The Permian Period

This chapter describes the Permian period’s geology, including definition, classification, fauna and flora, palaeogeography, and associated tectonics. In this chapter, two Permian rock units are introduced. The Wadi Dome is exposed on the western side of the Suez Gulf, the Eastern Desert, while the Misawag Formation is named after the Misawaeg well, Siwa basin, north of the Western Desert. The addition of these rock units in this work is in order to facilitate correlation with corresponding rock units in neighbouring countries, such as Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. Each rock unit is described in detail, including its definition, stratigraphic contacts, lithological characteristics, distribution and thickness, age assignment, and correlation between Egypt and neighbouring countries (Libya, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Iraq). Two paleographic maps are drawn to manifest the possible depositional environments of the Permian rock units. The depositional environments of Egyptian rock units and their equivalent rock units in adjacent countries are interpreted using lithological types and faunal and floral associations.