Neoproterozoic tholeiitic arc plutonism: petrology of gabbroic intrusions in the El-Aradiya area,Eastern Desert,Egypt

Gabbroic intrusions of the El-Aradiya area are a part of the Neoproterozoic basement cropping out in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt. They are composed mainly of gabbroic cumulates (diopside-plagioclase cumulate and plagioclase-augite cumulate) and fine-grained noncumulate gabbro. Mineral chemistry data indicate that the plagioclase core compositions of the gabbroic cumulates range between An₉₀ and An₆₀, whereas fine-grained noncumulate gabbro plagioclase core compositions are An_61?56 and rim compositions are An_54?42. The clinopyroxenes are diopside and augite in the gabbroic cumulate, and augite in the fine-grained noncumulate gabbro. Chemical re-equilibration between pyroxenes of gabbroic cumulates vary from 1150-900°C and for fine-grained noncumulate gabbro range from 1200-1100°C. The amphiboles are calcic, varying from tschermakite and tschermakitic hornblende, and Mg-hornblende in the gabbroic cumulate and only Mg-hornblende in the fine-grained noncumulate gabbro. They indicate an island-arc tholeiitic setting for gabbroic intrusions of the El-Aradiya area. Major and trace element data suggest arc tholeiite characters, a comagmatic suite and subduction-related magma with enrichment of LILE and depletion in HFSE relative to MORB. The estimated parent magma is similar to tholeiitic Aleutian arc primary magma. The gabbroic intrusions are analogous to intrusions emplaced in an immature island-arc setting in which the oceanic crust was thin.