“Geologists have developed a picture of the immensely thick rock foundation of Egypt (..) That foundation can be described as a sort of ‘rock sandwich’ with three principal components. From deepest and oldest to youngest there are: an ancient layer of igneous and metamorphic rock known as basement complex, and intermediate layer of sandstone, and a top layer of limestone. (..)
The basement complex is continuos beneath the entire country. It is only revealed at the surface in a few locations where uplift and erosion have combined to expose it; usually it is hidden beneath younger rocks.”
“The sandstone layer in the middle of the ‘rock sandwich’ is usually referred to as Nubian Sandstone because it is found in southern Egypt as well as in northern Sudan – an are that was formerly known as Nubia.”
“Finally, to top off the countrywide sandwich, an immensely thick layer of limestone was deposited during the Eocene.”
Source
All these texts and information on this post come from the following book:
The Geology of Egypt: A Traveler’s Guide (How the Land Made Egypt What It Is)
By Bonnie M. Sampsell
Publisher: The American University in Cairo Press
Published: 31 March 2003
Format: Paperback 272 pages
ISBN 13: 9789774247859 ISBN 10: 977424785X
