Petrogenesis of the Pan-African El-Bula Igneous Suite, central Eastern Desert, Egypt

Abstract

The Precambrian rocks of the El-Bula area include syn-orogenic intrusive granitoids associated with gneisses, metavolcanics and metagabbro-diorite complexes. The metavolcanics range in composition from basalt to basaltic andesite. They show tholeiite affinity and provide unfractionated, flat rare earth element patterns and have geochemical features suggesting their generation in a back-arc environment. Low and variable Mg# of the basic metavolcanics suggest that they were derived from the upper mantle with subsequent modification by fractional crystallisation. The least evolved basaltic sample could be generated by 25% batch melting of a spinel Iherzolite source followed by 35% fractionation of clinopyroxene, olivine and plagioclase in proportions of 45%, 30% and 25%, respectively. The most evolved basaltic rock could be generated by 55% fractional crystallisation (65% hornblende, 30% plagioclase and 5% titanomagnetite) of the least evolved basaltic sample liquid.The El-Bula syn-orogenic granitoids show a normal igneous evolution from metaluminous tonalites to weakly peraluminous granodiorites. They exhibit geochemical features of I-type calc-alkaline granites emplaced in a volcanic arc environment. The least evolved tonalitic sample could be generated by about 30% batch melting of the most evolved basic metavolcanic sample. The ElBula tonalites and granodiorites have geochemical and petrological characteristics indicating that they might be genetically related by fractional crystallisation. The chemical variation in the tonalites is dominantly controlled by about 45% fractional crystallisation of hornblende, plagioclase and K-feldspar in proportions of 55%, 44% and 1%, respectively. The least evolved granodioritic sample could be produced from the most evolved tonalitic sample by about 20% crystallisation of plagioclase, biotite, hornblende and K-feldspar phases in proportions of 54%, 43%, 2.5% and 0.5%, respectively. The variations in the granodiorites could be modelled by about 30% fractional crystallisation of plagioclase, K-feldspar and biotite (62%, 24% and 14%, respectively).