The significance of gneissic rocks and synmagmatic extensional ductile shear zones of the Barud area for the tectonics of the North Eastern Desert, Egypt
Abstract The mainly tonalitic gneissic rocks, amphibolites, schists and rarer migmatites of the Barud area, at the southern margin of the Egyptian North Eastern Desert (NED) have previously been viewed as products of ultrametamorphism or granitization of pre-PanAfrican basement. The Qena–Safaga Line of approximately NW-striking steeply dipping faults was also regarded as marking the boundary between these NED rocks and the low grade metavolcanics and ophiolitic melange of the Central Eastern Desert (CED). Detailed investigation of the Barud area indicates that the amphibolites, schists and migmatites formed by shearing and medium grade metamorphism of similar arc metavolcanics to those of the CED in normal shear sense extensional ductile shear zones heated by numerous syn-kinematic dolerite, gabbro, diorite, granodiorite, tonalite and granite dykes. They are thus hot sheared equivalents of the CED metavolcanics and basic arc plutonites, accompanied by sheared mafic and felsic intrusive rocks, and are not deep-seated crystalline basement rocks. The shear zones are interpreted as having formed by arc-rifting, not necessarily reaching the stage of marginal basin formation. Arc-accretion structures and those produced by later orogen squeezing are also described. The somewhat gneissic Barud Tonalitic is found to be entirely magmatic. Following intrusion of the Barud Tonalite, and before or during Hammamat and Dokhan deposition, the NED experienced a rapid uplift relative to the CED (∼620–600 Ma) that was not achieved by thrusting along the Qena–Safaga Line.
Genesis of the Abu Marawat gold deposit, central Eastern Desert of Egypt
Abstract Gold mineralisation at the Abu Marawat mine, central Eastern Desert of Egypt, is related to a system of massive and sheared, milky quartz veins cutting a sequence of Neoproterozoic island arc metavolcanic/volcaniclastic rocks and related banded iron formation (BIF). Sulphide-bearing quartz veins and related hydrothermal breccia bodies display a range of textures including sheared, boudinaged and recrystallised quartz, open space filling and microbreccia. These variable textures imply a complex history of crack-seal mechanism characterising the relation between mineral deposition and a major N–S-trending shear zone, during a late brittle–ductile deformation event which affected the area at about 550 Ma. Gold-base metal mineralisation is associated with brecciation and fracturing of the iron ore bands, close to silicified shears and related quartz veins. The auriferous quartz lodes are characterised by the occurrence of visible pyrite–chalcopyrite ± pyrrhotite ± sphalerite ± galena mineralisation. Gold is refractory in pyrite and chalcopyrite, but rare visible gold/electrum and telluride specks were observed in a few samples. Hydrothermal alteration includes pervasive silicification, pyritisation, sericitisation, carbonatisation confined to a delicate set of veins and altered shears, and a more widespread propylitic alteration assemblage (quartz + chlorite + pyrite + calcite ± epidote). Fluid inclusion petrography and microthermometric studies suggest heterogeneous trapping of a low-salinity (1.4–6.7 wt.% eq. NaCl) aqueous solution and a carbonic fluid. Evidence for fluid immiscibility during ore formation includes variable liquid/vapour ratios in inclusions along individual trails and bulk inclusion homogenisation into liquid and occasionally to vapour at comparable temperatures. The trapping conditions of intragranular aqueous-carbonic inclusions approximate 264–378 °C at 700–1300 bar. Similar temperature estimates have been obtained from Al-in-chlorite geothermometry of chlorite associated with sulphides in the mineralised quartz veins. Fracturing enhanced fluid circulation through the wallrock and related BIF, allowing reaction of the S-bearing ore fluid with iron oxides. This caused pyrite formation and concomitant Au precipitation, enhanced by fluid immiscibility as H 2 S partitioned preferentially into the carbonic phase. The ore fluids may have originated from granitoid intrusions (likely the post-Hammamat felsites, whereas gold and base metals might have been leached from the Abu Marawat basic metavolcanics.
Fast seismic data compression based on high-efficiency SPIHT
Based on the set positioning in hierarchical tree (SPIHT) algorithm, fast seismic data compression based on the high-efficiency SPIHT (HESPIHT) algorithm is presented. To verify the validity of the algorithm, 10 seismic cross-sections are selected for the experiment. The result shows that the algorithm can reserve the quality of data better, meanwhile improving the efficiency of encoding and decoding.