Mafic xenoliths from Egyptian Tertiary basalts and their petrogenetic implications

Mineralogical data, coupled with whole-rock major and trace element data of mafic xenoliths from two occurrences of the Egyptian Tertiary basalts, namely Abu Zaabal (AZ) near Cairo and Gabal Mandisha (GM) in the Bahariya Oases, are presented for the first time. Chemically, AZ basalts are sodic transitional, while those of GM are alkaline. In spite of the different petrographic and geochemical features of the host rocks, mafic xenoliths from the two occurrences are broadly similar and composed essentially of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, and Fe–Ti oxides. The analytical results of host rocks, xenoliths and their minerals suggest that the xenoliths are cognate to their host magmas rather than basement material. The mafic xenoliths are olivine-free and contain alkali feldspar contrary to the phenocryst assemblage of the host rocks, confirming that they are not cumulates from the host magma. The geochemical and mineralogical characteristics show that the precursor magmas of these xenoliths are more fractionated and possibly contaminated compared to those of the host rocks. Estimated crystallization conditions are  1–3 kbar for xenoliths from both areas, and temperature of  950–1100 °C vs. 920–1050 °C for AZ and GM, respectively. These cognate xenoliths probably crystallized from early-formed, highly-fractionated anhydrous magma batches solidified in shallow crustal levels, possibly underwent some AFC during their ascent, and later ripped-up during fresh magma pulses. The xenoliths, although rare, provide an evidence for the importance of crystal fractionation at early evolution of the Egyptian Tertiary basalts.     

Impact of Lithofacies and Structures on the Hydrogeochemistry of the Lower Miocene Aquifer at Moghra Oasis,North Western Desert,Egypt

Natural Resources Research - The Moghra Oasis is one of the major Egyptian desert-reclamation projects. Understanding the hydrochemistry of the Moghra aquifer is an onus to properly plan and manage...     

Archaeological exploration using magnetic and GPR methods at the first court of Hatshepsut Temple in Luxor, Egypt

The Hatshepsut Temple at Luxor, southern Egypt was built as a garden for Amun, and the first court indeed had exotic trees and vegetations. The pathway to the temple was along a sphinx-lined causeway linking the valley to pylons, which are missing now. As an effort to outline remains of the vanished garden and missing pylons and any other possible archaeological structures at this first court site, an extensive integrated magnetic/ground-penetrating radar (GPR) geophysical survey was conducted. The magnetic survey covered the entire area of the first court (100?×?60 m), while the GPR survey covered only an area of 50?×?50 m. The acquired GPR data were processed and presented as 2-D depth sections providing a reasonable vertical/horizontal resolution for the upper 6 m of the investigated site. The acquired magnetic data was processed and presented as 2-D image. The integrated interpretation of the acquired GPR and magnetic data revealed some archaeological features including a rectangular depression which is presumably an ancient man-made pond in the garden of the temple, a rectangular feature that may be a foundation of the missing pylon of the temple, and a suite of aligned anomalies that could be the remnants of sphinx. Such findings reflect the archaeological potentiality of the surveyed site and outline the extension of the temple. Meanwhile, these results necessitate further geophysical investigation or archaeological excavation to be confirmed.     

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.     

Geochemistry and Radioactive Potentiality of Um Naggat Apogranite, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract: The northern part of Um Naggat granite massif (UNGM) has suffered extensive post-magmatic metasomatic reworking which results into the development of (Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, U, Th, F)– and albite-enriched and greisenized apogranite body (UNAP) of 600 m thick, and more than 3 km in the strike length.
Albitization produced an enrichment in Zr (av. 2384 ppm), Hf (61), Nb (419), and U (43). The Th/U ratio ranges between 1. 33 and 1. 90. Extreme albitization (i. e. the albitite rock) is characterized by sharp decrease in the rare metals contents. However, extreme greisenization (i. e. endogreisen bodies) is characterized by a considerable enrichment in Zr (av. 5464 ppm), Hf (143), Nb (2329), Ta (152), U (66) and Th (178). The Th/U ratio ranges between 1. 57 and 3. 60. In contrast to extreme greisenization, it seems that extreme albitization does not apparently change the fluid pH and therefore poor amounts of rare metals are localized in the albitites.
It is suggested that the presence of Na⁺, H⁺ and F^- in the ore fluids was essential to stablize complexes of Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, U, Th, and HREE during extraction and transportation. In contrast, contemporaneous decrease of temperature and increasing pH due to decreasing pressure are considered the essential factors for localization of disseminated mineralization of Zr and Nb in the apical parts of the UNAP. The enhanced uranium content in the alteration facies of UNAP coupled with the absence of significant uranium mineralization may indicate the metalliferous rather than mineralized nature for the UNAP. The high uranium contents are stabilized in refractory accessory minerals. However, with repect to Zr and Nb, the UNAP especially the albitized and greisen facies, can be categorized as a mineralized productive granite.     

Geotechnical assessment of ground conditions around a tilted building in Cairo, Egypt using geophysical approaches

The flood plain of the Nile River has been a safe dwelling throughout history. Recently with a growing population and vast growing urbanization, some buildings have started to experience structural damages, which are not related to their construction design, but rather to the ground conditions around the buildings' foundations. Variations in properties of the soil supporting the buildings' foundations such as soil-bearing capacity, moisture content, and scouring may eventually lead to the failure of these buildings. This study is attempting to characterize the variations in the soil properties around the City Star shopping mall, in eastern Cairo, where a large building has tilted over the past few years. This tilting may lead to the collapse of the whole building if it continues at the same rate. An integrated geophysical investigation including multi-channel analysis of surface wave (MASW), ground-penetrating radar (GPR), and 2-D electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was used around the affected building to help detect possible causes of deterioration. The GPR data showed a soil-filled layer overlaying a thick bottom layer of higher moisture content. The MASW data revealed a middle layer of relatively low shear wave velocity sandwiched between two relatively high shear wave velocity layers. The ERT data showed an upper low resistivity layer overlying a high resistivity layer. Integrating the interpretations of the three geophysical methods provides a combined model that reflects lateral and vertical variation in the soil properties. This variation becomes dramatic near the tilted corner of the building.     

Radiation transfer through atmospheric aerosol media with anisotropic scattering

Radiation transfer in atmospheric aerosol media with general boundary conditions has been studied for anisotropic scattering. The considered aerosol medium assumed to have specular and diffused reflecting boundary surfaces and in the presence of internal source. The radiation transfer scattering parameters as single scattering albedo, asymmetry factor, scattering, absorption, extinction efficiencies and anisotropic scattering coefficient have been calculated using the Mie theory. The problem with general boundary conditions is solved in terms of the solution of source-free problem with simply boundary conditions. Pomraning-Eddington approximation is used to solve the source-free problem. For the sake of comparison, a weight function is introduced and used in two special forms. The calculated partial heat fluxes with the two methods are compared and showed good agreement. Some of our results are found in a good agreement with published data.     

Effects of phosphate mining activity on groundwater quality at Wadi Queh, Red Sea, Egypt

The groundwater in Wadi Queh exists in two main hydrogeological units; fractured Precambrian basement and sedimentary rocks with high contribution for groundwater recharge. To study the impacts of phosphate mining activities on the groundwater quality in the area, three groundwater samples that represent all water wells in the area were collected and analysed for major ions and some heavy metals. In addition, three bulk samples representing the phosphatic sediments collected from upstream and downstream of the drainage basin were collected and analysed to understand the source of groundwater contamination. The total concentrations of dissolved solids suggest that the groundwater in the area grades from fresh to brackish water (961–1,580 mg/l), and is characterized by sodium–calcium–sulphate–chloride and sodium–magnesium–sulphate–chloride chemical types. The results showed high concentrations of the heavy metals in well nos. 1 and 2 in downstream parts compared to well no. 3 in upstream part reflecting their influence by the mining activities.     

Use of two-dimensional electric resistivity and ground penetrating radar for archaeological prospecting at the ancient capital of Egypt

Two-dimensional (2-D) resistivity and ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys facilitate tracing of buried archaeological relics at the archaeological site of the Tell El Rabi'a, southwestern Cairo. These surveys also provide information on variations in depth of the groundwater table, which affect both exhumed and buried archaeological remains. The 2-D electrical resistivity profiles obtained show some high anomalies (up to 6900 Ω m). Based upon on-site calibration at partly exhumed sites, such anomalies are interpreted as pillar crowns and wall-like structures of hard limestone of the Hathour temple. The low background resistivities are interpreted to represent riverine deposits with differing moisture (or saturation) characteristics. The results of the GPR survey show three forms of high-amplitude radar anomalies, denoted as “P, H and R”. The “P” anomalies have semi-hyperbolic shapes, which suggest the presence of thin buried walls. The second, near-horizontal group of anomalies, “H”, may be either due to the presence of thick buried walls or arise from coincidental parallel alignment of survey lines with buried linear structures. The third group of GPR anomalies “R” is composed of chaotic reflections, and interpreted to depict buried stone-filled chambers. Some un-exhumed parts of the study area show weak radar reflections with occasional highly attenuated radar signals. These phenomena are ascribed to differing compaction and moisture characteristics of riverine soil layers. Recommendations with regard to archaeological site-excavation, preservation of archaeological relics, and soil conservation are submitted.