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A Unique Coincidence of Geomorphological, Geological, and Geoarchaeological Features in the Valley of Camels (Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt)

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Abstract

Geosites constitute important natural resource of Egypt. Field investigations in the Dakhla Oasis of the Western Desert have permitted to assess unique geomorphological, geological, and geoarchaeological features co-occurring in the Valley of Camels. These features are assigned to geomorphological type (animal-shaped landforms sculptured by differential erosion), palaeogeographical type (continental facies of the Cretaceous sandstones and petroglyphs left by the past societies and partly suitable to palaeoenvironmental interpretations), sedimentary type (cross-bedding and multiple truncation planes in sandstones), and hydrogeological type (Roman wells). The Valley of Camels is a globally ranked geosite of complex type. It demonstrates coincidence of essentially different features. For instance, the Toutam landform is notable by its unusual shape resulting from weathering, it exhibits cross-bedding and multiple parallel truncation planes typical for continental sandstones, and it bears petroglyphs near its base. In the Valley of Camels, the geoheritage can be used as the resource for (geo)education and (geo)tourism. Excellent visibility and high aesthetic properties make the proposed geosite suitable to tourists with different geological knowledge or even without it. Geotourism development in the Valley of Camels can contribute to the local sustainable development via providing socio-economic benefits to the local community and strengthening the oasis integration into the Egyptian economy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully thank the journal editor and the reviewers for their recommendations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural Resources Department, Faculty of Postgraduate African Studies, Cairo University, Giza, Cairo, 12613, Egypt

    Kholoud M. AbdelMaksoud

  2. Department of Ancient History, Faculty of Postgraduate African Studies, Cairo University, Giza, Cairo, 12613, Egypt

    Hend Elfeky

  3. K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University), Zemlyanoy Val Street 73, Moscow, Russia, 109004

    Dmitry A. Ruban

  4. Southern Federal University, 23-ja Linija Street 43, Rostov-on-Don, Russia, 344019

    Dmitry A. Ruban

  5. Department of Commodity Science and Expertise, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Stremyanny Lane 36, Moscow, Russia, 117997

    Vladimir A. Ermolaev

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  1. Kholoud M. AbdelMaksoud
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Correspondence to Dmitry A. Ruban.

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AbdelMaksoud, K.M., Elfeky, H., Ruban, D.A. et al. A Unique Coincidence of Geomorphological, Geological, and Geoarchaeological Features in the Valley of Camels (Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt). Geoheritage 12, 81 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-020-00507-x

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