What mistake did Napoleon’s surveyors make about the sea levels at Suez?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Cargo ships travel along the wide Suez Canal in Egypt, bordered by sandy desert on one side and greenery on the other. — Suez Canal Ships in the Suez Canal in Egypt. One of the world's most important shipping lanes, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

During the French occupation of Egypt (1798–1801), Napoleon’s chief engineer, J.M. Le Père, conducted a survey across the isthmus. He erroneously calculated that the Red Sea was 10 meters (33 feet) higher than the Mediterranean.

Based on this incorrect assessment, Le Père concluded that the construction of locks would be necessary to manage the water levels between the two seas. This error was widely accepted by subsequent planners for decades until later studies corrected the understanding of the sea levels, allowing for the construction of a sea-level canal without locks.1