Evolution of Pan African A- and I-Type Granites from Southeastern Egypt: Inferences from Geology,Geochemistry, and Mineralization

Field study of granitic rocks in the Gebel Abu Brush-Dahis (ABD) area, Southeastern Desert, Egypt, shows that they comprise two granitic groups, namely A- and I-type suites. The A type is distinguished mineralogically by abundant orthoclase and sodic plagioclase, ferrohornblende, monazite, and allanite. In contrast, the I type has more hornblende and biotite, which are more magnesian in composition, and less feldspar. The parental magmas of both suites have many similar geochemical characteristics, although the A type has slightly higher alkalis, Zr, Hf, Zn, and LREE, and lower CaO, MgO, Sr, Ni, and Fe⁺². The geochemical properties characteristic of leucocratic A-type granites-such as high Ga/Al ratios, Nb, Y, HREE, and F contents-are only manifest in the more felsic members of the A-type suite. These features were produced by 70% fractional crystallization of feldspar, hornblende, quartz, and biotite. Geotectonically, the study revealed that the A-and I-type granites are typical of an arc setting, but the more felsic members of the A-type suite plot in a within-plate regime. Geochemically, the granites are subalkaline and peraluminous to metaluminous. The granodiorites/adamellites (I-type suite) have fractionated LREE and slightly fractionated or nearly flat HREE, with small or no Eu anomalies. The alkali-feldspar granites (A-type suite) have flat REE with large Eu anomalies, except for one sample, which shows increasing LREE and decreasing HREE with large Eu anomalies; the quartz-monzonites have fractionated LREE and nearly flat HREE with no Eu anomaly. The flat HREE and/or HREE enrichment is attributed to involvement of garnet and/or zircon in melt generation at the source.

The uranium and thorium contents in the granitic rocks are present in the accessory minerals—particulary in monazite, titanite, zircon, allanite, fluorite, apatite, and opaques. Anomalous high radioactivity in the bostonite (alkaline) dike as well as uranium mineralization are largely confined to contacts and fracture zones. Uranophane is the characteristic uranium mineral in the oxidation zone. An XRD study of the high anomalies in pegmatite and bostonite reveals that the uranium mineralizations produced uranophane (Usilicate), thorianite, soddyite, zippeite, and becquerelite.