Provenance of Gebel El-Zeit sandstones, gulf of Suez, Egypt

Abstract

The Paleozoic elastic succession at Gebel Zeit chiefly consists of fine- to medium-grained quartz arenite, locally containing well-rounded quartz pebbles. The marine Araba Formation (Early Cambrian) was deposited during transgression over a Precambrian granite. The overlying Naqus Formation (Late Cambrian) is fluvial, except for the uppermost few meters. Paleocurrent data for the Araba and Naqus formations indicate derivation from the north-northeast and south-southwest respectively. Quartz typology, other morphologic features of quartz, and mineral inclusions in quartz, as well as the study of heavy minerals were used to determine the provenance of the sandstones. Quartz typology successfully identified a granitic source for the Araba Formation. A combination of parameters indicates that the Naqus Formation was derived chiefly from a metamorphic terrain. Two ratios, polycrystalline/monocrystalline quartz and undulose/non-undulose quartz, successfully distinguish sandstones of the Araba Formation from those of the Naqus Formation. These values are 0.14 and 0.25 for Araba sandstones and 0.26 and 0.46 for Naqus sandstones, respectively. These differences either reflect different source rocks, or have resulted from selective abrasion loss of polycrystalline quartz in the rigorous surf zone during the marine transgression that deposited the Araba Formation.