Finite strain analysis of metavolcanics and metapyroclastics in gold-bearing shear zone of the Dungash area, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The Dungash gold mine area is situated in an EW-trending quartz vein along a shear zone in metavolcanic and metasedimentary host rocks in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. These rocks are associated with the major geologic structures, which are attributed to various deformational stages of the Neoproterozoic basement rocks. Field geology, finite strain and microstructural analyses were carried out and the relation-ships between the lithological contacts and major/minor structures have been studied. The Rf/ϕ and Fry methods were applied on the metavolcano-sedimentary and metapyroclastic samples from 5 quartz veins samples, 7 metavolcanics samples, 3 metasedimentary samples and 4 metapyroclastic samples in Dungash area. Finite-strain data show that a low to moderate range of deformation of the metavolcano-sedimentary samples and axial ratios in the XZ section range from 1.70 to 4.80 for the Rf/ϕ method and from 1.65 to 4.50 for the Fry method. We conclude that finite strain in the deformed rocks is of the same order of magnitude for all units of metavolcano-sedimentary rocks. Furthermore, the contact between principal rock units is sheared in the Dungash area under brittle to semi-ductile deformation conditions. In this case, the accumulated finite strain is associated with the deformation during thrusting to assemble nappe structure. It indicates that the sheared contacts have been formed during the accumulation of finite strain.