GEOMORPHOLOGY OF TAFONI CAVES IN DAHAB AREA SOUTH TO SINAI PENINSULA

“Tafoni” refers to small size caves that have resulted form weathering. They generally occur in rough granular rocks, sandstone, and limestone. The paper in hand intends to investigate the origins and development of Tafoni caves in granular rocks in the Dahab area.
Results indicated that the dominant climatic conditions in the study area contribute largely to the generation and development of Tafoni caves. A combination of both high temperatures and prevailing winds have had the largest impacts on the development of Tafoni caves by promoting weathering processes and transferring weathering residuals. The structure of the area itself plays a significant role as well. In turn, it was found that Tafni caves play a crucial role in changing the topography of the study area, as such caves themselves also contribute to the development of slopes.