Trace elements and REE enrichment at Seboah Hill, SW Egypt

Abstract

Abstract Seboah Hill - a small body of peralkaline granite (< 0.1 km2) in south-western Egypt containing aegirine minerals ± magnesiohornblende ± riebeckite, cut by dikes of riebeckite-aegirine rhyolite, and exhibiting high radioactivity in veins of K-feldspar-aegirine-chalcedony-quartz ± trace hematite ± trace goethite was sampled and analyzed using inductively coupled plasma methods. Whole-rock chemical compositions of 5 granite, 3-rhyolitedike and 10 radioactive vein samples are presented. Of special significance is the enrichment of trace elements and rare earth elements (REE) in the radioactive veins. These include up to 6081 ppm Zr, 4252 ppm Ce, 1514 ppm Nd, 1433 ppm La, 1233 ppm Nb, 875 ppm Y, 388 ppm Pr, 350 ppm Th, 222 ppm Sm, 189 ppm Gd, 159 ppm Dy, 153 ppm Hf, 83 ppm Er, 76 ppm Yb and 58 ppm U. The chondrite-normalized patterns of REE in all samples show only limited variation and have negative europium (Eu) anomalies. These findings suggest that the sources of the REE are genetically related. Values of the Eu anomalies vary from 0.38-0.41 for the radioactive veins, 0.39-0.53 for the granite and 0.31-0.44 for the rhyolite dikes. Eu variations are consistent for different paragentic stages.