Influence of the alteration processes on the origin of uranium and europium anomalies in trachyte, central Eastern Desert, Egypt

El Atshan mining area, central Eastern Desert, represents one of the uranium occurrences related to alkaline volcanic rocks in Egypt. Based on the plot of total alkali elements versus silica, these rocks are classified as trachytes. The U and Eu anomalies appear to be derived from trachyte exposed to a long period of alteration and rock–fluid interaction. The trachyte has been subjected to two phases of alteration. The pronounced chemical changes include the mobility of Si, Na, Fe, U, Zn and REE and the immobility of Mg, Th, Hf, Ta and Sc. The late stage hydrothermal solutions caused the breakdown of the feldspars by losing sodium, potassium and partially silica and eventually formation of argillic alteration products, dissolution of iron-bearing sulphides, formation of iron-oxy hydroxides and corrosion of primary uranium minerals forming uranyl oxide hydrates. The acidic water percolating through the fractured trachyte rock leached not only available major or trace elements, but also REE. Eu originally incorporated in feldspars as Eu⁺² has been oxidized to Eu⁺³ and subsequently leached away leaving a negative anomaly in the host rock. The leached U and Eu were then transported most probably as carbonate complexes. The second phase of alteration occurred at the near surface profile when the late stage hydrothermal fluids cool to the temperature of meteoric water and may have mixed with it, the pH of the fluids would shift to more alkaline values and at these conditions U and Eu were precipitated into the fracture system mainly by being adsorbed on the clay minerals and probably coprecipitated with iron oxy-hydroxides.