The El Nakheil Fault System, located along the northwestern margin of the Red Sea in Egypt, comprises a segmented normal fault network strongly influenced by inherited Precambrian (Pan-African) basement struc tures. Through integrated geological field mapping, detailed structural measurements and remote sensing ana lyses including high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM) and ESRI satellite imagery across study area, this study identifies eight major fault segments spaced 2–3 km apart. These segments are linked via a progression of relay ramps ranging from soft-linked and hard-linked to fully breached zones, with bed dips varying between approximately 28 ◦ and 66 ◦ , reflecting localized strain accommodation during segment linkage. Displacement profile analysis indicates a spatial transition from ENE–WSW trending strike-slip faulting to NW–SE oriented normal faulting in the northern sector, consistent with reactivation of Pan-African shear zones under an oblique dextral extension regime quantified by an obliquity angle ( α ) of ~+20 ◦ . This regime has generated characteristic structural features including restraining and releasing bends that produce segmental elevation differences of up to ~150 m. The fault system evolution supports an isolated fault growth model in which individual segments initially propagate independently before mechanically linking through relay ramps. Paleostress inversions further confirm a transpressional stress field associated with the reactivated basement structures. These findings underscore the fundamental role of structural inheritance in controlling fault segmentation, orientation, and linkage along rift margins. Increasing structural complexity is observed proximal to the Ham rawin Shear Zone, highlighting its influence as a master tectonic feature. The study advances understanding of fault zone architecture in oblique rift settings, with implications for basin evolution, fault-controlled fluid migration, and resource exploration in continental extensional environments.

Bed-parallel slip (BPS) is an underappreciated yet structurally significant mechanism for accommodating extensional deformation in layered sedimentary basins. This study demonstrates that bed-parallel slip (BPS) is a fundamental process in the extensional rift margin of the northwestern Red Sea, significantly influencing the evolution of fault architecture, strain partitioning, and rift basin evolution. BPS surfaces are persistently localized within mechanically weak intervals—chief among them evaporites, mudstones, and intraformational conglomerates—where low shear strength and fluid activity facilitate slip along bedding planes. These surfaces contribute to the segmentation and displacement of major normal faults, resulting in complex, multi-level fault architectures, as revealed by both outcrop and seismic data. The relative timing between BPS and steep, dip-slip faults is highly variable, with BPS capable of predating, postdating, or developing coeval with faulting, depending on the local structural and stratigraphic context. Field evidence documents a suite of associated deformation features, including extensional veins, breccias, and forced folds, which collectively record the dynamic interplay between gravitational sliding and faulting. Large lateral offsets along BPS surfaces, comparable to those reported from other extensional basins, confirm the regional significance of this process. Overall, the results highlight that BPS, driven by gravitational sliding on weak, rotated beds, fundamentally modifies the architecture, connectivity, and evolution of fault zones in layered rift systems, with broad implications for understanding strain accommodation, fault reactivation, and fluid migration in continental margins worldwide.

Cobalt-, nickel-, copper-, and zirconium-cluster-based metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) were synthesized via the solvothermal method using 1,4-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (1,4-NDC) as the organic linker. The synthesized MOFs were characterized by PXRD, XPS, TEM, and the BET model. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) confirmed that the MOFs possessed highly crystalline structures. These MOFs were utilized as innovative catalysts to produce hydrogen through the hydrolysis of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄), a promising hydrogen source for energy applications. Among them, Co(1,4-NDC) and Ni(1,4-NDC) catalysts exhibited the highest catalytic activity, producing the maximum hydrogen volume within 5.1 and 6.0 min of stirring at room temperature, respectively. The high catalytic activity is attributed to the small particle sizes of the cobalt and nickel clusters in the MOFs, as confirmed by TEM analysis, and …

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne javanica) are among the most destructive pests of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum). Sustainable alternatives to chemical nematicides are urgently needed. This study evaluated the synergistic effects of Paecilomyces sp. and the seaweed Padina boergesenii (powder and extract) on nematode management and plant growth. In vitro assays tested three concentrations of Paecilomyces sp. (10⁴, 10⁶, and 10¹⁰ conidia mL⁻¹) and different concentrations of P. boergesenii on juvenile survival and egg hatching. Greenhouse experiments employed the most effective fungal concentration (10¹⁰ conidia mL⁻¹) in combination with P. boergesenii powder or extract to assess nematode infestation, plant growth, pigment contents, and antioxidant activities. Paecilomyces sp. showed strong nematicidal activity, while P. boergesenii alone was moderately effective. When combined, particularly with the powder form, the treatments significantly reduced galling and nematode reproduction while enhancing plant growth, chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activities. The integration of Paecilomyces sp. with P. boergesenii offers a promising eco-friendly strategy for controlling M. javanica and promoting sweet pepper resilience, supporting its use in sustainable integrated pest management.