GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND RADIOACTIVE POTENTIALITY OF SOME METAMORPHIC ROCKS IN WADI SIKAIT, SOUTHEASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Dept. Geol.,, Fac. Sciences, Helwan Univ., Egypt

2 Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

Sikait area locates between Lat. 24° 37' 16'' to 24° 38' N and Long. 34° 46' to 34° 46' 35'' E. It
comprises several igneous and metamorphic rocks which mainly dissected by lamprophyre dykes and
quartz veins. From the radioactivity point of view, the metamorphosed sandstone and the mylonite rocks
were selected for this work. The petrographical features indicated that the metamorphosed sandstone is
of greywacke type and probably sourced from igneous and metamorphic rocks while the mylonite was
belonging to the granitic rocks. On the other hand the metamorphosed sandstone was found as pssamitic
greywacke affected by albitiztion process and both the island arc and the felsic igneous are its tectonic
environment and provenance respectively. The mylonite exhibited calc-alkaline and peralumenous nature
of A-type granite that emplaced in the within-plate environment and affected by Na-metasomatism. The
radiometric characteristics revealed a disequilibrium phase in both the rocks due to uranium addition
process that play an important role in deposition of recent uranium and formation of the secondary uranium
minerals particularly in the mylonite, while uranium in the metamorphosed sandstone is probably absorbed
as free element on the clay matrix. Both the rocks are regarded as promising sources for the uranium
exploitation.

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