Integrated multi-scale aeromagnetic, gravity, and remote-sensing analysis for mapping basement fabric and structural architecture in the Aswan region, Southern Egypt

Abstract An integrated imaging workflow combining aeromagnetic, gravity, optical, and radar satellite datasets was applied to characterize basement structures beneath the Aswan area, southern Egypt. Optical and radar satellite data lineament analyses, together with Digital Elevation Model (DEM) derived hillshades, and automated lineament extraction revealed a dominant NW–SE orientation related to the Pan‑African shear fabric with minor E–W unloading joints, and reactivated NE–SW shear trends. Bouguer gravity anomalies (–48.3 to − 13.5 mGal) clustered spatially and are characterized by higher values (–13.5 to − 22.0 mGal) near Aswan, aligned with dense crystalline horsts, whereas lower anomalies (–35.5 to − 48.3 mGal) delineated sediment-filled grabens, dominant along the west and the southeast. High-pass filtering highlights shallow N-S lineaments parallel to the Nile valley and NE-SW fractures. In contrast, low-pass filtering mapped the broader basement geometry, showing a gentle NW-SE to E-W slope with uplifted shoulders east of the study area. Two-dimensional magnetic modeling, supported by Euler deconvolution, revealed significant basement depth variation across the study area, ranging from about 350–400 m in shallow zones to 1,800–2,600 m in deeper sectors. These integrated imaging results revealed horst–graben structures, identified favorable targets for groundwater and mineral exploration, guided infrastructure planning, and demonstrated the value of integrated geophysical workflows.