Petrographical and mineralogical studies of Hammamat sediments and Gattarian granite along Wadi Belih, north Eastern Desert, Egypt.

Abstract

The Hammamat sediments at Wadi Belih area are represented by greywacke and siltstones. The greywackes are immature and are fine to coarse grained and composed of quartz, feldspar and rock fragments. The siltstones consist of quartz, feldspar and hematite. The younger granites (The Gattar granites) are composed mainly of quartz and feldspars as essential minerals and biotite, hornblende, zircon, and apatite as accessory minerals. Some secondary minerals as epidote, chlorite and sericite are found. The radioactive minerals are identified by using the Quanta FEG-250 ESEM instrument which is an environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) attached by Energy Dispersive X-ray(EDX) in the national central research (NCR). The younger granites and Hammamat rocks at Wadi Belih area contain primary uranium mineral as Coffinite, secondary minerals as Uranophane, Kasolite, Schroeckingerite and uranium bearing minerals like Columbite.