The geochemical and mineralogical investigations conducted on a core retrieved from a paleolake in Faiyum Depression,
Egypt, reveal a variation in two precipitation patterns; these are the Ethiopian African Monsoon (EAM) at the Nile Head
waters and the Mediterranean winter rains. The heavy mineral assemblage, and the geochemical characteristics, exhibit
significant shifts in clastic input to the paleolake. These variations suggest shifting in the sources of sediment, with an East
African origin during the African Humid Period (AHP) and in the Late Holocene, and a White Nile source during the Late
Pleistocene and Middle Holocene. Geochemical data is additionally utilized in the determination of variations in the proper
ties of the paleo-water (paleo-salinity and paleo-productivity). The paleo-water of Faiyum Lake exhibited characteristics of
a substantial freshwater body during the Early to Mid-Holocene. During the subsequent period, there was a sudden drop in
the lake level, accompanied by a subsequent rise in salinity due to hydrological modifications. |
