Origin and geochemistry of Pan-African granitoid rocks in the Gabal Um Shomer area,Southwestern Sinai,Egypt

Geological, petrological and geochemical studies indicated that there are two distinct types of granitoid rocks: older quartz diorites to granodiorite assemblage and younger granitoids, the latter occurring in two phases. The older granitoids have a meta-aluminous chemistry and a calc-alkaline character, with high MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, P2O5, Sr and low SiO2, K2O, and Rb. Their major and trace elements data, together with low 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios (0.7029±0.0008) are indicative of I-type affinities. The second-...     

Mineralogy,geochemistry, radioactivity and environmental impacts of Gabal Marwa granites,southeastern Sinai,Egypt

The Gabal Marwa area is located in the southeastern part of Sinai,Egypt.It comprises gneisses and migmatites,granodiorites and monzogranites.Field,petrographic,mineralogic and chemical investigations indicated that the Gabal Marwa granites are classified as granodiorites and monzogranites.The monzogranites constitute the most predominant rock unit exposed in the study area.They have been subjected to hydrothermal alterations,especially along the shear zones.Sericitization,desilicification,nametasomatism and development of spotty or dendritic manganese oxides are the most pronounced alteration features.These alterations resulted in the increase of TiO2,Al2O3,FeOt,MnO,CaO,MgO,Na2O,K2O and Cr,Zr,Rb,Y and Sr and the decrease of SiO2,P2O5,Ni,Zn,Ba and Nb.Radiometric studies indicated that the altered granites belong to high thorium,high uranium granites.The U,Th,U and Th,Th/U,Th and U-K variation diagrams suggested that magmatic processes controlled the distribution of these elements but the effect of hydrothermal alteration processes were clearly distinct.The Scanning Electron Microscope and X-ray Diffraction analyses indicated that the most important radioactive minerals include uranothorite,thorite,zircon,monazite and samarskite.Cinnabar and Mn minerals were also found.From the U,Th,Ra and K activity concentrations obtained for all the studied granitic samples,radium equivalent activity(Raeq),external hazard index(Hex),and internal hazard index(Hin),were calculated to assess the radiation hazard to human beings living in dwellings made of the studied granites.Altered monzogranites have radioactivity above the proposed acceptable level and,therefore,caution must be taken when these granites are used as building materials.     

Dokhan volcanics of Gabal Monqul area,North Eastern Desert,Egypt: geochemistry and petrogenesis

The Dokhan volcanics are represented by a thick stratified lava flows succession of basalt, andesite, imperial porphyry, dacite, rhyodacite, rhyolite, ignimbrites, and tuffs. These lavas are interbanded with their pyroclastics in some places including banded ash flow tuffs, lithic tuffs, crystal lapilli tuffs, and agglomerates. They are typical calc–alkaline and developed within volcanic arc environment. All rocks show moderate enrichment of most large ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements (HFSE). The incompatible trace elements increase from basalt through andesite to rhyolite. The felsic volcanics are characterized by moderate total rare earth elements (REE) contents (162 to 392 ppm), less fractionated patterns {(Ce/Yb)_N = (1.24 to 10.93)}, and large negative Eu anomaly {(Eu/Eu*) = (0.15 to 0.92)}. The mafic volcanics have the lowest REE contents (61 to 192 ppm) and are relatively steep {(Ce/Yb)_N = (3.2 to 8.5)}, with no negative Eu anomalies {(Eu/Eu*) = (0.88 to 1)}. The rhyolite displays larger negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.28) than those of other varieties, indicating that the plagioclase was an early major fractionating phase. The mineralogical and chemical variations within volcanics are consistent with their evolution by fractional crystallization of plagioclase and clinopyroxene.     

Geology and geochemistry of Tertiary basalt in south Wadi Hodein area, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Tertiary basalt is widespread in the area south of Wadi Hodein, south Eastern Desert, Egypt. It is the youngest unit in the basement rocks of the Central Eastern Desert classification of El Shazly (Proc 22nd Intl Geol Congr, New Delhi 10:88–101, 1964) and El Ramly (Ann Geol Surv Egypt II:1–17, 1972), traversed all the previous succession of the basement rocks as well as the Nubia Sandstone of Cretaceous age, forming sheets, small hills, ridges, and dikes. This Tertiary basalt is strongly associated with the opening of the Red Sea. Geologic, petrographic, and petrochemical studies as well as microprobe and X-ray analyses were performed on samples from Wadi Hodein Tertiary basalt. Field and petrographic studies classified the Tertiary basalt in south Wadi Hodein into porphyritic olivine basalt, plagiophyric basalt, and doleritic basalt. Opaque minerals (magnetite and ilmenite) constitute 6–7.5% of this basalt. Petrochemical studies and microprobe analyses reveal that they are low-TiO₂ basalt with low uranium and thorium contents, classified as being basaltic andesite to andesite, originated from calc-alkaline magma, and developed in within-plate tectonic environment. Scanning electron microscopy shows that magnetite and ilmenite are the prevalent opaque minerals in this Tertiary basalt. Field radiometric measurements of the Tertiary basalt in south Wadi Hodein reveals low uranium and thorium contents. Uranium contents range from 0.5 to 0.9 ppm, while thorium contents range from 1.2 to 3.2 ppm. Fractional crystallization and mass balance modeling indicate that the most-silica low-TiO₂ Tertiary basalt in south Wadi Hodein can be derived from the relatively less-silica low-TiO₂ Tertiary basalt of south Quseir and Gabal Qatrani through fractional crystallization of plagioclase, olivine, augite, and titanomagnetite oxides. Tertiary basalts in south Wadi Hodein and south Quseir have nearly the same age, 25 Ma (Sherif, The Fifth International Conference on the Geology of Africa, 2007), 24 Ma (Meneisy and Abdel Aal, Ain Shams Sci Bull 25(24B): 163–176, 1984), and 27 Ma (El Shazly et al., Egypt J Geol 1975), respectively. Finally, the fractionation modeling and geochemical characteristics of these basalts suggested their origination from one basaltic magma emplaced in late Oligocene.     

Petrogenesis of granitic rocks of the Jabal Sabir area,South Taiz City,Yemen Republic

The Tertiary granitic intrusive body(～21 Ma) of the Jabal Sabir area was emplaced during the early stages of the Red Sea opening.This intrusive body occupies the southern sector of Taiz City.It is triangular in shape,affected by two major faults,one of which is in parallel to the Gulf of Aden,and the other is in parallel to the eastern margin of the Red Sea coast.The petrogenesis of such a type of intrusion provides additional information on the origin of the Oligo-Miocene magmatic activity in relation to the rifting tectonics and evolution of this part of the Arabian Shield.The granitic body of Jabal Sabir belongs to the alkaline or peralkaline suite of A-type granites.It is enriched in the REE.The tight bundle plot of its REE pattern reflects neither tectonism nor metamorphism.This granite body is characterized by high alkali(8.7%-10.13%),high-field strength elements(HFSE),but low Sr and Ba and high Zn contents.The abundance of xenoliths from the neighboring country rocks and prophyritic texture of the Jabal Sabir granite body indicate shallow depths of intrusion.The major and trace elements data revealed a fractional crystallization origin,probably with small amounts of crustal contamination.It is interpreted that the Jabal Sabir intrusion represents an anorogenic granite pertaining to the A-type,formed in a within-plate environment under an extensional tectonic setting pertaining to rift-related granites.     

Geochemistry of lamprophyre dykes,Wadi Sikait area,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

The Wadi Sikait area lies at about 95 km southwest of Marsa Alam City along the Red Sea Coast, Eastern Desert, Egypt. It is occupied by Precambrian rocks of ophiolitic mélange, metamorphosed sandstones (MSS), gab-bros and monzogranites which were later intruded by lamprophyre dykes and quartz veins. The lamprophyre dykes were extruded in NW-SE and NE-SW trends cutting monzogranites and metamor-phosed sandstones. The lamprophyres are porphyritic and composed of clinopyroxene, olivine and amphibole phenocrysts enclosed in a fine-grained groundmass of clinopyroxene, amphibole, opaque and lithium mica. The al-teration products are represented by amphibole (tremolite-actinolite and hornblende), carbonate, epidote, chlorite, iddingsite, clay minerals, limonite and serpentine. The Sikait lamprophyre dykes can be classified as alkaline lamprophyres characterized by silica contents rang-ing from 41.65 wt% to 50.88 wt% and Na2O>K2O. They are enriched in LILE, LREE and HFSE, but strongly de-pleted in compatible elements such as Cr and Ni relative to the primitive mantle. Sikait lamprophyres have moderate Zr/Hf (35.6-52.8) and Nb/Ta (20.5-22.5) ratios. Most of these features are attributed to the origin of these dykes from the metasomatized mantle affected by subduction-related fluid. These lamprophyres are compositionally similar to Salu lamprophyres in eastern China. The Sikait lamprophyre samples have high LREE (320×10-6-419×10-6) relative to HREE (20×10-6-33×10-6) with ratios (LREE/HREE=11.6-18.7) and no negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu*=0.9-1.04). The relative presence of posi-tive Ce anomaly (Ce/Ce*=1.04) in lamprophyre samples suggests the oxidizing condition under which the REEs were precipitated due to the common occurrence of fluorite and apatite.     

Geology and rare-earth element geochemistry of highly evolved, molybdenite-bearing granitic plutons, Southeastern Desert, Egypt

The field relations, mineralogy, and major and trace elements (including REE analyses of whole-rock samples and minerals) of granites and their associated molybdenite uranium mineralized aplites in Southeastern Desert, Egypt, have been studied. The granites are leucocratic and mostly peraluminous in nature with muscovite increasing at the expense of biotite. The chemical and mineralogical characteristics of the granitic rocks indicate that their melts originated from the LILE-enriched mantle wedge by partial melting and are contaminated by crustal melts, followed by thermogravitational processes. Leucogranites with higher Na2O/K2O ratios from Um Dargag and Um Maiat crystallized under H2O-saturated equilibrium conditions in which the exsolved vapor continuously migrated away. The REE patterns of the granites studied are characterized by LREE enrichments and negative Eu anomalies. In comparison, the potassic aplites and the more sodic leucogranites are depleted in LREE, enriched in HREE and show more remarkable negative Eu anomalies. Allanite and monazite are the most important REE carriers in the granites. These minerals are strongly enriched in LREE, whereas fluorite and xenotime, which are more abundant in the aplites, are enriched in HREE. The average Lu/Ce ratio represents the fractionation trend with respect to HREE. It is 0.71 for radioactive fluorite, and it increases to 1.22 for non-radioactive fluorite. The high REE contents of molybdenite represent re-deposition of the mobilized Mo and REE. Due to the strong control of accessory minerals, the REEs are of limited use in petrogenetic modelling of highly evolved granitic systems.     

Occurrence of uraniferous iron and manganese oxides in biotite granite North East Gabal El Sela area, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

Optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and back-scattered electron imaging (BSE) have been used to determine the mineralogical composition of the uraniferous iron and manganese oxides and the associated U-minerals hosted in biotite granite that occurred north east Gabal El Sela area south Eastern Desert, Egypt. These mineralizations were found as veinlets fractures filling associated with strongly kaolinitic alteration of the coarse-grained biotite granite. XRD determined that the geothite mineral form the main constituent of uraniferous iron oxide in addition to tapiolite, and kaolinite minerals, where as uraniferous manganese oxide composed of pyrolusite, ramsdellite, and cryptomelane. BSE confirmed that the associated uranium minerals represented by uranothorite, kazolite, and zentime in addition to columbite-bearing minerals. Uranothorite and columbite-bearing minerals are the most abundant minerals in this mineralization. Petrographically, biotite granite is composed mainly of quartz, in addition to K-feldspars, biotite and muscovite with minor zircon, garnet, apatite, uranium-rich thorite and iron oxide. Petrochemical studies and tectonic discrimination diagrams for this granite reveal that they are classified as granite to alkali feldspar granite, originated from calc-alkaline magma having peraluminous nature and developed in within-plate tectonic environment. Field radiometric measurements revealed the localization of two high radiometric anomalies associated with iron and manganese oxides, within this anomaly uranium content range from 65 to 85 ppm. Alpha Track-etch Detectors of radon gas registrations revealed high track density reach up to 15,448.7 Bq/m³.     

Post-orogenic and anorogenic A-type fluorite-bearing granitoids, Eastern Desert, Egypt: Petrogenetic and geotectonic implications

The present study focuses on four A-type fluorite-bearing granitic plutons in the Eastern Desert of Egypt which are classified into post-orogenic subsolvus (Homrit Waggat, 535 Ma; Homer Akarem, 541 Ma and Ineigi, 571 Ma) and anorogenic hypersolvus (Gabal Gharib, 476 Ma) granites. All the granites are Si- and alkali-rich and MgCaTi poor. Whereas both granite types appear relatively homogeneous in terms of most of their major and trace elements, they differ in that the subsolvus granites are depleted in TiO₂, FeO^*, Ba, Sr and Zr and enriched in Rb and Y with respect to the hypersolvus granites. The two granite types, however, can be distinguished more easily by their rare-earth element (REE) patterns. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the hypersolvus granite display a gull-wing shape, characterized by a large negative Eu anomaly and moderate-to-high LREE contents. Relative to the hypersolvus granite, subsolvus granite is depleted in LREE and more enriched in HREE contents. The increase of HREE in the subsolvus granite is presumably caused by F complexing during the late stage of its evolution. This is supported by the abundance of fluorite veins cross-cutting the subsolvus granite. The negative Eu anomalies in the subsolvus granite point to the role of feldspars as residual phase in the source, and as a crystallizing phase during magmatic differentiation.Field relations, textural, mineralogical and geochemical data of the post-orogenic subsolvus granite are consistent with its derivation from a parental basic magma through crystal-liquid fractionation of alkali feldspar, plagioclase, amphibole, FeTi oxides, titanite, zircon, monazite and allanite. Crystallization occurred in a water-enriched and rather oxidizing environment, as a result of which the entire suite has a transitional character between that of a post-orogenic and an anorogenic setting. On the other hand, the most credible mechanism for the origin of the anorogenic hypersolvus granite is partial melting of I-type granodiorite-monzogranite source rocks in the study area.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of Nb-, Ta-, Sn-, U-, Th-, and Zr-bearing granitic rocks from Abu Rusheid shear zones,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

Granite-hosted,Nb-,Ta-,Sn-,U-,Th-,and Zr(Hf)-bearing mineralization from the Abu Rusheid shear zones occurs about 97 km southwest of the town of Marsa Alam,South Eastern Desert,Egypt.The SSE-trending brittle-ductile Abu Rusheid shear zones crosscut the peralkalic granitic gneisses and cataclastic to mylonitic rocks(mylonite,protomlyonite,and ultramylonite).The northern shear zone varies in width from 1 to 3 m with a strike length of >500 m,and the southern shear zone is 0.5 to 8 m wide and >1 km long.These shear zones locally host less altered lamprophyre and locally sheared granitic aplite-pegmatite dykes.The rare-metal minerals,identified from the peralkalic granitic gneisses and cataclastic to mylonitic rocks are associated with muscovite,chlorite,quartz,fluorite,pyrite,magnetite,and rare biotite that are restricted to the Abu Rusheid shear zones;these are columbite-tantalite and pyrochlore(var.betafite) in the northern shear zone and ferrocolumbite in the southern shear zone.Cassiterite occurs as inclusions in the columbite-tantalite minerals.U-and Th-minerals(uraninite,thorite,uranothorite,ishikawaite,and cheralite) and Hf-rich zircon coexist.Magmatic(?) zircon contains numerous inclusions of rutile,fluorite,U-Th and REE minerals,such as uranothorite,cheralite,monazite,and xenotime.Compositional variations in Ta/(Ta+Nb) and Mn/(Mn+Fe) in columbite range from 0.07-0.42 and 0.04-0.33,respectively,and Hf contents in zircon from 1.92-6.46 of the two mineralized shear zones reflect the extreme degree of magmatic fractionation.Four samples of peralkalic granitic gneisses and cataclastic to mylonitic rocks from the southern shear zone have very low TiO2(0.02 wt%-0.04 wt%),Sr [(15-20)×10-6],and Ba [(47-78)×10-6],with high Fe2O3T(0.94 wt%-1.99 wt%),CaO(0.14 wt%-1.16 wt%),alkalis(9.2 wt%-10.1 wt%),Rb [(369-805)×10-6],Zr [(1033-2261)×10-6],Nb [(371-913)×10-6],U [(51-108)×10-6],Th [(36-110)×10-6],Ta [(38-108)×10-6],Pb [(39-364)×10-6],Zn [(21-424)×10-6],Y [(8-304)×10-6],Hf [(29-157)×10-6],and ∑REE [(64-304)×10-6],especially HREE [(46-167)×10-6].Three samples from the northern shear zone also have very low TiO2(0.03 wt%),Sr [(11-16)×10-6],and Ba [(38-47)×10-6],with high Fe2O3T(1.97 wt%-2.91 wt%),CaO(0.49 wt%-1.01 wt%),alkalis(7.2 wt%-8.3 wt%),Rb [(932-978)×10-6],Zr [(1707-1953)×10-6],Nb [(853-981)×10-6],Ta [(100-112)×10-6],U [(120-752)×10-6],Th [(121-164)×10-6],Pb [(260-2198)×10-6],Zn [(483-1140)×10-6],Y [(8-304)×10-6],Hf [(67-106)×10-6],and ∑REE [(110-231)×10-6],especially HREE [(91-177)×10-6].The very high Rb/Sr(57.5-88.9),and low Zr/Hf(16.9-25.6),Nb/Ta(7.7-9.8),and Th/U(0.21-1.01) are consistent with very frac-tionated fluorine-bearing granitic rocks that were altered and sheared.The field evidence,textural relations,and compositions of the ore minerals suggest that the main mineralizing event was magmatic(629+/-5 Ma,CHIME monazite),with later hydrothermal alteration and local remobilization of the high-field-strength elements.     

Mineralogy,geochemistry and age dating of shear zone-hosted Nb-Ta-, Zr-Hf-, Th-, U-bearing granitic rocks in the Ghadir and El-Sella areas,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

The rare metal minerals of mineralized altered granites within the Ghadir and El-Sella shear zones, are represented by betafite, U-minerals (uraninite and uranophane), zircon, monazite, xenotime, and rutile in the Ghadir shear zone. While they are columbite-tantalite minerals as ferrocolumbite, pyrochlore, and fergusonite, Th-minerals (cheralite, uranothorite, and huttonite monazite), Hf-zircon, monazite and xenotime in the El-Sella shear zone. Hf-zircon in the El-Sella and Ghadir shear zones (increasing from the core to the rim) contains high inclusions of U-Th, and REE minerals such as cheralite, uranothorite, huttonite monazite and xenotime especially in the El Sella shear zone. The rare-metal minerals, identified from peralkminous granites of the shear zones are associated with muscovite, quartz, chlorite, fluorite, magnetite, and biotite that are restricted to the two shear zones. Uraninite (low Th content) occurring in the Ghadir shear zone indicates the hydrothermal origin, but there are thorite, uranothorite, cheralite, and Hf-zircon in the El Sella shear zone, also indicating the hyrothermal proccess after magmatic origin. Compositional variations of Ta/(Ta+Nb) and Mn/(Mn+Fe) in columbite from 0.07-0.42 and 0.04-0.33, respectively, and Hf contents in zircon are so high as to be 12%, especially in the rim in the El Sella shear zone. This feature re-flects the extreme degree of magmatic fractionation. Four samples from the altered granites of the Ghadir shear zone also are very low in TiO2 (0.04 wt%-0.17 wt%), Sr [(82-121)×10-6], and Ba [(36-380)×10-6], but high in Fe2O3T (0.46 wt%-0.68 wt%), CaO (0.64 wt%-1.23 wt%), alkalis (8.59 wt%-8.88 wt%), Rb [(11-203)×10-6], Zr [(98-121)×10-6], Nb [(9-276)×10-6], Ta [(2-139)×10-6], U [(14-63)×10-6], Th [(16-105)×10-6], Pb [(13-32)×10-6], Zn [(7-8)×10-6], Y [(15-138)×10-6], Hf [(3-9)×10-6], and ∑REE [(81-395)×10-6, especially LREE [(70-322)×10-6]. They are very high in Zr/Hf (15.07-85.96) and Nb/Ta (7.17-21.48), and low in Rb/Sr (2.56-3.36) and Th/U (0.096-3.36). Four samples of the altered granites from the El Sella shear zone are very low in TiO2 (0.23 wt%-0.38 wt%), Sr [(47-933)×10-6], and Ba [(82-175)×10-6] , with high Fe2O3T (1.96 wt%-2.87 wt%), CaO (0.43 wt%-0.6 wt%), alkalis (4.46 wt%-10.7 wt%), Rb [(109-313)×10-6], Zr [(178-1871)×10-6], Nb [(11-404)×10-6], U [(56-182)×10-6], Th [(7-188)×10-6], Ta [(0.5-57)×10-6], Pb [(12-28)×10-6], Zn [(1-13)×10-6], Y [(62-156)×10-6], Hf [(3-124)×10-6], and ∑REE [(101-184)×10-6], especially HREE [(7-139)×10-6]. This is consistent with the very fractionated, fluorine-bearing granitic rocks that were altered and sheared in the El Sella shear zone. Zr/Hf (14.23-39.79) and Nb/Ta (1.98-7.01) are very high, and Rb/Sr (0.14-1.7) and Th/U (0.25-2.5) are low in the Ghadir shear zone. Field evidence, textural relations, and the composi-tion of ore minerals suggest that the main mineralizing event was magmatic (615+/-7 Ma, and 644+/-7 Ma CHIME monazite), especially in the El Sella shear zone, with later hydrothermal alteration and local remobilization of the high-field-strength elements.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry studies on the Nusab El Balgum granitic batches,South Western Desert,Egypt

Igneous rocks of Nusab El Balgum are formed as an elongated complex mass covering an area of about 4 km?×?12.5 km (50 km²), in the NNE-SSW direction of the Tarfawi-Qena-South Sinai trend, which is a branch of the Trans-African shear zone at the intersection with the Kalabsha fault, which is a branch from Guinean-Nubian lineaments. The continuous reactivation of these two major weakness zones from the late Triassic to recent times has created many generations of the magma batches. The exposed granitic rocks of these batches at Nusab El Balgum were represented by the fresh peralkaline granite (youngest) and hydrothermally altered granites (oldest). The fresh peralkaline granite takes the form of a small stock composed essentially of perthites, quartz, sodic pyroxenes, amphiboles (secondary), and rare albite according to the proportion of presence, respectively. The accessory minerals are zircon, bastnaesite-(Ce), columbite-(Fe), magnetite, barite, and sphalerite. The geochemical study indicated that this granite is peralkaline, ferroan, A-type (specifically belongs to the A1-subgroup), anorogeny, emplaced in a within-plate, and crystallized at relatively shallow depth from the alkali basaltic magma similar to the OIBs. Furthermore, it is enriched in the HFSE (e.g., Th, U, Nb, REE, and Zr). The hydrothermally altered granites are formed as an incomplete ring shape and a small stock. They were formed during the late Cretaceous age and were altered due to the hydrothermal solutions from the continuous reactivation affected weakness zones and the new magmatic batches. The hydrothermally altered granites are extremely rich in HFSE found in the accessory minerals such as zircon (different in shape, size, and contains inclusions of bastnaesite and columbite), columbite-(Fe&Mn), rare gittinsite, pyrochlore minerals (ceriopyrochlore and plumbopyrochlore) carlosbarbosaite, changbaiite, bastnaesite-(Ce), monazite-(Ce), stetindite, cerianite-(Ce), thorite, and uranothorite. These rocks were subjected to many highly superimposed hydrothermal alteration types, including propylitic, sericitic, potassic, silicification, argillic, and Fe-Mn oxy-hydroxides. The hydrothermal solutions with low temperatures and containing F^1? and CO₃^2?, PO₄^3? and H₂O caused redistribution; transportation and redeposition of the HFSE in these rocks, in addition to the clay minerals and K-metasomatism, were formed. The relations between the silicification index (SI?=?SiO₂/(SiO₂ + Al₂O₃) and Zr, Nb, Th, U, LREE, and HREE are positive but they become negative with the K-metasomatism.     

Occurrence of Uraniferous Iron Grains at Gabal Gattar, El Missikat and El Erediya Granites in Eastern Desert of Egypt

Uraniferous iron grains occur in some radioactive granite plutons in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Modal analysis of these grains indicates that weight abundance of uraniferous grains amounts to 17.50%, 18.00% and 26.00% of the total accessory heavy minerals of the uranium-mineralized samples of Gabal Gattar, El Missikat and El Erediya, respectively. These grains are mainly restricted to shear zones associated with strong hematitization, and occur either as fracture fillings or as interstitial grains among the main rock-forming minerals. Uraniferous iron grains are mainly composed of uranophane and β-uranophane coated and stained with limonite. These grains represent the main radioactive minerals in addition to the bright canary yellow to yellow uranophane and β-uranophane mineral grains. The data obtained on scanning electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis confirm the abundance of iron in the darker colored varieties with respect to the light colored varieties. This mode of occurrence of the uranium minerals requires special consideration during mineral processing by physical means.     

Origin and Petrogenetic Implications of Spessartine Garnet in Highly‐Fractionated Granite from the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt

A highly-fractionated garnet-bearing muscovite granite represents the marginal granitic facies of the Abu-Diab multiphase pluton in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. New electron microprobe analyses(EMPA) and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS) data from garnets are reported, in order to constrain their origin and genesis. Garnet in the Abu-Diab host granite is euhedral to subhedral, generally homogeneous and, in rare cases, it shows weak zonation. The garne...     

Geology,geochemistry, and source characteristics of Neoproterozoic arc-related clastic metasediments,Central Eastern Desert,Egypt

The present work concerns two occurrences of Neoproterozoic volcaniclastic metasediments in the Central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt namely Alam occurrence and Atalla occurrence. They are mainly composed of bedded successions of feldspathic and feldspathic-lithic metagreywackes, arkosic metagreywackes, metasiltstones, and subordinate metaconglomerates. The rocks have been subjected mainly to various ductile deformational events (D₁ and D₂) due to NE–SW compression and later deformation (D₃). The D₁ deformation is synchronous with greenschist facies metamorphism (M₁). The Alam metagreywackes show oceanic arc tectonic setting. The greywackes have clasts of quartz, feldspar, and metamorphic amphibole after pyroxene and show variable abundances of Cr, Ni, and V. Their provenance components are mainly of evolved felsic and mafic (bimodal) island arcs. The rocks are suggested to be deposited in a localized “intra-arc basin.” The metagreywackes of Atalla show tectonic setting affinity similar to continental sland arc or active continental margin. Their geochemical characteristics reflect the presence of felsic rocks as the main sources, together with minor inputs of intermediate rocks and reworked mineral grains of quartz and feldspar. They are deposited in a localized “retro-arc basins” of an active continental margin. The whole sequences of both Atalla and Alam sediments have been subjected to deformation and contemporaneous regional metamorphism during arc-arc or arc-continent collision. Newproterozoic clastic metasedimentary rocks in the CED appear to have been deposited in arc-related basins, including interarc or back-arc basins, intra-arc basins, and retro-arc basin of active continental margin.     

Trace and REE element geochemistry of fluorite and its relation to uranium mineralizations,Gabal Gattar Area,Northern Eastern Desert,Egypt

Uranium mineralizations occur and form in a broad range of geologic setting and age, including magmatic to surfacial conditions, and there are numerous controls on their transportation and deposition, such as redox, pH, ligand concentration, complexation, and temperature. These temporal and spatial variations have caused a range of ore deposit mineral assemblages. Consequently, understanding their conditions of formation is still in its infancy. This research reports rare earth elements (REE) and trace elements of fluorite associated with hexavalent uranium mineralizations and tests of genetic models for the deposits. These data contribute to a better understanding of the variables controlling fluorite formation and uranium ore composition through understanding the evolution of these ore-forming hydrothermal systems. Fluorite in Gabal Gattar granite occurs as disseminations and/or thin veinlets and encrustations filling some uranium mineralized fissures and fractures along the northern margin of host granite mass. In the U-poor samples, fluorite forms well-developed large crystals that are commonly zoned. The zones are represented by alternating colorless and violet zones, and the outer zones are frequently dark violet. In the U-rich samples, fluorite is usually anhedral, unzoned, and has a dark violet color. The results of analysis of REE and trace element contents of fluorites using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry indicate that total REE in the anhedral unzoned fluorite are elevated compared to the well developed zoned fluorite, and also total REE in dark violet zones of zoned fluorite are elevated with respect to the colorless zones. The fluorites and host granite are generally characterized by strongly negative Eu anomalies and slightly negative or chondritic Ce anomalies. Accordingly, REE patterns of the fluorite and host granite are roughly alike, indicating that the source of REE and trace elements of hydrothermal fluids is the host granite leached by fluids. Y/Y*, Ce/Ce,* and Eu/Eu* patterns show that fluorite clearly records the compositional evolution of the hydrothermal solutions that have transferred trace and REE from host granite during the fluid–wall rocks interactions. The high uranium contents of fluorite in Gabal Gattar granite suggest that parent fluids bearing fluorine have interacted with host granite to leach uranium from the accessory minerals of granite and tetravalent uranium minerals in reduced or weakly oxidized zones.     

Geochemical constraints and uranium potential of the younger granitic rocks in El Maghrbia area,Central Eastern Desert,Egypt

Acta Geochimica - The present work deals with the mineralogy, geochemical behavior and uranium potentiality of the monzogranites of El Maghrbia area, which comprise G. El Maghrbia and G. El Eredyia...     

Determining heterogeneous deformation for granitic rocks in the northern thrust in Wadi Mubarak belt,Eastern Desert,Egypt

Finite-strain was studied in the mylonitic granitic and metasedimentary rocks in the northern thrust in Wadi Mubarak belt to show a relationship to nappe contacts between the old granitic and metavolcano-sedimentary rocks and to shed light on the heterogeneous deformation for the northern thrust in Wadi Mubarak belt. We used the R_f/ϕ and Fry methods on feldspar porphyroclasts, quartz and mafic grains from 7 old granitic and 7 metasedimentary samples in the northern thrust in Wadi Mubarak belt. The finite-strain data shows that old granitic rocks were moderate to highly deformed and axial ratios in the XZ section range from 3.05 to 7.10 for granitic and metasedimentary rocks. The long axes (X) of the finite-strain ellipsoids trend W/WNW and E/ENE in the northern thrust in Wadi Mubarak belt. Furthermore, the short axes (Z) are subvertical associated with a subhorizontal foliation. The value of strain magnitudes mainly constants towards the tectonic contacts between the mylonitic granite and metavolcano-sedimentary rocks. The data indicate oblate strain symmetry (flattening strain) in the mylonitic granite rocks. It is suggested that the accumulation of finite strain was formed before or/and during nappe contacts. The penetrative subhorizontal foliation is subparallel to the tectonic contacts with the overlying nappes and foliation was formed during nappe thrusting.