Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T09:18:50.006Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Petrogenesis of anorogenic peralkaline granitic complexes from eastern Egypt

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

A. M. Abdel-Rahman*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, American University of Beirut, Bliss Street, P.O. Box 11-0236, Beirut, Lebanon
*

Abstract

The Pan-African orogenic shield rocks of eastern Egypt were intruded by several anorogenic within- plate granitic complexes, including Mounts Abu-Kharif and El-Dob. These two massifs were emplaced at the intersection of a fault system and a shear zone. The two massifs are made up of hypersolvus peralkaline granites, consisting essentially of perthitic alkali feldspar (55–65 vol.%), quartz (30–35%), and alkali amphibole (ferrorichterite to arfvedsonite; 5–12%), with accessory zircon, apatite and ilmenite. The rocks are evolved in composition, are relatively enriched in Nb (53–75 ppm), Y (34–72 ppm), Zr (421–693 ppm), Ga (26–29 ppm), and the REE (294–562 ppm), and depleted in Al, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Eu. The REE patterns are sub-parallel, LREE -enriched over HREE , and show prominent negative Eu anomalies. The rocks exhibit mineralogical and chemical traits typical of within-plate A-type granites. Rb-Sr radiometric age dating produced a Cambrian age of 522±21 Ma, and an initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7080±0.0042. Thus, the investigated peralkaline granitic rocks were emplaced following the termination of the Pan-African orogeny. The rocks are interpreted to have formed in an extensional tectonic environment during a phase of cooling, relaxation, crustal attenuation, and fracturing of the newly-formed shield.

Results of geochemical modelling indicate that the magma may have formed by a large degree of batch partial melting (F = 0.57) of Pan-African calc-alkaline shield rocks, which had been metasomatized possibly by a Na-rich fluid. The volatile flux may have caused fenitization-type reactions along fissures and re-activated Pan-African fractures prior to anatexis, and is considered to have played a role as an important agent of heat transfer. Shear heating, caused possibly by a rapid change in the direction of plate motions beneath eastern Egypt during the Early Palaeozoic, is likely to have produced temperatures necessary for crustal anatexis. The confining pressure must have been released by fissuring of the crust. Magma ascent may have been facilitated by reactivation of pre-existing Pan-African fractures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2006

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abdel-Rahman, A.M. (1995) Tectonic-magmatic stages of shield evolution: the Pan-African belt in northeastern Egypt. Tectonophysics, 242, 223240.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. (1996) Pan African volcanism: petrology and geochemistry of the Dokhan Volcanic Suite in the northern Nubian shield. Geological Magazine, 133, 1731.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. (2001) Perahiminous plutonism: Nature and origin of the Moly May leucogranite and its Coast Plutonic Complex granitic host rocks, northwestern British Columbia. The Canadian Mineralogist, 39, 11811196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and Doig, R. (1987) The Rb-Sr geochronological evolution of the Ras Gharib segment of the northern Nubian shield. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 144, 577586.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and El-Kibbi, M.M. (2001) Anorogenic magmatism: chemical evolution of the Mount El-Sibai A-type complex (Egypt), and implications for the origin of within-plate felsic magmas. Geological Magazine, 138, 67–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and Martin, R.F. (1987a) Late Pan-African magmatism and crustal development in northeastern Egypt. Geological Journal, 22, 281301.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and Martin, R.F. (19876) The Deloro anorogenic igneous complex, Madoc, Ontario. I. Geochemistry and feldspar mineralogy of the felsic plutonic rocks. The Canadian Mineralogist, 25, 321336.Google Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and Martin, R.F. (1990a) The Mount Gharib A-type granite, Nubian shield: petro-genesis and role of metasomatism at the source. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 104, 173183.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Abdel-Rahman, A.M. and Martin, R.F. (19906) The Deloro anorogenic igneous complex, Madoc, Ontario. II. Evolution and post-eruption metasomatism of the volcanic units. The Canadian Mineralogist, 28, 267285.Google Scholar
Abu El-Enen, M.M., Zalata, A.A., El-Metwally, A.A. and Okrusch, M. (1999) Orthogneisses from the Taba metamorphic belt, SE Sinai, Egypt: witnesses for granitoid magmatism at an active continental margin. Neues Jahrbuch fur Mineralogie Abhandlungen, 175, 5381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Almond, D.C., Curtis, P.A.S., McCormac, D.A., O'Halloran, D.A.O. and Vail, J.R. (1983) Migrating younger granite ring-complexes in the Bayuda Desert, northern Sudan. Bulletin of Faculty of Earth Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 6, 271276.Google Scholar
Andersson, U.B. (2001) An overview of the geochemical evolution in the Mesoproterozoic (1.58–1.50 Ga) anorogenic complexes of central Sweden. Zeitschrift fur Geologische Wissenschaften, 29, 455–470.Google Scholar
Andersson, U.B., Neymark, L.A. and Billstrom, K. (2002) Petrogenesis of Mesoproterozoic (Subjotnian) rapakivi complexes of central Sweden: implications from U-Pb zircon ages, Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopes. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences, 92, 201228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Arth, J.G. (1976) Behavior of trace elements during magmatic processes: a summary of theoretical models and their applications. Journal of Research of the United States Geological Survey, 4, 41–47.Google Scholar
Atherton, M.P., McCourt, W.J., Sanderson, L.M. and Taylor, W.P. (1979) The geochemical character of the segmented Peruvian Coastal batholith and associated volcanics. Pp. 45–64 in: Origin of Granite Batholiths: Geochemical Evidence (Atherton, M.P. and Tarney, J., editors). Shiva, Cheshire, UK.Google Scholar
Bailey, D.K. (1974) Origin of alkaline magmas as a result of anatexis, (b) crustal anatexis. Pp. 436–442 in: The Alkaline Rocks (Sorenson, H., editor). Wiley, London.Google Scholar
Black, R., Lameyre, J. and Bonin, B. (1984) The structural setting of alkaline complexes. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 3, 5–16.Google Scholar
Blasband, B., White, S., Broijmans, P., De Boorder, H. and Visser, W. (2000) Late Proterozoic extensional collapse in the Arabian-Nubian shield. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 157, 615628.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, G.C. (1980) Calc-alkaline magma genesis: the Pan-African contribution to crustal growth? Institute of Applied Geology Bulletin, Jeddah, 3, 1929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, M. (1994) The generation, segregation, ascent and emplacement of granite magma: The migmatite-to-crustally-derived granite connection in thickened orogens. Earth Science Reviews, 36, 83–130.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brown, P.E., Dempster, T.J., Harrison, T.N. and Hutton, D.H.W. (1992) The Rapakivi granites of south Greenland: crustal melting in response to extensional tectonics and magmatic underplating. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh: Earth Sciences, 83, 173178.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cahen, L., Snelling, N.J., Delhal, J. and Vail, J.R. (1984) The Geochronology and Evolution of Africa, Clarendon Press,Oxford, UK, 371 pp.Google Scholar
Capaldi, G., Chiesa, S., Manetti, P., Orsi, G. and Poli, G. (1987)Tertiary anorogenic granites of the western border of the Yemen plateau. Lithos, 20, 433444.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cerny, P., Meintzer, R.E. and Anderson, A.J. (1985) Extreme fractionation in rare-element granitic pegmatites: selected examples of data and mechanisms. The Canadian Mineralogist, 23, 381421.Google Scholar
Charoy, B. and Raimbault, L. (1993) Zr-, Th-, and REE -rich biotite differentiates in the A-type granite Pluton of Suzhou (eastern China): the key role of fluorine. Journal of Petrology, 35, 919962.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collins, W.J., Beams, S.D., White, A.J.R. and Chappell, B.W. (1982) Nature and origin of A-type granites with particular reference to southeastern Australia. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 80, 189200.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cox, K.G., Bell, J.D. and Pankhurst, R.J. (1979) The Interpretation of Igneous Rocks. Allen and Unwin, London, 450 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Creaser, R.A., Price, R.C. and Wormald, R.J. (1991) A-type granites revisited: assessment of a residual-source model. Geology, 19, 163–166.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Gruyter, P. and Vogel, T.A. (1981) A model for the origin of the alkaline complexes of Egypt. Nature, 291, 571574.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duyverman, H.J. and Harris, N.B.W. (1982) Late Precambrian evolution of Afro-Arabian crust from ocean arc to craton: discussion. Bulletin of the Geological Society of America, 93, 174–176.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El-Ramly, M.F. (1962) The absolute ages of some basement rocks in the Eastern and South-western Deserts of Egypt. Geological Survey of Egypt Paper 15, 12 pp.Google Scholar
El-Ramly, M.F. (1972) A new geological map for the basement rocks in the Eastern and South-Western Desert of Egypt. Annals of the Geological Survey of Egypt, 2, 118.Google Scholar
El-Ramly, M.F. and Hussein, A.A. (1985) The ring complexes of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 3, 7782.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
El-Sayed, M.M. (1998) Tectonic setting and petrogenesis of the Kadabora pluton: a late Proterozoic anorogenic A-type younger granitoid in the Egyptian Shield. Chemie der Erde, 58, 3863.Google Scholar
El-Shazly, S.M. and El-Sayed, M.M. (2000) Petrogenesis of the Pan-African El-Bula igneous suite, central Eastern Desert, Egypt. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 31, 317–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Emslie, R.F., Hamilton, M.A. and Theriault, R.J. (1994) Petrogenesis of a Mid-Proterozoic anorthosite mangerite-charnockite-granite (AMCG) complex: isotopic and chemical evidence from the Nain plutonic suite. Journal of Geology, 102, 539–558.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Faure, G. (1986) Principles of Isotope Geology (2nd edition). John Wiley & Sons, New York, 589 pp.Google Scholar
Frisch, W. and Abdel-Rahman, A.M. (1999) Petrogenesis of the Wadi Dib alkaline ring complex, Eastern Desert of Egypt. Mineralogy and Petrology, 65, 249275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frost, C.D., Frost, B.R., Bell, J.M. and Chamberlain, K.R. (2002) The relationship between A-type granites and residual magmas from anorthosite: evidence from the northern Sherman batholith, Laramie Mountains, Wyoming, USA. Precambrian Research, 119, 4571.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Garson, M.S. and Krs, M. (1976) Geophysical and geological evidence of the relationship of the Red Sea transverse tectonics to ancient fractures. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 87, 169181.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gass, I.G. (1977) Evolution of the Pan-African crystalline basement in north-east Africa and Arabia. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 134, 129138.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haapala, H. and Ramo, O.T. (1990) Petrogenesis of the Proterozoic rapakivi granites of Finland. Geological Society of America Special Paper, 246, 275–286.Google Scholar
Harris, N.B.W. (1985) Alkaline complexes from the Arabian Shield. Journal of African Earth Science, 3, 8388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, N.B.W. and Marriner, G.R. (1980) Geochemistry and petrogenesis of a peralkaline granite complex from the Midian mountains, Saudi Arabia. Lithos, 13, 325–237.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hashad, A.H. (1980) Present status of geochronological data on the Egyptian basement complex. Institute of Applied Geology Bulletin, Jeddah, 3, 3146.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hume, W.R. (1934) Geology of Egypt: v. 2, part 1 . Survey of Egypt, 134 pp.Google Scholar
Irving, A.J. (1978)A review of experimental studies of crystal/liquid trace element partitioning. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 42, 743–770.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jarrar, G., Stern, R.J., Saffarinai, G. and Al-Zubi, H. (2003)Late- and post-orogenic Neoproterozoic intrusions of Jordan: implications for crustal growth in the northernmost segment of the East African Orogen. Precambrian Research, 123, 295319.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, P.R. and Woldehaimanot, B. (2003) Development of the Arabian-Nubian shield: perspectives on accretion and deformation in the northern East African Orogen and the assembly of Gondwana. Pp. 289325 in: Proterozoic East Gondwana: Supercontinent Assembly and Breakup (Yoshida, M., Dasgupta, S. and Windley, B., editors). Special Publication 206, Geological Society of London.Google Scholar
Keppler, H. (1993) Influence of fluorine on the enrichment of high field strength trace elements in granitic rocks. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 114, 479488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kessel, R., Stein, M. and Navon, O. (1998) Petrogenesis of late Neoproterozoic dikes in the northern Arabian-Nubian Shield; implications for the origin of A-type granites. Precambrian Research, 92, 195–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Landoll, J.D., Foland, K.A. and Henderson, C.M.B. (1994) Nd-isotopes demonstrate the role of contamination in the formation of coexisting quartz- and nepheline syenites at the Abu Khruq complex, Egypt. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 117, 305329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Liégeois, J.P. and Black, R. (1987) Alkaline magmatism subsequent to collision in the Pan-African belt of the Adrar des Iforas (Mali). Pp. 381401 in: Alkaline Igneous Rocks (Fitton, J.G. and Upton, B.G.J., editors). Special Publication 30, Geological Society of London.Google Scholar
Loizenbauer, J., Walbrecher, E., Fritz, H., Neumayr, P., Khudeir, A.A. and Kloetzli, U. (2001)Structural geology, single zircon ages and fluid inclusion studies of the Meatiq metamorphic core complex: implications for Neoproterozoic tectonics in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Precambrian Research, 110, 357383.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Longerich, H.P., Jenner, G.A., Fryer, B.J. and Jackson, S.E. (1990) Inductively coupled plasma-mass spec-trometric analysis of geologic samples: A critical evaluation based on case studies. Chemical Geology, 83, 105118.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, R.F. and Morogan, V. (1988) Partial melting of fenitized crustal xenoliths in the Oldoinyo Lengai carbonatitic volcano, Tanzania: reply. American Mineralogist, 73, 14681471.Google Scholar
Mclntyre, G.A.,Brooks, C., Compston, W. and Turek, A. (1966) The statistical assessment of Rb-Sr isochrons. Journal of Geological Research, 71, 545568.Google Scholar
Mechie, J. and Prodehl, C. (1988) Crustal and uppermost mantle structure beneath the Afro-Arabian rift system. Tectonophysics, 153, 103121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menzies, M.A. and Murthy, V.R. (1980) Mantle metasomatism as a precursor to the genesis of alkaline magmas – isotopic evidence. American Journal of Science, 280-A, 622638.Google Scholar
Miyashiro, A. (1957) The chemistry, optics, and genesis of the alkali amphiboles. Journal of the Faculty of Science, University of Tokyo, Section II, 11, 5783.Google Scholar
Miyashiro, A. (1978) Nature of alkalic volcanic rock series. Contributions Mineralogy and Petrology, 66, 91104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moghazi, A.M. (1999) Magma source and evolution of Late Neoproterozoic granitoids in the Gabal El-Urf area, Eastern Desert, Egypt: geochemical and Sr-Nd isotopic constraints. Geological Magazine, 136, 285300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moghazi, A.M., Andersen|T., Oweiss, G.A. and El Bouseily, A.M. (1998) Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic data bearing on the origin of Pan-African granitoids in the Kid area, southeast Sinai, Egypt. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 155, 697710.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Halloran, D.A. (1985) Ras ed Dom migrating ring complex: A-type granites and syenites from the Bayuda desert, Sudan. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 3, 61–75.Google Scholar
Pearce, J.A., Harris, N.B.W. and Tindle, A.G. (1984) Trace element discrimination diagrams for the tectonic interpretation of granitic rocks. Journal of Petrology, 25, 956983.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poitrasson, F., Duthou, J.-L. and Pin, C. (1995) The relationship between petrology and Nd isotopes as evidence for contrasting anorogenic granite genesis: Example of the Corsican Province (SE France). Journal of Petrology, 36, 12511274.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramo, O.T. and Haapala, I. (1995) One hundred years of rapakivi granite. Mineralogy and Petrology, 52, 129185.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schmitt, A.K., Emmermann, R., Trumbull, R.B., Biihn, B. and Henjes-Kunst, F. (2000) Petrogenesis and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the Brandberg complex, Namibia: Evidence for a major mantle contribution in metaluminous and peralkaline granites. Journal of Petrology, 41, 12071239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schuermann, H.M. (1966) The Pre-Cambrian along the Gulf of the Suez and the Northern Part of the Red Sea. E.J. Brill, Leiden, East Germany, 76 pp.Google Scholar
Serencsits, C.,Faul, H., Foland, K.A., Hussein, A.A. and Lutz, T.M. (1981) Alkaline ring complexes in Egypt: their age and relationship in time. Journal of Geophysical Research, 86, 30093013.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shackleton, R.M. (1996) The final collision zone between east and west Gondwana: where is it? Journal of African Earth Sciences, 23, 271287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaw, D.M. (1968) A review of K/Rb fractionation trends by covariance analysis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 32, 573601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shaw, D.M. (1970) Trace element fractionation during anatexis. Geochemica et Cosmochimica Acta, 34, 237243.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sibuet, J.C. and Mascle, J. (1978) Plate kinematic implications of alkaline equatorial fracture zone trends. Journal of Geophysical Research, 83, 34013421.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skjerlie, K.P. and Johnston, A.D. (1992) Vapor-absent melting at 10 kbar of a biotite- and amphibole-bearing tonalitic gneiss: implications for the generation of A-type granites. Geology, 20, 263–266.2.3.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Skjerlie, K.P. and Johnston, A.D. (1993) Fluid-absent melting behaviour of an F-rich tonalitic gneiss at mid-crustal pressures: implications for the generations of anorogenic granites. Journal of Petrology, 34, 785815.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, D.R., Noblett|J., Wobus, R.A., Unruh, D., Douglass, J., Beane, R., Davis, C., Goldman, S., Kay, G., Gustavson, B., Saltoun, B. and Stewart, J. (1999) Petrology and geochemistry of late-stage intrusions of the A-type, mid Proterozoic Pikes Peak batholith (central Colorado, USA): implications for petroge-netic models. Precambrian Research, 98, 271305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Steiger, R.H. and Jager, E. (1977) Subcommission of geochronology: convention on the use of decay constants in geo- and cosmochronology. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 36, 359362.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stern, R.J. and Hedge, C.E. (1985) Geochronologic and isotopic constraints on Late Precambrian crustal evolution in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. American Journal of Science, 285, 97127.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sykes, L.R. (1978) Intraplate seismicity, reactivation of pre-existing zones of weakness, alkaline magmatism and other tectonism post-dating continental fragmentation. Reviews in Geophysics and Space Physics, 16, 621688.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sylvester, P.J. (1989) Post-collisional alkaline granites. Journal of Geology, 97, 261280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, S.R. and McLennan, S.M. (1985) The Continental Crust: its Composition and Evolution. Blackwell, Oxford, UK, 312 pp.Google Scholar
Vail, J.R. (1985a) Alkaline ring complexes in Sudan. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 3, 51–59.Google Scholar
Vail, J.R. (19856) Pan-African (Late Precambrian) tectonic terrains and the reconstruction of the Arabian-Nubian shield. Geology, 13, 839842.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vander Auwera, J.,Bogaerts, M., Liegeois, J.-P., Demaiffe, D., Wilmart, E., Bolle, O. and Duchesne, J.-C. (2003) Derivation of the 1.0-0.9 Ga ferro-potassic A-type granitoids of southern Norway by extreme differentiation from basic magmas. Precambrian Research, 124, 107148.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, E.B. (1979) Zircon saturation in felsic liquids: experimental results and applications to trace element geochemistry. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 70, 407419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Watson, E.B. and Harrison, T.M. (1983) Zircon saturation revisited: temperature and composition effects in a variety of crustal magma types. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 64, 295304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whalen, J.B., Currie, K.L. and Chappell, B.W. (1987) A-type granites: geochemical characteristics, discrimination, and petrogenesis. Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology, 95, 407–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whalen, J.B., Jenner, G.A., Longstaffe, F.J., Robert, F. and Gariépy, C. (1996) Geochemical and isotopic (Nd, Pb, and Sr) constraints on A-type granite petrogenesis based on the Topsails igneous suite, Newfoundland Appalachians. Journal of Petrology , 37, 14631489.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wickham, S.M. (1987) The segregation and emplacement of granitic magmas. Journal of the Geological Society of London, 144, 281297.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
York, D. (1966) Least squares fitting of a straight line, Canadian Journal of Physics, 44, 1079–1086.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zalata, A.A. (1972) Geology of the basement rocks in the northern part of El Shayib and Safaga sheets, Eastern Desert of Egypt. PhD thesis, Assiut University, Egypt, 240 pp.Google Scholar