Serpentinized Peridotites at the North Part of the Wadi Allaqi District(Egypt): Implications for the Tectono-Magmatic Evolution of Fore-arc Crust

The Neoproterozoic Allaqi-Heiani suture （800-700 Ma） in the south Eastern Desert of Egypt is the northernmost linear ophiolitic belt that defines an arc-arc suture in the Arabian- Nubian shield （ANS）. The Neoproterozoic serpentinized peridotites represent a distinct lithology of dismembered ophiolites along the Allaqi-Heiani suture zone. The alteration of peridotites varies, some contain relicts of primary minerals （Cr-spinel and olivine） and others are extremely altered, especially along thrusts and shear zones, with development of talc, talc-carbonate and quartz-carbonate. The fresh cores of the chromian spinels are rimmed by ferritchromite and Cr- magnetite. The fresh chromian spinels have high Cr# （0.62 to 0.79）, while Mg# shows wider variation （0.35-0.59）. High Cr# in the relict chromian spinels and Fo content in the primary olivines indicate that they are residual peridotites after extensive partial melting. The studied ophiolitic upper mantle peridotites are highly depleted and most probably underwent high degrees of partial melting at a supra-subduction zone setting. They can be produced by up to -20%-22% dynamic melting of a primitive mantle source. The mineralogical and geochemical features of the studied rocks reflect that the mantle peridotites of the north part of the Wadi Allaqi district are similar to the fore-arc peridotites of a supra-subduction zone.

Geochemistry and Petrogenesis of Late Ediacaran Rare-metal Albite Granites of the Arabian-Nubian Shield

The Abu Dabbab albite granite(ADAG),in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt,hosts the most significant rare metal ore deposit in the northern part of the Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield.Here,we report detailed field,petrographic,mineralogical and geochemical investigation of the ADAG,an isolated stock-like granitic body with sharp intrusive contacts against metamorphic country rocks,probably emplaced at about 600 Ma.The fine-grained porphyritic upper unit is a preserved remnant of the shallowly-emplaced apex of the magma chamber,whereas the medium-grained lower unit crystallized at deeper levels under subvolcanic conditions.The peraluminous leucocratic ADAG shares common geochemical characteristics with post-collisional intraplate A-type magmas.In addition to the conspicuous enrichment in Na2O,the ADAG is remarkable for its anomalous concentrations of Ta,Nb,Li,Hf,Ga,Sn,Zn and heavy rare-earth elements.Nb-Ta minerals in the ADAG are mixed with Fe-Mn oxides,forming black patches that increase in abundance toward of the base of the intrusion.Columbite-tantalite,cassiterite and wolframite are the most important ore minerals.Pronounced negative Eu anomalies(Eu/Eu*=0.10–0.24)reflect extreme magmatic fractionation and perhaps the effects of late fluid-rock interaction.The ADAG was most likely generated by partial melting of the juvenile middle crust of the ANS as the geotherm was elevated by erosional uplift following lithospheric delamination and it was emplaced at the intersection of lineations of structural weakness.Although formation of the ADAG and its primary enrichment in rare metals are essentially due to magmatic processes,late-stage metasomatism caused limited redistribution of rare metals.Fluid-driven subsolidus modification was limited to the apex of the magma chamber and drove development of greisen,amazonite,and quartz veins along fracture systems.

The Petrological and Geochemical Evolution of Ediacaran Rare-Metal Bearing A-type Granites from the Jabal Aja Complex, Northern Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia

New fieldwork, mineralogical and geochemical data and interpretations are presented for the rare-metal bearing A-type granites of the Aja intrusive complex(AIC) in the northern segment of the Arabian Shield. This complex is characterized by discontinuous ring-shaped outcrops cut by later faulting. The A-type rocks of the AIC are late Neoproterozoic post-collisional granites, including alkali feldspar granite, alkaline granite and peralkaline granite. They represent the outer zones of the AIC, surrounding a core of older rocks including monzogranite, syenogranite and granophyre granite. The sharp contacts between A-type granites of the outer zone and the different granitic rocks of the inner zone suggest that the AIC was emplaced as different phases over a time interval, following complete crystallization of earlier batches. The A-type granites represent the late intrusive phases of the AIC, which were emplaced during tectonic extension, as shown by the emplacement of dykes synchronous with the granite emplacement and the presence of cataclastic features. The A-type granites consist of K-feldspars, quartz, albite, amphiboles and sodic pyroxene with a wide variety of accessory minerals, including Fe-Ti oxides, zircon, allanite, fluorite, monazite, titanite, apatite, columbite, xenotime and epidote. They are highly evolved(71.3–75.8 wt% SiO2) and display the typical geochemical characteristics of post-collisional, within-plate granites. They are rare-metal granites enriched in total alkalis, Nb, Zr, Y, Ga, Ta, REE with low CaO, MgO, Ba, and Sr. Eu-negative anomalies(Eu/Eu* = 0.17–0.37) of the A-type granites reflect extreme magmatic fractionation and perhaps the effects of late fluid-rock interactions. The chemical characteristics indicate that the A-type granites of the AIC represent products of extreme fractional crystallization involving alkali feldspar, quartz and, to a lesser extent, ferromagnesian minerals. The parent magma was derived from the partial melting of a juvenile crustal protolith with a mantle contribution. Accumulation of residual volatile-rich melt and exsolved fluids in the late stage of the magma evolution produced pegmatite and quartz veins that cut the peripheries of the AIC. Post-magmatic alteration related to the final stages of the evolution of the A-type granitic magma, indicated by alterations of sodic amphibole and sodic pyroxene, hematitization and partial albitization.

Petrology and Geochemistry of Some Ophiolitic Metaperidotites from the Eastern Desert of Egypt:Insights into Geodynamic Evolution and Metasomatic Processes

Ophiolitic peridotites exposed in the Eastern Desert(ED)of Egypt record multiple stages of evolution,including different degrees of partial melting and melt extraction,serpentinization,carbonatization and metamorphism.The present study deals with metaperidotites at two selected localities in the central and southern ED,namely Wadi El-Nabáand Wadi Ghadir,respectively.They represent residual mantle sections of a Neoproterozoic dismembered ophiolite that tectonically emplaced over a volcano-sedimentary succession that represents island–arc assemblages.The studied metaperidotites are serpentinized,with the development of talc-carbonate and quartz-carbonate rocks,especially along shear and fault planes.Fresh relics of primary minerals(olivine,orthopyroxene and Cr-spinel)are preserved in a few samples of partiallyserpentinized peridotite.Most of the Cr-spinel crystals have fresh cores followed by outer zones of ferritchromite and Crmagnetite,which indicates that melt extraction from the mantle protolith took place under oxidizing conditions.The protoliths of the studied metaperidotites were dominated by harzburgites,which is supported by the abundance of mesh and bastite textures in addition to some evidence from mineral and whole-rock chemical compositions.The high Cr#(0.62–0.69;Av.0.66)and low TiO_(2)(<0.3 wt%)contents of the fresh Cr-spinels,the higher Fo(89–92;Av.91)and NiO(0.24–0.54 wt%,Av.0.40)contents of the primary olivine relics,together with the high Mg#(0.91–0.93;Av.91)and low CaO,Al2 O3 and TiO_(2)of the orthopyroxene relics,are all comparable with depleted to highly depleted forearc harzburgite from a suprasubduction zone setting.The investigated peridotites have suffered subsequent phases of metasomatism,from oceanfloor hydrothermal alteration(serpentinization)to magmatic hydrothermal alteration.The enrichment of the studied samples in light rare earth elements(LREEs)relative to the heavy ones(HREEs)is attributed to most probably be due to the contamination of their mantle source with granitic source hydrothermal fluids after the obduction of the ophiolite assemblage onto the continental crust.The examined rocks represent mantle residue that experienced different degrees of partial melting(~10%to 25%for W.El-Nabárocks and~5%to 23%for W.Ghadir rocks).Variable degrees of partial melting among the two investigated areas suggest mantle heterogeneity beneath the Arabian-Nubian Shield(ANS).

Geochemistry,Petrogenesis and Alteration of Rare-Metal-Bearing Granitoids and Mineralized Silexite of the Al-Ghurayyah Stock,Arabian Shield,Saudi Arabia

New data are presented for the rare-metal bearing A-type granitoids of the AlGhurayyah stock in the northwestern segment of the Arabian Shield, a composite pluton intruding metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary successions of the Silasia Formation. Metals in the granitoids are variably enriched, with up to 1 990 μg/g Zn, 7 680 μg/g Zr, 2 316 μg/g Nb, 232 μg/g Ta, 485 μg/g Hf, 670 μg/g Th, 137 μg/g U and 1 647 μg/g total rare earth elements(REE). The silexite is highly mineralized and yields higher maximum concentrations of several metals than the granitoids, including up to 1 860 μg/g Y, 9 400 μg/g Zr, 878 μg/g Hf, 1 000 μg/g Th, and 2 029 μg/g total REE. The Al-Ghurayyah stock has been assigned to an intraplate setting. Lithospheric delamination led to generation of mantle melts that supplied heat to melt the juvenile crust of the ANS. The fluorine and rare-metal enriched parental magma evolved by fractional crystallization. The quartz-rich silexite, distinct in character from ordinary hydrothermal vein quartz, is inferred to be co-genetic with the granitoids on the basis of their similar REE patterns;it is interpreted as a small volume of residual magma enriched in SiO2, volatiles, and trace metals. Mineralization took place both at the magmatic stage and later during a hydrothermal stage that concentrated these elements to economic grades.

Origin and geochemical characteristics of beryllium mineralization in the Zabara-Wadi El Gemal region,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

Beryl is the commercial source of beryllium and several varieties of it are valued as a gemstone.To contribute to understanding the mechanism of beryl formation,we carried out detailed geological,petrographical,and geochemical investigations on beryl mineralization occurrences in the Zabara-Wadi El Gemal(Z-WG)region.This region is an NW-SE trending tract that includes six berylhosting areas.The green gem variety of beryl(emerald)is restricted to phlogopite schist,pegmatite,and quartz veins.Prismatic hexagonal emerald crystals are well-developed in phlogopite schist and pegmatite.The gem variety emerald examined is sodic and Cr-dominant.It contains high concentrations of chromophore transition elements ordering Cr(up to 1511 ppm)>V(up to 242 ppm)>Sc(up to 245 ppm),giving rise to its vivid green color,refl ecting mafic-ultramafic source contribution.Among the investigated emeralds,the Sikait area contains the highest BeO(av.10.76wt.%)concentration.The compositional variability of emeralds is most likely attributed to the contribution from the host rocks.This is revealed by the examined emerald mineralization,for instance;the Abu Rusheid area(one of the best areas exposing rare metal-bearing granitoids)possesses the highest average of trace and REEs concentrations.In contrast,Um Kabu emerald has the highest contents of Co(av.20 ppm),Ni(av.299 ppm),MgO(av.8.2wt.%),Fe_(2)O_(3)(av.3.12wt.%),and CaO(avg.3.4wt.%)relative to other areas,which may be linked to contribution of ultramafic rocks exposed there.The proposed mechanism we suggest for emerald genesis is metasomatic interaction between felsic intrusions,that are enriched with K,Na,Be,Li,and B,with mafic-ultramafic rocks that are enriched in Cr,V,Mg,Fe,and Ca.This interaction is marked by the formation of phlogopite schist,the growth of emerald crystals,and desilicated pegmatite.