Abstract
The quartz vein cutting the granodiorite of Ras Abda, along the western shear zone, exhibits highradioactive potentiality (up to 3000 ppm for Th and 1600 ppm for U. The microscopic investigation ofthe quartz vein revealed that it is composed mainly of quartz and iron oxides enclosing squadrons ofthe accessory minerals. Granitic fragments are corroded and digested from the wall-rock affecting thechemical composition of the studied rock. Chemically, it is characterized by low alumina and mediumpotassium contents with peralkaline affinity. It is also characterized by high concentrations of the traceelements (Zr >10000, Nb 3481, Y 8621, U 903 and Th 2340 ppm) and the total rare earth elements (up to24246 ppm) specially the HREEs with very low degree of fractionation in the melt (0.014) and in turn,high degree of fractionation in the accessory minerals.The mineralogical investigation using ESEM and XRD techniques revealed the minerals areresponsible for the radioactivity in the anomalous rock such as zircon, thorite, uranothorite and Nb-Taminerals (columbite, euxenite and uranopolycrase).Experimental work in this study agreed with the previous experiments and concluded that metamictizationis attributed to the heat of self-annealing that responsible for transformation of U-euxenite to metamictizedeuxenite and transformation of Ti-U-euxenite to metamictized uranopolycrase.The present study concluded that the studied quartz vein originated from silicic magma rich in the traceand rare earth elements; hence it is considered as good hostile for the radioelements and possesses highradioactive potentiality.
Highlights
Ras Abda area is located at West of Safaga City, at the beginning of Wadi Ras Al Barud
El Hadary et al, (2015) studied the geology, petrology and mineralogy of Ras Abda area concerned the area of study and classified the granites of Ras Abda into granodiorite, monzogranite and alkali-feldspar granite
They localized an anomalous site at the western shear zone cutting the granodiorite
Summary
Ras Abda area is located at West of Safaga City, at the beginning of Wadi Ras Al Barud. It lies between Lat 26° 42' and 26° 46' N and Lon 33° 45' and 33° 48' E. The rocks of the area are intersected with numerous dikes ranging from acidic to basic in composition. They are emplaced along regional fractures of North- south, NW-SE, East-West and NE-SW trends. El Hadary et al, (2015) studied the geology, petrology and mineralogy of Ras Abda area concerned the area of study and classified the granites of Ras Abda into granodiorite, monzogranite and alkali-feldspar granite They localized an anomalous site at the western shear zone cutting the granodiorite
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