommodation zones within the rift system. Two ac- problems involving quantitative structural
commodation zones, the Zaafarana accommodation zone in the geology, fracture analysis and characterization,
and fault seal prediction. He is also interested
northern Gulf of Suez and the Duwi accommodation zone in the
in problems and structural characteristics of
northwestern Red Sea rift margin, have been analyzed in detail. In
rift basins.
both accommodation zones, the southwest-dipping, eastern rift-
border faults (EBFs) consist of reactivated, Precambrian north- Ken McClay Fault Dynamics Research
south and northwest foliations and fractures, which link together Group, Geology Department, Royal Holloway
forming a rhomboidal zigzag fault pattern. Each EBF intersects a University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20
Precambrian shear zone then splays and loses displacement. In con- 0EX; ken@gl.rhul.ac.uk
trast, both of the northeast-dipping, western border faults (WBFs) Ken McClay graduated with a B.Sc. (honors)
consist of a reactivated fault segment colinear with a Precambrian degree from Adelaide University. He
shear zone, and this is hard-linked to a north-southnorth- subsequently undertook an M.Sc. degree in
northeastoriented, less well developed fault system via a discrete structural geology and rock mechanics at
transfer fault. The change in dip direction of the half grabens is Imperial College, London University, where in
1978 he also obtained a Ph.D. in structural
related to initial reactivation of preexisting regional, intersecting
geology. He was awarded a D.Sc. by Adelaide
north-south and west-northwest Precambrian shear zones by late
University in 2000. He is BP Professor of
Oligoceneearly Miocene N60E extension. This conguration al- Structural Geology and director of the Fault
lows initial left-lateral and right-lateral oblique-slip on the north- Dynamics Research Group at Royal Holloway
south and west-northwest zones, respectively. We present new University of London. His research involves
models for the localization of the accommodation zones and for the the study of extensional thrust, strike-slip, and
development of the rift half-graben architectures. inversion terranes and their applications to
hydrocarbon exploration. He publishes widely,
consults, and offers short courses to industry.

Copyright 2002. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.
Manuscript received May 26, 2001; revised manuscript received June 4, 2001; nal acceptance January
2, 2002.

AAPG Bulletin, v. 86, no. 6 (June 2002), pp. 10031026 1003


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This research was funded by the Natural Envi-
ronmental Research Council (United Kingdom)
ROPA grant # GR3/R9529. We thank Mara-
thon Petroleum Egypt (MPE) and Gebel El Zeit
Petroleum Company for providing the logisti-
cal support for eld work. We also thank Bill
Bosworth, Marathon Oil Company, for provid-
ing background data and discussions in the
eld; Adel R. Moustafa for a critical review;
Samir Khalil for fruitful discussions; and Fathy
Ezzat (MPE) for assistance during the eld
work. T. Dooley kindly assisted with the gure
preparation. This article is Fault Dynamics Re-
search Group Publication 89.
1004 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)
INTRODUCTION
Intracontinental rift basins such as the Gulf of Suez (cf. Patton et
al., 1994; Schutz, 1994), the North Sea (Glennie, 1990), the Re-
concavo basin, Brazil (de Figueiredo, 1994), and the Gulf of Thai-
land (cf. Morley, 1995) contain signicant hydrocarbon accumu-
lations dominantly trapped in extensional fault block structures.
Both prerift and synrift plays are common in these rift basins (cf.
Landon, 1994; Lambiase and Bosworth, 1995; Gawthorpe and
Leeder, 2000). Considerable recent attention has been focused on
the tectono-sedimentary evolution of rift basins; the growth, link-
age, and decay of the bounding fault structures; and the evolution
of rift basin sedimentary lls (cf. Gawthorpe and Leeder, 2000;
Gupta and Cowie, 2000).
Intracontinental rifts are typically formed by a system of narrow
(1040 kmwide) half grabens, bounded by rift-border faults and
with alternating dip polarities along strike (cf. East African rift sys-
tem [Rosendahl et al., 1986] and the Gulf of Suez rift [Patton et
al., 1994; McClay et al., 1998]). Individual half grabens dene sepa-
rate basins within the rift, and they can be linked along strike by a
variety of combinations of overlapping border fault systems (e.g.,
Bosworth, 1985; Rosendahl et al., 1986; Faulds and Varga, 1998).
As a result, complex patterns of structurally controlled synrift stra-
tigraphy may develop in the individual rift basins (e.g., Gawthorpe
and Leeder, 2000) (Figure 1). Individual basins within the rift are
separated by accommodation zones (Bosworth, 1985; Rosendahl et
al., 1986; Lambiase and Bosworth, 1995; Faulds and Varga, 1998),
which allow along-strike changes in both fault dips and bed dips,
that is, the polarities of the rift basins change along strike (Figure
1). Zones of along-strike displacement transfer between oppositely
dipping rift-border and intrarift faults have been referred to as ac-
commodation zones (Bosworth, 1985; Rosendahl et al., 1986; Lam-
biase and Bosworth, 1995; Faulds and Varga, 1998), transfer zones
(Morley et al., 1990; Moustafa, 1997), or interference accommo-
dation zones (Versfelt and Rosendahl, 1989). In this article, we
restrict the term accommodation zone to the region separating
oppositely dipping rift-border and intrarift fault systems (i.e., a
change in both half-graben and fault polarity [cf. Bosworth, 1985]).
This usage is somewhat more restrictive than the general form dis-
cussed by Faulds and Varga (1998) and reects the characteristic
features of narrow rifts where accommodation zones typically sepa-
rate distinct subbasins with different fault polarities (cf. Gulf of
Suez [Patton et al., 1994; Schutz, 1994; McClay et al., 1998]). We
use the terms transfer fault or transfer zone to describe a fault
or a fault zone connecting individual intrarift faults, regardless of
their dip direction (cf. Patton et al., 1994).
Accommodation Zones and Rift Basin Architectures
Accommodation zones in rift systems are typically 1530 km wide,
commonly higher in elevation than the surrounding sections of the

rift, and cut by many steeply dipping antithetic and
synthetic faults (cf. Bosworth, 1985; Rosendahl et al.,
1986; Morley, 1995; Faulds and Varga, 1998). In gen-
eral, accommodation zones lack signicant strike-slip
faulting, and in places, gentle folds due to draping may
occur where normal faults terminate (Cofeld and
Schamel, 1989; Morley et al., 1990; Vargo et al.,
1993). Interpretation of seismic data indicates that sec-
tions across accommodation zones are typically sym-
metric with a characteristic horst and graben style (e.g.,
Lambiase and Bosworth, 1995; Morley, 1995). Large
accommodation zones share several geometric attrib-
utes, such as curvature of the bounding faults at depth,
curvature of fault tips toward fault hanging walls (Bos-
worth, 1985), transfer of displacement along relay
ramps within the overlap zones, and pronounced fault
Figure 1. Conceptual model
of a narrow rift system
(shallow-marine intracontinental
rift) showing an along-strike
change in the half-graben
polarity. The possible variations
in synrift sedimentation pat-
terns and sediment input points
are shown. The accommodation
zone is modeled on that illus-
trated in Ebinger (1989).
segmentation at overlap zones (Rosendahl et al., 1986;
Morley, 1995).
Intrarift accommodation zones are generally rela-
tively positive structural features and, as such, may ex-
ert important inuences on the dispersal of synrift sed-
iments (cf. Figure 1; see also May and Russell, 1994;
Lambiase and Bosworth, 1995; Gawthorpe and
Leeder, 2000). The evolution of accommodation zones
and, hence, the effects on synrift sedimentation are in-
timately linked to the initiation, growth, linkage, and,
nally, decay of the rift fault systems (cf. Gawthorpe
and Leeder, 2000). Initial rift fault systems are highly
segmented (cf. McClay, 1990; McClay et al., 2002),
and individual rift basins are isolated. With increased
extension, the rift faults propagate both updip and
along-strike until individual fault segments become
Younes and McClay 1005
linked (e.g., Cowie et al., 2000). When fault linkage
occurs, extension is focused on a small number of faults
that rapidly accumulate large individual displacements:
this is typically the rift climax phase (Gupta et al.,
1998; Cowie et al., 2000). At this stage, along-strike
linkage of basins occurs, and axial drainage patterns
may be established (Lambiase, 1990; Gawthorpe and
Leeder, 2000).
Relationship of Basement Fabrics to Rift Architecture
Many rifts are formed in either crystalline basement
rocks or prerift strata above crystalline basement that
contain prerift structural fabrics such as foliations, frac-
tures, faults, and dikes. These prerift elements weaken
the basement, reduce its strength, and can be reacti-
vated if they are favorably oriented during later tec-
tonic deformation (cf. Illies, 1981). Reactivation is
more pronounced in extensional terranes where planes
oriented normal or oblique to the extension direction
can lose from 25 to 75% of their strength (Youash,
1969). Therefore, during later rifting it is naturally
more efcient to reactivate favorably oriented pre-
existing fractures rather than forming new ones, at least
during the early stages of rifting. Examples of rift basins
controlled by preexisting fabrics include the East Af-
rican rift (McConell, 1972; Kazmin, 1979), the Malawi
rift (Ring, 1994), the Baikal rift (Florensov, 1966), the
Yadung-Gulu rift (Armijo et al., 1986), the Rhine Gra-
ben (Illies, 1981), the Oslo rift (Bederke, 1966), and
the Rio Grande rift (Faulds et al., 1990; Beck and
Chapin, 1994).
In many hydrocarbon systems, reactivated base-
ment faults both control the depositional environment
(e.g., offshore bars, uvial systems, and algal mounds)
and may also control the fracture density in the cover
(Gay, 1997). The likelihood that a preexisting fabric
will reactivate increases for shallow, long, steep, co-
hesionless fabrics, where they are near orthogonal to
the extension direction. The amount of slip on reacti-
vated multiple sets of fractures is larger on fractures
nearly orthogonal to the extension direction than on
those oblique to it (Morley, 1995). Thick prerift sedi-
mentary cover on top of basement faults could also
possibly inhibit their reactivation or restrict their ver-
tical propagation (e.g., Moustafa, 1997).
Present Study
Despite the extensive research on rift basins (e.g.,
Gupta and Cowie, 2000), there are several unre-
1006 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)
solved issues concerning the origin of accommodation
zones in rift systems. Bosworth (1985) suggested that
accommodation zones are related to opposing, deeply
seated, low-angle faults such that one fault locks up
as the other slips. The half grabens switch polarity
at some point along the incipient rift zone, [as] the
opposing detachment gains the initial advantage
(Bosworth, 1985). Other rift models, for example,
Wernicke (1985), Lister et al. (1986), and Lister and
Davis (1989), invoke extension on oppositely dipping
low-angle detachment faults and the switches in rift
half-graben polarities being accommodated by exten-
sion-parallel strike-slip transfer faults. What is not
clear, however, are the mechanisms that form these
structures, how they are linked at depth, or what
governs the location of an individual accommodation
zone. If the geometries of rifts are inuenced by pre-
existing fabrics in the basement and prerift strata,
and if half-graben formation is a common, early rift-
ing process, then we should expect an association be-
tween the location of the accommodation zones and
these preexisting fabrics. The fundamental question
is why do half grabens switch polarities, under a uni-
form, regional extensional stress eld?
In this article, we present the results of detailed
mapping in the Gulf of SuezRed Sea, Egypt. This
area was chosen because it is a superb example of a
well-preserved marine rift system (Landon, 1994)
that is anked by excellent exposures of basement
and prerift cover rocks. Mapping was based on
Landsat airphoto interpretations, together with eld
mapping at 1:25,000 scale. We examined the link be-
tween the basement fabrics and the late Oligocene
early Miocene Gulf of SuezRed Sea rift structures.
In particular, we focused on the inuence of large
Precambrian shear zones on the overall architecture
of the Gulf of SuezRed Sea rift basins and, more
specically, on the location of accommodation zones
within them. The structures of two particular accom-
modation zones are discussed and are related to re-
gional basement fabrics and rift fault architectures.
We show that the locations of these northernmost
and southernmost accommodation zones in the Gulf
of SuezRed Sea area are strongly linked to reacti-
vation of preexisting north-south and west-northwest
Precambrian shear zones. We propose a model for
the formation of half grabens and accommodation
zones whereby they are controlled by the reactivation
of preexisting regional basement fabrics and their in-
teractions with the propagating rift-border fault
systems.
GEOLOGIC SETTING OF THE GULF OF
SUEZNORTHERN RED SEA

The Gulf of SuezRed Sea rift system (GSRSR) is a

type-example of an intercontinental rift (Landon,
1994). Rifting commenced during the late Oligocene
early Miocene (cf. Purser and Bosence, 1998; Bosworth
and McClay, 2001) as a precursor to Red Sea oor
spreading and separation of the Arabian and Nubian
plates. The evolution of the present GSRSR occurred
in two main episodes. The rst was the formation of a
continental rift extending from the southern Red Sea
to the Gulf of Suez (cf. Omar and Steckler, 1995). In
the second stage, the Gulf of Suez section of the rift
(Figure 2) was abandoned, and displacement was trans-
ferred to the Gulf of AqabaDead Sea transform (Gar-
funkel and Bartov, 1977; Bosworth and McClay,
2001). At the same time, the southern part of the rift
continued to develop, forming a young mid-oceanic
ridge south of lat. 25M (Cochran, 1983).
The rift geometry, in the study area between lat.
30N and 26N, consists of the Darag, October, Zeit,
and Duwi half-graben basins that display stratal dip
polarities to the southwest, northeast, southwest, and
northeast, respectively (Figure 2). From north to south
these basins are separated by the Zaafarana, Morgan,
and Duwi accommodation zones, respectively (Mous-
tafa, 1997). The exact geometry and extent of these
zones is not well dened in the subsurface because of
the poor seismic quality in the central Gulf of Suez and Figure 2. Location and simplied tectonic map of the study
Red Sea due to the thick Miocene evaporites (Patton area. Black bold arrows indicate dip direction of half grabens,
et al., 1994). This article focuses on the Zaafarana ac- whereas large gray arrows indicate extension direction during
commodation zone, located in the northern Gulf of the late Oligoceneearly Miocene. Solid lines are normal faults
Suez, and the Duwi accommodation zone, located in with throws corresponding to the thickness of the line. Major
the northwestern Red Sea (Figure 2). We chose these Precambrian shear zones are shown in stippled lines. ZAZ
zones because both separate southwest-dipping half Zaafarana accommodation zone; MAZ Morgan accommo-
dation zone; DAZ Duwi accommodation zone.
grabens to the north from northeast-dipping half gra-
bens to the south. The accommodation zones are sur-
rounded by extensive exposures of both basement and
prerift strata. lain by a 450480 mthick sequence of Lower Cam-
brianLower Cretaceous clastics, dominantly shallow-
Prerift Stratigraphy marine to uvial sandstones (informally known as the
Nubia sandstone [Said, 1962]). Overlying the sand-
The prerift of the GSRSR consists of Neoproterozoic stones is a 400500 mthick succession of interbedded
basement unconformably overlain by unmetamor- sandstones, limestones, and shales of the Nezzazat
phosed Cambrianlate Eocene sedimentary rocks (cf. Group (Ghorab, 1961). These are in turn overlain by
Said, 1990; Patton et al., 1994; Schutz, 1994). The 2050 mthick Paleocene shales of the Esna formation
basement consists of gneisses, metavolcanics, meta- and a 300 mthick earlymiddle Eocene carbonate suc-
sediments intruded by late tectonic granitoids, and cession (cf. Patton et al., 1994; McClay et al., 1998).
mac dike swarms (Said, 1990). In the eastern Gulf of In the northwestern Red Sea, the basement is un-
Suez, the crystalline basement is unconformably over- conformably overlain by a 500700 mthick sequence

Younes and McClay 1007

of prerift units that range from the Late Cretaceous
Nubia sandstones through to the earlymiddle Eocene
massive Thebes limestones (Moustafa, 1997; Mon-
tenat et al., 1998). The Late CretaceousPaleocene
Quseir, Duwi, and Dakhlah formations (Montenat et
al., 1998) are interbedded clastics, carbonates, and
shales very similar in character to the Nezzazat Group
(Patton et al., 1994) on the eastern margin of the Gulf
of Suez.
Synrift Stratigraphy
The prerift strata of the GSRSR are unconformably
overlain by late Oligoceneearly Miocene red beds and
volcanics of the earliest synrift deposited in isolated,
fault-bounded basins (Said, 1962, 1990; Sharp et al.,
2000a, b). These red beds were followed by early
middle Miocene synrift clastics (cf. McClay et al.,
1998; Sharp et al., 2000a), which attain thicknesses as
great as 6 km in the center of the Suez rift (cf. Bos-
worth et al., 1998). Middlelate Miocene synrift strata
include thick evaporites (Montenat et al., 1998).
Basement Characteristics and Structure
The crystalline basement underlying the SuezRed Sea
rift was deformed and metamorphosed during the Pan-
African orogeny (620580 Ma in the northern Red
Sea) (cf. Kroner et al., 1994). This event marks colli-
sion, north-southnorthwest subduction, accretion,
and suturing of the Arabian plate into the African con-
tinent and the formation of the Arabo-Nubian shield
(Gass, 1979; Engel et al., 1980; Fleck et al., 1980; Stos-
ser and Camp, 1985; Kroner, 1993; Kroner et al.,
1994). Basement rocks include ophiolites, together
with related magmatic and sedimentary assemblages,
thrust over polydeformed and polymetamorphosed
basement units during Neoproterozoic convergence
(Kroner et al., 1994). The late stages of the Pan-
African orogeny are marked by intrusion of post-
tectonic granitoids (Greenberg, 1981; Stern and
Hedge, 1985; Sultan et al., 1992) and widespread east-
northeastnortheasttrending mac to andesitic dike
swarms. In general, the basement rocks can be divided
into competent granitic intrusions surrounded by less
competent zones of metamorphic rocks with intense,
northwest-striking foliations.
One of the most characteristic Precambrian struc-
tural features of the Arabo-Nubian shield is a system
of regional, linear, deep-seated, left-lateral, northwest-
oriented faults and shear zones. The most prominent
1008 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)
of these is the Najd shear zone (Brown and Coleman,
1972; Davies, 1984). It is a 250 kmwide, approxi-
mately 1100 kmlong, left-lateral shear zone that has
a cumulative lateral offset between 240 and 300 km
(Brown and Coleman, 1972; Davies, 1984). It is be-
lieved to have formed during the nal phases of Pan-
African deformation (Shackelton et al., 1980; Sultan
et al., 1988) or as a late Precambrian rift-related trans-
form fault (Stern, 1985). These Najd faults crosscut
earlier north-south fabrics, for example, schistosities,
faults, and veins, and some were reactivated later as
reverse, normal, or oblique-slip faults (McMahon and
Al-Shanti, 1979; Fleck et al., 1980; Abu Zeid, 1984).
The northwestern 4050 km of the Najd shear zone
occurs on the Egyptian side of the Red Sea, near the
Duwi accommodation zone (Abu Zeid, 1984; Stern,
1985; Sultan et al., 1988), and is called the Hamrawin
shear zone (Figure 2). Other late Precambrian north-
west-trending strike-slip faults in the northwest Red
Sea basement have also been interpreted as being re-
lated to the sinistral Najd system (cf. Unzog and Kurz,
2000). A northwest-trending basement shear zone
(Rihba shear zone) occurs in the Sinai basement (Fig-
ure 2) and is also perhaps a segment of the Najd shear
system. The Ar40-Ar39 dating of synkinematic micas
along a northwest-striking strike-slip fault that borders
the Meatiq granitic dome in the basement of the north-
western Red Sea rift margin gave an age of faulting of
588 0.4 Ma (Fritz et al., 1996).
In addition to regional northwest-trending shear
zones and faults, pervasive northwest, north-south,
and east-northeastoriented faults, fractures, and foli-
ations occur throughout the basement. The most com-
mon Precambrian fabrics are west-northwest faults and
penetrative metamorphic fabrics, such as slaty and
pencil cleavages, and gneissic foliations. In addition,
north-south fractures, faults, and minor dikes also oc-
cur. The third most common fabrics are the northeast
and east-northeast faults and dikes. The relative-age re-
lationships of these pervasive Precambrian structures
in the basement show that the north-south faults are
older than, and are displaced by, the east-northeast and
the northwest faults. At least three phases of Neopro-
terozoic northeast-oriented mac and composite dikes
have been identied in the northern Arabo-Nubian
shield, ranging in age from about 580 to 540 Ma (Jessel
et al., 1998; Jarrar, 2001). In the southwest Gulf of
Suez younger northwest-oriented mac dikes intrud-
ing preexisting fractures yield Ar40-Ar39 ages of 550
560 Ma, suggesting a reversal in the extension direction
(i.e., to the northeast) or an association with northwest
strike-slip faults during the late Precambrian (Younes
et al., 1997).
Neogene faults and fractures formed by late
Oligoceneearly Miocene rifting in the GSRSR prop-
agated upward from the crystalline basement through
most of the overlying prerift and synrift strata. Major
faults mapped in the sedimentary section of the Suez
Red Sea rift cluster around north-south, west-north-
west, and north-northwest orientations, in addition to
a small maximum oriented east-northeast (e.g., Khalil,
1998). Only the north-northwest faults propagated
perpendicular to the late Oligoceneearly Miocene
N60E extension direction (Angelier, 1985; Steckler et
al., 1988; Khalil, 1998); the remaining Neogene fault
trends are probably rejuvenated Precambrian fabrics
(Lyberis, 1988; Jarriage et al., 1990; Younes, 1996).
The youngest rift-related movements occurred on the
east-northeast and north-south faults, whereas the old-
est occurred on the north-northwest and west-north-
west faults (Jarriage et al., 1990). The late Oligocene
early Miocene north-northwest faults are commonly
dip-slip faults, whereas the north-northeast and west-
northwest faults are commonly oblique left-lateral and
oblique right-lateral faults, respectively (Prat et al.,
1986; Chorowicz, 1989; and Abu El Karamat and
Fouda, 1990). North-northeastoriented faults in the
Araba-Durba area were rejuvenated as a transfer fault
system linking the north-northwestoriented late
Oligoceneearly Miocene fault system (Moretti and
Chenet, 1987; Chorowicz, 1989; McClay and Khalil,
1998).
During the late OligoceneMiocene rifting, the re-
activation sequence of these preexisting fabrics de-
pended on their orientation relative to the regional
N60E extension direction (these age relationships are
summarized in Table 1).
ZAAFARANA ACCOMMODATION ZONE,
NORTHERN GULF OF SUEZ
The Zaafarana accommodation zone is located in the
northernmost part of the Gulf of Suez and is sur-
rounded by the relatively gently dipping rocks of
north-central Sinai to the east and the North and South
Galala plateaus to the west (Figure 3). The zone sepa-
rates the southwest-dipping Darag half graben in the
north from the northeast-dipping October half graben
to the south (Figure 3). The western margin of the
Darag basin is bounded by two faults, oriented N55W
(Darag fault) and N15E, both dipping to the north-
east. The prerift strata in the Darag basin dip 15 at
5.0 km below sea level, suggesting a total throw of ap-
proximately 5.5 km on the Darag fault (Moustafa and
El Shaarawy, 1987). The southeast tip of the Darag
fault terminates at the Wadi Araba prerift anticline off-
shore. Its northwest tip, however, continues onshore
toward the northwest, where late Oligoceneearly
Miocene extensional faults, for example, the Abu
Shama fault (Figure 4), trend in the same direction.
The north-northeast fault segment bounding the
northwestern side of the Darag basin (Figures 3, 4) has
a throw comparable to that of the Darag fault at their
intersection, but its throw decreases toward the north.
The eastern margin of the accommodation zone is
bounded by a series of zigzag north-northeast and
west-northwest fault segments that form the Baba-
Nukhul fault system (BNF). This system has a throw
that exceeds 1200 m near Wadi Baba, placing the Eo-
cene strata against the Precambrian basement, and Pa-
leozoic sandstones next to the same basement rocks
north of the Nukhul block (Figure 4). The main
bounding faults for the October basin, south of the
accommodation zone, are an intrarift north-northeast
oriented fault of the Coastal fault system and the west-
northwestoriented Hammam Faraun fault system
(HFF in Figure 4). The rst is a reactivated oblique left-
lateral normal fault (Chorowicz, 1989). The second is
a rejuvenated, southwest-dipping, oblique right-lateral
fault that has approximately 5.0 km throw, half of
which postdates the early synrift phase (Moustafa and
El Shaarawy, 1987; Vargo et al., 1993). The Hammam
Faraun fault is linked to the BNF by the Markha trans-
fer fault, an oblique right-lateral normal fault (indi-
cated by marker beds offsets and slickensides) that has
approximately a minimum of 3 km of down-to-the-
south throw. Normal and reverse faults, local folds, and
fault splays are common in the hanging walls of the
Baba-Nukhul and the Hammam Faraun blocks near
their intersection with the shear zone (Figure 5).
A prerift structural high intersects the Darag and
BNF faults approximately at the accommodation zone
(Figure 4). This high is believed to be an extension of
a northeast-trending Syrian arc inversion-related fold
(subparallel to the accommodation zone) exposed at
Wadi Araba, southwest of the Darag fault. Synrift de-
posits unconformably overlie the eroded and thinned
prerift section of this structure (Soliman et al., 1965).
Moustafa (1997) proposed that this high controlled the
location of the Zaafarana accommodation zone. Off-
shore three-dimensional (3-D) seismic data show that
faults within the accommodation zone are steeply
Younes and McClay 1009
Figure 3. Interpretation of
major faults and shear zones in
the Gulf of Suez area. HF
Hammam Faraun fault block;
HA Hadahid fault block; ZAZ
Zaafarana accommodation
zone; MAZ Morgan accom-
modation zone.

dipping and are dominated by N50W and northeast-
trending faults (Moustafa and El Shaarawy, 1987)
(Figure 5). Some of these faults are prerift faults, which
were reactivated during the initial rifting stage (Vargo
et al., 1993).
Basement Elements of the Zaafarana Accommodation Zone
Pervasive basement fabrics in the region of the Zaafar-
ana accommodation zone cluster in three sets: north-
south faults, fractures, and foliations; east-northeast
faults and dikes; and west-northwest faults, fractures,
and foliations (Figure 6). At a larger scale, interpreta-
tion of Landsat images of this area shows a major Pre-
cambrian lineament, named here the Rihba shear zone
(Figures 3, 4). This shear zone is well exposed along
Wadi Rihba, a tributary of Wadi Feiran. It extends for
approximately 40 km in the footwall of the BNF before
disappearing southeast of the Hammam Faraun fault
block, near the coast. The shear zone is more than 200
m wide and consists mainly of cataclasite with granite,
diorite, andesite, and quartz clasts embedded in a ne-
grained crushed-rock matrix. In thin section, brecci-
ated, crushed and deformed quartz grains are common,
but the lack of foliation and banding indicates strong
cataclastic deformation. The Rihba shear zone cross-

1010 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)


cuts the north-south faults and north-south and north-
west foliation but is itself cut by the late Precambrian
northeast-trending basic and andesitic dikes. Although
Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks cover the northwest
termination of the shear zone, several structures trend
along its strike, extending across the northern Gulf of
Suez. For example, the Abu Shama fault system, ba-
saltic ows, and hot springs form a very strong align-
ment with the shear zone, extending for 300 km in-
dependent of the stratigraphic level of exposure
(Figure 4).
Basement Control on the Zaafarana Accommodation Zone
The BNF footwall is made up of foliated Precambrian
gneisses. The strikes of gneissic foliations measured in
the rift footwall cluster around northnorth-northeast
and northwest trends (Figures 5, 6). These foliation
trends are parallel to those of the border fault seg-
ments, suggesting that these favorably oriented pre-
Figure 4. Simplied structural
map of the northern Gulf of
Suez (modied from Moustafa
and El Shaarawy, 1988;
Chowdhary and Taha, 1987;
Said and Basiouni, 1958) and
subsurface map of Warda eld
on top of prerift strata (modi-
ed from Vargo et al., 1993).
ASF Abu Shama fault; DF
Darag fault; BNF Baba-
Nukhul fault; HFF Hammam
Faraun fault. Dip symbols indi-
cate block tilt direction; black
solid squares indicate down-
thrown side. The border fault
begins to lose displacement at
Wadi Baba (WB). The Darag
fault dips in the opposite direc-
tion but maintains the same
orientation as the Rihba shear.
AA and BB are cross sections
(after Patton et al., 1994) north
and south of the accommoda-
tion zone.
existing gneissic foliations acted as a directional weak-
ness within the basement during rifting. In addition,
interaction of west-northwest, north-northwest, and
north-south fault segments gives the border and coastal
fault systems a characteristic zigzag geometry, for ex-
ample, in the Nukhul and Hadahid blocks (Figures 3,
6). In rotated fault blocks, for example, the Durba,
Araba, Mallaha, and Zeit fault blocks, north-south
north-northeast faults have a passive left-lateral sense
of displacement, in agreement with this being Miocene
reactivation of a preexisting north-south fabric (Prat et
al., 1986; Abu El Karamat and Fouda, 1990; McClay
and Khalil, 1998).
The Rihba shear zone intersects the BNF near
Wadi Baba. North of this intersection, the BNF splays
into several segments to the north of Wadi Nukhul and
progressively loses offset until it arrests at the northern
end of the block (Figure 5). On the western rift margin,
the Darag fault follows the trace of the Rihba shear
(N55W), in contrast to the coastal fault trends farther
Younes and McClay 1011

Figure 5. Simplied map of the Baba-Nukhul area. Inset
shows major basement fabric trends and late Oligoceneearly
Miocene extension direction (wide arrows).
to the south, for example, in the Zeit, Araba, and
Durba blocks, where they follow the late Oligocene
early Miocene fault trends (N25W).
DUWI ACCOMMODATION ZONE,
NORTHWESTERN RED SEA
The Duwi accommodation zone is exposed onshore in
the northern Red Sea, extending for 710 km north of
Quseir (Figures 2, 7). It separates the southwest-
dipping fault blocks (e.g., Mallaha, Zeit, Wasif, and
Huetat) to the north from the northeast-dipping blocks
to the south (e.g., Duwi and Hammadat blocks) (Fig-
ure 7). The offshore extension of the accommodation
zone is not readily obvious because of the north-north-
west faulting along the Red Sea margin and because of
the poor quality of the offshore seismic data. The west-
ern margin of the Duwi accommodation zone is
bounded by two northwest-oriented, oppositely dip-
ping faults named the Nakheel (Moustafa, 1997) and
the Kallaheen faults (Figure 7). The Nakheel fault sys-
tem consists of three southwest-dipping, left-stepping
segments characterized by offsets and breached relay
ramps (Figure 8a). In the hanging wall to the Nakheel
1012 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)
fault, the Eocene Thebes Formation dips 15 to the
northeast and is juxtaposed against the basement rocks,
with a minimum offset of 1200 m. The fault system
loses displacement to the northwest and dies within
the Paleocene shales, whereas the southeast end either
terminates at or interacts with a system of north-south
to north-northeastoriented faults (Figure 8). A hang-
ing-wall extensional-fault propagation fold occurs in
the immediate hanging wall of the Nakheel fault. Here,
bed dips average 55SW, and in places vertical and
overturned strata are found. Synclinal lows associated
with the accommodation zone and the Nakheel fault
were lled with the late Oligocene(?)early Miocene
Nakheel Formation (Figure 8a).
The west-northwesttrending, northeast-dipping
Kallaheen fault is exposed for approximately 10 km
(Figure 8). Fault offset reaches a maximum of 1100 m
at its center, juxtaposing Eocene limestones against the
top of the basement. At the lateral tips of the fault,
offsets of only a few tens of meters are found. A doubly
plunging syncline exists in the hanging wall, with rem-
nants of the Cretaceous sandstones and shales in its
core. The Kallaheen fault links to a north-south fault
system to the north, which bounds the west-dipping
fault blocks of the Wasif and Huetat blocks. The Nak-
heel and Kallaheen faults overlap for approximately
6.5 km and enclose the westernmost part of the Duwi
accommodation zone (Saqi block [Moustafa, 1997]).
The fault that links the oppositely dipping Nakheel and
Kallaheen faults has a maximum displacement of 80 m
and is called the Duwi transfer fault (DTF) within the
Duwi accommodation zone (Figure 9).
The surface expression of this part of the accom-
modation zone is manifest by two southeast-plunging
synclines separated by a transfer fault and an array of
small-scale faults that form a twist zone farther to the
north (Figures 8, 9). The southeast plunge direction of
the synclines indicates an overall right-lateral displace-
ment component on their bounding faults or on the
Hamrawin shear zone. The twist zone consists of an
array of small-offset (50 m), east-dipping, normal
faults that fan from north-south orientation to the east
to a northwest orientation to the west. These faults are
antithetic to the Nakheel fault and die out to the north
as displacement is transferred to the fault bounding the
Wasif block.
Basement Elements of the Duwi Accommodation Zone
The Precambrian fabrics of the Duwi accommodation
zone cluster around trends similar to those found in
Figure 6. Lower hemisphere plots of fabric data collected from the Duwi and Zeit fault blocks and Sinai. (a) Landsat faults;
(b) fractures; (c) mapped faults; (d) foliation; (e) dikes; (f) synoptic. Fractures, faults, and dikes are plotted as 2 r Kamb contours
(equal area density contours). Foliation is plotted as poles. Synoptic shows loci of sets mentioned in text.

the Gulf of Suez (Figure 10). Precambrian west-north-
west faults strike parallel to major shear zones and in
places have an up to 3 km left-lateral strike-slip com-
ponent recorded in the offset of dike swarms. Away
from the rift margin, north-south faults commonly av-
erage a few kilometers to tens of kilometers long and
consistently displace the Precambrian granitic intru-
sions 13 km in a right-lateral sense. East-northeast
fabrics, although present as dikes and faults, are far less
intense than in the Gulf of Suez farther to the north.
Interpretation of Landsat thematic mapper (TM)
imagery shows that the northwest-trending Hamrawin
and Queyh shear zones are the dominant basement
fabrics in the region of the Duwi accommodation zone
(Figure 8). The Hamrawin shear zone borders the east-
ern side of the Anz block to the south and projects to
the northwest where it intersects the Nakheel fault. It
is dened by two pronounced faults oriented N55W
and dipping approximately 8075 to the northeast.
Fold vengeance to the west, sheared veins, secondary
shear structures, and offset of dike and magmatic con-
tacts indicate that this shear zone has a Precambrian
left-lateral strike-slip component (Abu Zeid, 1984;
Stern, 1985). Upper Cretaceous rocks above the base-
ment were down faulted to the north along the shear
zone, indicating post-Cretaceous (probably late Oli-
goceneearly Miocene) reactivation of the shear zone
(Figure 8). The Hamrawin shear zone offsets a north-
south fault that separates metagabbroic from metavol-
canic and metasedimentary rocks by approximately 2
km in an apparent right-lateral sense (AA in Figure 7),
indicating a reversal of motion during or after the Ol-
igocene(?) (Abdeen, 1995). Absence of comparable
offset in the cover rocks indicates that this slip on the
Hamrawin shear predates the movement on the late
Oligoceneearly Miocene Nakheel fault.

Younes and McClay 1013

 Figure 7. Interpretation of major faults and shear zones in the
Red Sea area. The Hamrawin and Queyh shears are outlined.
DAZ Duwi accommodation zone. AA is a Precambrian north-
south fault that has been displaced approximately 2 km dextrally
by reactivation of the Hamrawin shear.

The Queyh shear zone strikes parallel to the Ham-

rawin shear zone and is located approximately 20 km
to the north (Figure 8). This Precambrian shear zone
displaces a granitic intrusion approximately 2.5 km in
a left-lateral sense. Conjugate brittle fault sets, intense
fracturing, and mylonitization of the granite suggest re-
activation of this shear zone. Similar to the Hamrawin
shear zone, the northern tip of the Queyh shear zone
joins a north-southtrending fault that bounds the
Huetat fault block, whereas its southern tip is termi-
nated by an east-northeast fault (Figure 8).

Basement Control on the Duwi Accommodation Zone

Segments of the Nakheel fault system strike parallel to

the northwest-oriented slaty cleavage of the meta-
sediments. Field observations show that the northern
segment of the Nakheel fault propagated along the

Table 1. Tectonic Summary of Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift System

1014 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)

edge of the Hamrawin intrusion, exploiting a 150 m
wide mylonitized granite zone exposed in its footwall.
Moreover, several block-bounding faults propagated
around this unfoliated igneous intrusion, opting to ex-
ploit the weaker contact between the foliated meta-
morphic rocks and the intrusion. Orientations of meta-
morphic foliations correspond to the orientations of
the block-bounding faults (Figure 10).
The Hamrawin shear zone intersects the south-
west-dipping Nakheel fault system at approximately
15 to its strike (Figure 9). At the point of intersection,
the Nakheel fault jogs 0.7 km to the east and loses
displacement, then arrests farther to the northwest.
This jog was later offset by a dip-slip component on
the Hamrawin shear zone. The abrupt loss of displace-
ment (Figure 11) and jog and splaying of the Nakheel
fault at the point of intersection with the Hamrawin
shear zone suggest that the latter caused arrest of the
Nakheel fault. In addition, the segment of the shear
zone in the hanging wall was used as a transfer fault
(DTF) that eventually links to the northeast-dipping
Kallaheen fault. The latter follows the trend of the
Hamrawin shear rather than the Nakheel fault trend
(Figures 8, 9).
The Queyh shear zone was reactivated during the
late Oligoceneearly Miocene rifting as an oblique-slip
normal fault with maximum displacement at its inter-
section with an east-northeast fault that strikes parallel
to Wadi Queyh (Figure 8). Thick late Oligoceneearly
Miocene conglomerates were deposited in the hanging
wall, but their thickness decreases to the northwest,
indicating a reduction in dip-slip offset on the shear
zone.
DISCUSSION: LINKS BETWEEN THE
PRECAMBRIAN FABRICS AND
ACCOMMODATION ZONES
Geometries of Block-Bounding Faults
Field evidence for reactivation of preexisting basement
fabrics includes faulting of late Oligoceneearly Mio-
cene rocks along the Precambrian, mylonitic fault
zones and the concordance of Precambrian gneissic fo-
liations with the late Oligoceneearly Miocene fault
orientations. Figure 12 shows sketches of fault line seg-
ments for several block-bounding faults in the eastern
Gulf of Suez and the northwestern Red Sea areas. In
both areas, northwest and north-south fault segments
make up the border faults. The Eocene Thebes For-
mation in these blocks is faulted against both fault
trends, suggesting that, at least, one of these trends was
reactivated during the late Oligoceneearly Miocene
extension. In places, north-south fault segments ex-
tend into the basement (footwall), whereas another
segment follows the northwest rift trend (e.g., Gebel
Um Huetat in Figure 8a). Such geometries suggest that
the preexisting metamorphic foliations, fractures, and
faults controlled the geometries and orientations of the
rift-border faults but not the coastal rift faults, which
are generally orthogonal to the overall N60E exten-
sion (cf. Figure 8a).
Fault block geometries in the eastern Gulf of Suez
have distinct rhomboidal forms, reecting the strong
control by reactivated preexisting northwest and
north-southnorth-northeast basement fabrics (Khalil,
1998). Similar rhomboidal and zigzag fault patterns are
also found in the northwestern Red Sea margin, reect-
ing reactivation of basement fabrics. In particular, both
the northwest and north-southnorth-northeast
trending fault segments have early synrift sequences
deposited in their hanging walls, indicating synchro-
nous rift extension on both trends (Khalil, 1998).
Inuence of Shear Zones on Accommodation Zones
Map relationships (Figures 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9) clearly show
that switches in half-graben polarities in the Gulf of
SuezRed Sea rift system occur where rift-border
faults impinge on or are inuenced by preexisting base-
ment structures, particularly the Precambrian shear
zones. The change in half-graben polarities at points of
intersection with older shear zones is not unique to the
Gulf of SuezRed Sea. In the Rio Grande rift, New
Mexico, the Tijeras accommodation zone coincides
with the intersection of the rift-border fault and a shear
zone that divides the Albuquerque basin into northern
and southern, oppositely dipping blocks (May and Rus-
sell, 1994). Similarly, in the Kenya rift, the intersection
of the rift with the Kerio-Bogoria-Marmanet shear
zone marks an accommodation zone that separates the
west-dipping Gregory rift from the east-dipping Tur-
kana rift (Smith and Mosley, 1993). In Lake Tangan-
yika, the change in rift basin polarity is also caused by
a basement shear zone (Versfelt and Rosendahl, 1989).
These similar observations in several rift systems indi-
cate that preexisting shear zones are a fundamental fac-
tor in controlling rift architectures, especially in the
early stages of rift evolution.
In the Gulf of SuezRed Sea rift, a comparison
between the Zaafarana and Duwi accommodation
Younes and McClay 1015
Figure 8. (a) Geologic map of the Duwi area, based on a photomosaic geocorrected using the Helmert 1906 spheroid and transverse
Mercator projection. Continued.

1016 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)

Figure 8. Continued. (b) Cross sections across the Duwi accommodation zone. Note change in dip direction across the accom-
modation zone.

Younes and McClay 1017

Figure 9. Detailed map of the Duwi accommodation zone. DTF Duwi transfer fault, which hard-links the two oppositely dipping
faults. The location of the accommodation zone coincides with the intersection of the block-bounding fault with the Precambrian
Hamrawin shear zones. Squares on faults indicate downthrown side. Area between G. Abu Aqarib and G. Abu Zarabit is the twist
zone. White arrows indicate sense of earlier motion, whereas black arrows indicate later motion. Thin solid lines are faults in the
basement rocks.

zones shows that both of their border fault systems
share the following similarities.
1. The eastern border faults have a zigzag pattern
with an overall average orientation perpendicular to
the late Oligoceneearly Miocene rift extension
(N60E).
2. The border faults arrest and die out in splays where
they intersect regional, Precambrian shear zones
(Figures 7, 9).
3. Despite differences in the magnitudes of their
throws, the Darag fault in the northwestern Gulf of
Suez and the Kallaheen fault in the northwestern
Red Sea margin are both straight west-northwest
oriented faults, parallel to, and colinear with, a re-
gional Precambrian shear zone.
4. Both the Darag and Kallaheen faults are linked to a
north-south or north-northeast fault to the north.
5. Both accommodation zones are formed where a
northeast-dipping half graben terminates at its
northern end against a northwest-oriented base-
ment shear system.
In both accommodation zones, the location of sed-
iment input points to the rift basin, and the synrift stra-
tal architectures are likely to have been strongly con-
trolled by the accommodation zone structures (cf.
Figure 1). In the following sections we develop con-
ceptual models, based on eld observations, for the
evolution of accommodation zones controlled by the
intersections of rift fault systems with preexisting base-
ment shear zones.

1018 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)

Figure 10. (a) Orientations of faults measured from the Quseir Landsat TM images. Sets A, B, C, and D correspond to the north-
south, west-northwest, northeast, and north-northwest trends, respectively. Sets A, B, and C, are common basement fabrics, whereas
set D is a common Neogene fabric. The trends of the major shear zones and coastal faults are indicated for comparison. (b) Fractures.
(c) Mapped faults. (d) Foliation. (e) Dikes. (f) Synoptic.

Accommodation Zone Model hence, set up local tensile or compressional stresses

The proposed model is based on the rift-related reac-
tivation of both the west-northwest and north-south
preexisting fabrics and interactions with the newly
formed rift-border faults. The models unit-element is
based on the setting at the Duwi accommodation zone,
and it may be repeated elsewhere along the rift where
regional preexisting basement shear zones occur. The
development of the accommodation zone can be ex-
plained in two steps: (1) reactivation of the west-north-
west and north-south fabrics prior to or contempora-
neous with rift-border fault propagation and (2) arrest
of border faults and transfer of displacement.
Kinematically, north-south and west-northwest
fabrics under N60E extension move with left-lateral
and right-lateral slip components, respectively, and,
(Figure 13). At the obtuse angles of intersection, the
north-south fabrics reactivate by the sum of resolved
stresses, which promotes normal, dip-slip components
on these preexisting fabrics (Figure 13a). In contrast,
at the acute angle intersections, resolved stresses pro-
mote local compression and may inhibit fault propa-
gation or block fault movement.
Interaction of the propagating rift-border fault
with a preexisting shear zone depends on the direction
of the strike-slip and the dip-slip components of the
shear zone and the propagating fault, respectively. If
the slip components are divergent, that is, plunge away
from each other, the local tensile stresses around the
intersection are enhanced, allowing the dip-slip fault
to kink or jog (Figure 13b). These kinks later can
evolve into transfer faults linking the two main faults.

Younes and McClay 1019

Figure 11. Fault displacement prole along the main fault system of the Duwi accommodation zone. Shaded area indicates area
of overlap between the Duwi transfer and the northernmost tip of the Hamrawin shear zone. Displacement is measured from cross
sections, taking into account thickness variation of prerift strata and slope of basement top. Note that these are minimum values, as
in most places the prerift sedimentary section has been eroded from the footwall fault blocks.

In contrast, if the slip components are convergent, that
is, plunge toward each other, the movement of the dip-
slip fault either terminates abruptly at the shear zone
or cuts completely through it (Figure 13c). If the dip
of the shear zone is opposite to that in Figure 13b, c,
it promotes interaction and linkage in the divergent
case and impedes it in the convergent case.
Using these principles, we may explain the fault
patterns and formation of the Duwi and Zaafarana ac-
commodation zones. Figure 14 shows the initial con-
ditions at the Duwi accommodation zone. The border
fault, the shear zone, and the north-south fabrics all
experienced late Oligoceneearly Miocene N60E ex-
tension. Initial movements occurred as oblique-slip
movements on the west-northwest and north-south
fabrics and set up local tensile stresses (Figure 14b).
This generated an independent crustal block, which re-
sponded to regional extension and behaved indepen-
dently from the propagating border fault. In the second
stage, the north-south fabrics initiated as faults,
whereas the southwest-dipping border fault arrested at
the shear zone (Figure 14c). In the nal stage, the bor-
der fault linked to the north-south system by a transfer
fault and all slip was transferred to the new north-
northeastdipping north-south system (Figure 14d).
The array of the small-scale extensional faults (twist
zone in Figure 9) is perhaps a manifestation of in-
creased local extension in the area. Similarly, folding
may occur within the compressional quadrants (Figure
13).
In the case of the Zaafarana accommodation zone,
the structure is complicated by two elements: (1) a

1020 Accommodation Zones (Gulf of SuezRed Sea Rift)

Younes and McClay 1021