424372

Petrochemistry and Tectonic Evolutions of the Tertiary basalt along Red Sea Coast, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt..

Article

Last updated: 27 Apr 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Geology

Abstract

To investigate the petrochemistry and genesis of Tertiary basalts in Egypt, which are among the most extensively distributed Tertiary basaltic flows in the region, nineteen basaltic samples were collected from basaltic rocks situated south of Qusier city, specifically in Wadi Sharm El Bahari, Wadi Sharm El Qiblli and Wadi Wizr along the Red Sea Coast.  The samples were analyzed mineralogically and geochemically. The field investigation indicates that the basaltic rocks are oriented in a NW-SW direction, parallel to the Red Sea Rift. Petrographic analyses elucidate the existence of olivine basalts, porphyritic basalts, amygdaloidal olivine basalts and porphyritic olivine basalts. Some basalt flows exhibit slight alteration, showing the development of chlorite, serpentine, clay minerals and actinolite, along with the release of iron oxide. Geochemical data, encompassing major and trace elements, were evaluated. Variation diagrams validated that the basalts originated from partial melting and fractional crystallization. The significance of fractional crystallization processes, as opposed to crustal contamination processes, is accentuated by plotting Nb/Y versus Rb/Y. The Rb/Nb ratios (>2) signify the crustal compositions and melts, with the magma source originating from the OIB-source mantle. As indicated by discrimination diagrams, the basalts exhibit an alkaline to tholeiitic magma type and an orogenic, within-plate tectonic context. Their estimated crystallization temperatures range between 1180-1200°C. The oceanic characteristics of some basalt samples on the TiO2-K2O-P2O5 diagram indicate their association with the earliest rifting phase of the Red Sea.

DOI

10.21608/sjsci.2025.353761.1248

Keywords

Geochemistry, Petrology, Tertiary Volcanism, Egypt

Authors

First Name

Yasmin

Last Name

Taher

MiddleName

M.

Affiliation

Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

Email

yasmin.mohammeed@gmail.com

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Asran

Last Name

Asran

MiddleName

M.

Affiliation

Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

Email

asran_58@yahoo.com

City

Sohag

Orcid

-

First Name

A.

Last Name

El-Shater

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

Email

hshater@yahoo.com

City

Sohag

Orcid

-

First Name

Shayma

Last Name

Rezk

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag 82524, Egypt.

Email

sh_montasern@yahoo.com

City

-

Orcid

-

Volume

10

Article Issue

2

Related Issue

54644

Issue Date

2025-06-01

Receive Date

2025-01-17

Publish Date

2025-06-01

Page Start

218

Page End

228

Print ISSN

2357-0938

Online ISSN

2974-4296

Link

https://sjsci.journals.ekb.eg/article_424372.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=424372

Order

424,372

Type

Regular Articles

Type Code

2,359

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Sohag Journal of Sciences

Publication Link

https://sjsci.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Petrochemistry and Tectonic Evolutions of the Tertiary basalt along Red Sea Coast, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt..

Details

Type

Article

Created At

27 Apr 2025