Dolomite–Shale–Gypsum Succession Exposed in Uptown Cairo, Egypt

This geological exposure from the Uptown Cairo area on the Mokattam Plateau, eastern Cairo, Egypt, displays a distinct sedimentary succession composed of an upper dolomite unit, underlain by shale, followed by a thin gypsum bed and a lower shale interval.

The outcrop records successive changes in depositional conditions, reflecting transitions between carbonate sedimentation, fine-grained siliciclastic deposition, and evaporitic environments. The resistant dolomite forms the upper cliff-forming unit, whereas the shale intervals exhibit lower resistance to weathering and erosion. The thin gypsum layer represents an episode of increased evaporation and restricted basin conditions during sediment accumulation.

Such lithological alternations provide valuable evidence for environmental fluctuations within the depositional basin and contribute to the understanding of sedimentary evolution and stratigraphic relationships in the Eocene successions exposed around the Cairo region.

Location: Uptown Cairo, Mokattam Plateau, Cairo, Egypt.