# GIS-Analysis for Active Tectonics Assessment of Wadi Al-Arish, Egypt
## 5 Conclusions  
Studies on tectonic geomorphology, surface uplifting, and drainage catchments play a key role in present-day studies of active tectonic signals in intra-plates regions. Morpho-tectonic indices are very useful in evaluating the influence of active tectonics. These indices are advantageous, being computed from ArcGIS and remote sensing datasets over intra-plate regions to identify morpho-tectonic anomalies accompanied by active tectonics. This technique is valuable in the northern Sinai sub-plate where different tectonic types were observed, and no studies on active tectonics on absolute dates have been recorded. Based on values resulting from morpho-tectonic indices, including stream length-gradient (SL), the asymmetric factor (Af), the hypsometric integral (Hi), drainage basin shape (Bs), valley floor width to valley height ratio (Vf), and mountain front sinuosity (Smf) indices along Wadi Al-Arish in northern Sinai of Egypt, a combination overall index (RTAL) was developed and evaluated that was used to divide the studied landscape into four distinct levels of relative tectonic activity. Values of SL, Hi, and Bs indices were high along major tectonic elements in the study region. The values of Af ranged from \(-0.7\) into \(-28.3\) indicating a wide range of basin asymmetry due to tilt block tectonics. Low Vf values indicated that the various valleys are steep, deep, and narrow indicating a high rate of incision processes resulting from tectonic uplift. The Smf index had values between \(1.02\) and \(3.25\), indicating active tectonics for the majority of the mountain fronts. These indices are very effective for assessing seismic risk, and are estimated from ArcGIS software and remote sensing data as useful tools to recognize anomalies related to seismic activity. Analysis of relative tectonic activity based on the overall index (RTAL) was used to divide the Wadi al-Arish landscape into four levels of tectonic activity. The study area was mainly comprised of very low class 4 activity (\(47.52\%\)), with tectonic activity ranging from large to small in the northeast, south, southeast, and north, respectively. Moreover, RTAL reflected many anomalies related to structural control of folding and shear zones, the lowest level of tectonic activity signals associated with the Magarah, Libri, minsherah, Arif El-Naga, and El-Mineidra El-Kebira folds. Finally, we applied a very effective method to test the hypothesis of relative tectonic activity assessment, but further, detailed evaluation is required for Quaternary geo-chronology and major tectonic element characteristics with significant major tectonic displacements.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13042659/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13042659/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13042659/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/app13042659/s1)).  
Conceptualization, M.E. and B.B.; methodology, A.A. and B.B.; software, M.E.; validation, M.E., H.B. and B.B.; formal analysis, M.E.; investigation, M.E. and A.A. resources, M.E. and B.B. data curation, M.E. and H.B. writing--original draft preparation, M.E. and B.B. writing--review and editing, A.A. and B.B. visualization, A.A.; supervision, B.B. project administration, B.B. funding acquisition, B.B. and A.A. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was supported by the Researchers Supporting Project number (RSP2023R296), King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.  
This work was discussed, modified, and improved by the structural geology and tectonics lab in addition to the remote sensing lab of the Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Al-Azhar University. The authors are grateful to [PERSON], Al-Azhar University for his significant discussion and suggestion to improve this work.  
The authors declare no conflict of interest.