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Recent estimates of crustal deformation and land subsidence in the Nile Delta, Egypt using GNSS-PPP datasets over 2012–2024

  • Gomaa M. Dawod ORCID logo EMAIL logo and Essam M. Al-Krargy
Published/Copyright: April 23, 2025
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Abstract

The Precise Point Positioning (PPP) technique has been utilized to process the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) annual datasets at 24 stations in the Nile Delta region, Egypt from 2012 to 2024. The present study aims to present recent estimates of horizontal crustal deformation, vertical land movements, and the analysis of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF) coordinate conversion between the two utilized ITRF frames in Egypt, namely ITRF2020 (epoch 2024) and ITRF2008 (epoch 2012). Based on the accomplished findings, it has been found that the land subsidence in the Nile Delta region ranges between −3.9 mm/year and 2.3 mm/year with an average of −1.5 ± 1.9 mm/year. Regarding the horizontal crustal movements, it is recognized that such crustal deformations vary between 25.8 mm/year to 27.6 mm/year with an average equals 27.0 ± 1.0 mm/year. In addition, the average direction of that deformation equals 38.6° ± 2.1°. Such results agree normally with those of other studies concerning the regional movements of the Nubia tectonic plate. The attained simple mathematical model describing the relationship between ITRF2024 and ITRF2008 frames shows that the average Cartesian displacement vector equals −0.312 m ± 0.026 m, 0.153 m ± 0.010 m, and 0.152 m ± 0.020 m in the X, Y, and Z directions respectively. Additionally, the velocities are −24 ± 2 mm/year, 12 ± 1 mm/year, and 12 ± 2 mm/year respectively.


Corresponding author: Gomaa M. Dawod, Survey Research Institute, National Water Research Center, 308 Al-Ahram St., Talbia, Giza 11211, Egypt, E-mail: 

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Gomaa Dawod has reviewed the first manuscript, review the findings, finalize the conclusions, and prepare the final version. Essam Al-Krargy has prepared the first draft, collect the required datasets and participate in preparing the final version.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: The authors declare that AI has not been utilized in any part of the current manuscript.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors declare that no conflict of interest exists.

  6. Research funding: The authors declare that no funds were allocated to the current study.

  7. Data availability: Not applicable.

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Received: 2025-02-18
Accepted: 2025-03-29
Published Online: 2025-04-23
Published in Print: 2025-10-27

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

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  3. Research using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) products – a comprehensive literature review
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  12. Comprehensive statistical analysis of scintillations on L-band signals from six GNSS constellations over low-latitude region
  13. Recent estimates of crustal deformation and land subsidence in the Nile Delta, Egypt using GNSS-PPP datasets over 2012–2024
  14. Influence of orbit and clock file diversity on GNSS ambiguity resolution
  15. The usefulness of the MAFA method for smartphone precise positioning
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