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Geochemistry, mineral chemistry and petrogenesis of a Neoproterozoic dyke swarm in the north Eastern Desert, Egypt

M. DAWOUD^*, H. A. ELIWA^*,, G. TRAVERSA, M. S. ATTIA^* and T. ITAYA

^* Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Minufiya University, Egypt
Department of Earth Sciences, Roma 1 University, Italy
Research Institute of Natural Sciences, Okayama University of Science, 1-1 Ridai-cho, Okayama, 700 Japan

Author for correspondence: eliwa98{at}yahoo.com

Dyke swarms traverse Neoproterozoic rocks in the Hawashiya region in the extreme northern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. They are a suite of basaltic andesite and andesite mafic dykes, and dacitic and rhyolitic felsic dykes. The mafic dyke suite is more abundant in the younger granites (577 ± 6 Ma) than in the older granitoids (614 Ma), in which the felsic dykes are the most common. The dyke swarms trend predominantly NE–SW, and the felsic dyke suite is older than the mafic dyke suite. Both dyke suites are calc-alkaline (alkaline dykes are rare) and are relatively poor in TiO₂ and Nb but enriched in the incompatible elements and HFSE. The felsic dyke suite is enriched in REE and is strongly LREE fractionated relative to the mafic dyke suite. Although the Hawashiya dykes were emplaced at the end of the Neoproterozoic era in an extensional tectonic setting, they have geochemical characteristics that are consistent with a subduction-related regime. These chemical signatures were inherited from the lithospheric rocks that produced their host Hawashiya granitoids. The felsic dyke suite magma may be derived from crustal rocks (essential source component) by partial melting. The mafic dyke suite magma was generated from a lithospheric mantle and has undergone fractional crystallization of plagioclase, amphibole, clinopyroxene and magnetite, as documented by major and trace elements fractionation modelling.

Key Words: Arabian–Nubian Shield • Neoproterozoic • Egypt • extension • lithosphere