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Rare Metal Distribution and Mineralization Potentiality of Pegmatites in Gabal El Fereyid Granite, South Eastern Desert, Egypt

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Abstract

Gabal El Fereyid area, represents a promising area for monzogranite and pegmatites hosted rare-metal mineralization. Microscopically, monzogranite and pegmatites consist of K-feldspar, albite, and quartz with few biotite +/– hornblende. The radiometric studies of anomalous pegmatite samples show that their eU-contents reached up to 149 ppm while their eTh-contents reached up to 375 ppm, in contrast the eU and eTh contents of monzogranite range from 1 to 5.7 ppm and from 4.2 to 29.1 ppm, respectively. This indicates strong post-magmatic U-enrichment in the pegmatitic melt, due to the presence of radioactive minerals as thorite, uranothorite, fergusonite, samarskite and ishikawit. U and Th mineralization in pegmatites are discriminated as hydrothermal and magmatic types. Pegmatites show enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE; Pb and Rb,), high field strength elements (HFSE; Y, Zr, Th, U, Nb and Ta) and rare earth elements but depleted in K, P, Sr, Cs, Ba and Ti. Pegmatites indicate moderate to large negative Eu anomaly and show clear W-type tetrad effect of the REE.

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  1. Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, El Maadi, Egypt

    M. E. Bahaa, M. S. Gehad, A. S. Hassan & F. M. Khaleal

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minufiya University, Shibin El Kom, Egypt

    I. D. Maher

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Bahaa, M.E., Gehad, M.S., Maher, I.D. et al. Rare Metal Distribution and Mineralization Potentiality of Pegmatites in Gabal El Fereyid Granite, South Eastern Desert, Egypt. Geochem. Int. 58, 802–821 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702920070034

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