Geochemistry of island arc dolerites and diorites along Qift–Quseir asphaltic road, central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The Precambrian basement rocks exposed along Qift–Quseir asphaltic road, central Eastern Desert of Egypt, exhibit two contrasted tectonic units, each of which has its own lithology structural style and grade of metamorphism. They are intruded by dolerite and diorite dykes. The alkali (Na2O+K2O) and TiO2 contents increase whereas Al2O3, FeO, MgO, CaO and MnO decrease with increasing SiO2 from dolerites to diorites. The trace elements Ti, Zr, Cr, Y and Ni indicate that the dolerites are tholeiitic with slight tendency toward calc-alkaline and formed from basaltic magma in an active continental margin, while diorites are calc-alkaline and were formed by fractional crystallisation of high-alumina basaltic magma in an island arc and active continental margin tectonic environment where they probably represent the forerunner of G1 granites. The molecular ratios Mg values (MgO×100/MgO+FeO) of dolerites range from 47 to 49 while those of diorite range from 51 to 59, indicating that the dolerite and diorite have suffered mild fractionation. Mineral chemistry for the diorites shows that the amphiboles are classified as magnesiohornblende and the plagioclase composition is An39–42 (i.e. the narrow range indicate that the pluton has not suffered extensive fractional crystallisation). The Al content of amphibole displays significant variation with pressure and temperature, also the change of the Ca/(Ca+Na) ratio of plagioclase is dependent on temperature. The amphibole–plagioclase geothermobarometer suggested the P-T formation conditions of studied dykes as 2 kbar and 600 °C.