lovmal of.&ican Emh Sciencw Vol. 22. No. 2, pp. 147-157.

19%
c%pyright819%ElseviascicnaLtd
Ftinkd in Great Britain. All rigbu resewed
cs9%536m6 s15.00 + 0.00

The petrology of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion, Eastern Desert, Egypt: an
example of an island-arc setting

F. F. ABU EL-ELA

Geology Department, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt

(Received 19 January 1994: revised version received 8 December 1995)

Abstract - The Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion consists of three gabbroic zones. Each of these zones has a distinc-
tive mineralogical composition. Plagioclase and altered clinopyroxene are abundant in the lower zone gabbro
(umlitized gabbro). Hornblende and Fe-Ti oxides occur in the middle and upper zone gabbros (hornblende and
feno-gabbros, respectively). Fe-Ti oxides are more abundant in the upper zone gabbro. The composition of the
plagioclase cores ranges from An.ss(Towerzone) to Arus (upper zone). The primary clinopyroxene and cakzicam-
phibole are augite and magnesio-hornblende, respectively. Application of the hornblende geobarometer indicates a
pressure of crystallization ranging from 2.9 to 3.5 kbar. in addition application of the amphibole-plagioclase geo-
thermometer yieY1d.s crystalhzation temperatures of about 1050-11CQ“C.Major oxide, trace element and RRE data
are suggestive of an island-arc evolved high alumina basalt as the parent for these gabbros. The differentiationof
the gabbmic zones can be accounted for by low pressme, &sed-system in situ aystaUization under wet conditions.

Resume - L’intmsion gabbrolque de Abu Zawal est compo&e de trois ensembles gabbroiques, presentant
chacun une composition min&&gique distincte. Dans 1’ ensemble inf&ieur abondent le plagioclase et le clinopy-
rox&neah&n?(gabbro ourahtise), tandis que darts les ensembles moyen et sup6rieur la hornblende et les oxydes de
Fe-Ti sont pr&ents (respectivement gabbros a hornblende et ferrogabbros). C’est dans l’ensemble gabbrdque
superieur que les oxydes de Fe-Ti sont davantage abondants. La composition des noyaux de plagioclases zon&
varie de AXIS(ensemble inferieur) a An10(ensemble sup&ieur). Le clinopyrox&neprimaire et Famphibole calcique
correspondent respectivement 21de l’augite et B de la hornblende magnesienne. L’apphcation du g&obarom&e
hornblende indique une pression de cristallisation comprise entre 2,9 et 3,5 kbar. Par atlleurs, l’utilisation du
g&othermometre amphibol~plagioclase donne des temperatures de cristalhsation d’environ lOt30-1100°C. Les
&ments majeurs et en trace ainsi que les Terms Rams sugg&ent pour ces gabbros un magma parental de type ba-
salte d’art insulaire, &volt16et hyper&mineux. La d&%nciation en ensembles gabbroiques distincts peut s’ex-
phquer par un syst&ne de cristallisationfern& in situ, A base pression et sous conditions hydratees.

INTRODUCIION Desert of Egypt, are less well-known (El-Gaby et al.,

1988). The mantle derived island-arc gabbro may
The Late Precambrian Pan-African gabbroic rocks have been mapped by some workers as first group
in the Eastern Desert of Egypt occur in two main gabbros.
groups. The first group was mapped as an epidiorite The present paper deals with the Abu Zawal gab-
complex (El-Ramly and Akaad, 1960) or as metagab- broic intrusion from the point of view of mineral
bros and diorites (Akaad and Essawy, 1964; El- chemistry, major and trace element bulk analyses and
Ramly, 1972) or as older metagabbros (Takla et al., REE. These are used to unravel the magmatic evolu-
1981). This group is nowadays considered to repre- tion of the gabbroic intrusion and to infer some con-
sent a member of an ophiolite sequence (El-Sharkawy straints on the origin of the parent magma.
and El-Bayoumy, 1979,: Abu El-Ela, 1990,199l). The
second group was mapped as younger gabbros GEOLOGY
(Takla, 197l; El-Ramly, 1972; Basta and Takla, 1974a,
b). These gabbros are post Hammamat (molasse-type The Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion has been
sediments) intrusions, presumably just older than the mapped as amphibolite (El-Tahir, 1978) or as part of
post tectonic younger granites. an island-arc association (Sharara et uZ., 1998). It
Although the concept of Precambrian plate- forms an elongate body (25 km?) trending northeast-
tectonics is generally accepted, the plutonic equiva- southwest (Fig. 1). The gabbroic rocks are intruded
lents of island-arc andesites and dacites, as well as by syn-kinematic granodiorites, comparable to the Gl
mantle derived island-arc gabbros in the Eastern granites of Hussein et al. (1982), and post-kinematic

147
 148 F. F. ABU ELELA

* , ,I
3;2ioii
26U 5 ..................
..................
.................. .
...................
................... .
....................
....................
....................
...................
...................
..................
..................
..................
...... ............
................
................
. . ... . . ....... .

1
II- Wadi deposlls + 1 Post-kinematic
L-l granites
( Youngest) u
.. . . = 1
:I:: Syn-kinemat i c granites c
El
c

Figure 1. Geological mapof the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion.

granites, comparable to the G2 and G3 granites of sharp, although the gabbroic intrusion sent tongues
Hussein et al. (op. tit). The contacts are sharp and ir- into the metavokanics.
regular. Swarms of gabbroic xenoliths are enclosed Three zones of gabbroic rocks are disthguished in
with@ the granitic intrusions. The xenoliths are angu- the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion, a lower zork (LX),
lar, possess sharp boundaries and are highly dis- middle zone (MZ) and upper zone (UZ), passing
sected by granitic veinlets. The Abu Zawal gabbroic from the western to the eastern edge of the intrusion
rocks are intruded into metavolcanics of island-arc (Fig. 1). The division into zones is based on the distri-
affinity (Charara et al., op. tit) outside of the south- bution of rock types and textures. The LZ is repre-
western part of the map area. The contacts are mostly sented by fine- to medium-grained uralitized gabbro,
 The petrology of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion 149

Table 1. Selected plagioclase analyses from the Abu Zawal 54 Si02

gabbroic intrusion

1 ?§j

TiOz 0.05 0.05 0.03 0.02

A1203 28.06 27.60 27.03 25.89
Fee* 0.06 0.07
MlIO 0.01 0.01 0.01
CaO 11.89 9.74 9.41 8.39 46- --
Na20 4.71 6.06 6.31 6.74
K20 0.10 0.10 0.19 0.20
Total 99.92 99.18 99.32 98.74
FeO”=totdinmasFeO. W3
42 I I
Table 2 Selected clinopyroxene analyses from the Abu
Zawal gabbroic intrusion.
Figure 2. Clhopyroxene dkaimhnt diagram of le EJas(l%Z) for
Sample NC Lower Zone Middle Zone Upper Zone the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion. O=LZ gabbro; ? =?h-lZ gabbro;
??=UZ gabbro.
(218C) -210
SiO2 52.44 52.71
0.17 0.22 0.12
rocks. The Fe-Ti oxides are enclosed in brown hom-
TiOz 0.12
Al203 0.84 11.25 0.95 0.65
blende and augite relicts and they also form intersti-
FeO* 8.66 9.44 9.39 9.82 tial grains between hornblende and plagioclase.
MIIO 0.34 0.38 0.40 0.55 Green hornblende occurs in these rocks and appears
14.51 14.09 13.35 12.99 to have been formed by the recrystallization and re-
MgO
CaO 22.08 21.82 23.02 22.70 placement of brown hornblende. A mesocumuhis
Na20 0.18 0.20 0.22 0.23 texture is characteristic of this zone. The average mo-
Total 99.47 100.15 99.89 99.77 dal composition of the ferro-gabbro is: plagioclase
F~=totalimmasFeO 56.2%, brown hornblende 22.0%, Fe-Ti oxides l&8%,
altered augite 2.1% and apatite 0.9%.
which is composed mainly of plagioclase and augite. The relation between the LZ gabbro (uralitized gab
Augite is partly to completely altered to actinolite. bro) and the MZ gabbro (hornblende gabbxo) is transi-
Hornblende was not found. Primary (igneous) Fe-Ti tional, whereas that between the middle and upper zone
oxides are lacking. An adcumulus texture is charac- gabbros (ferrogabbro) is sharp. No primary igneous
teristic of this zone. The average modal composition layering was seen in any of the zones. The contacts with
(vol.%) is: plagioclase 66.8X, augite and actinolite the cormtry rocks are generally sharp with no chilled
31.9% and fine opaques 1.3%. The MZ is repre- margins and no development of magma&es.
sented by medium-gra:med hornblende gabbro. It is
composed essentially of plagioclase, pale-brown MINERALOGY
hornblende and altered augite. Small quantities of
primary ibnenite and magnetite occur in the rocks of Compositions of the analysed minerals were de-
this zone. The presence of a considerable amount of termined in polished thin sections with a Jeol Jxa 8600
pale-brown hornblende and the presence of some superprobe and Tracer 5500 ED, using wavelength
primary Fe-Ti oxides characterize the MZ gabbro dispersive techniques for Na, Cr, Mn and Fe and en-
compared with the LZ gabbro, in which both hom- ergy dispersive spectrometry for Mg, Al, Si, K, Ca
blende and primary Fe-Ti oxides are absent. The av- and Ti. Operating conditions were 20 kV accelerating
erage modal composition of hornblende gabbro is: voltage and 10 nA sample current. Matrix corrections
plagioclase 68.2%, pale-brown hornblende 22.5%, al- were applied using a ZAF program. The analyses
tered augite 4.4%, Fe-Ti oxides 3.6%, quartz 0.7% and were carried out at the Department of Geochemistry,
apatite 0.6%. An adcumulus texture is also character- Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Each mineral
istic of this zone. The LJZ is represented by coarse to analysis represents an average of four points.
pegmatoidal ferro-gabbros. It is composed mainly of Plagioclase is the most important mineral phase in
plagioclase, brown hornblende and Fe-Ti oxides. Al- the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion. The average core
tered augite and apatite are minor phases. A great compositions of plagioclase for the LZ is Anss. In the
abundance of Fe-Ti o)ddes is characteristic of this MZ, the average ranges from An474 and in the UZ it
zone and results from the high TiOr content of these is An40(Table 1).
150 F. F. ABU ELELA

Table 3. Selectedcalcicamphiboles from the Abu Zawal gabbroic Table 4. Selected oxide analyses from the Abu Zawal
intrusion. gabbroic intrusion.
Sample N# Middle Zone Upper Zon Reaction Amphibole!
-210 (218C)
Magnetite Ilmenite
(n8C) (202A)
Mg-Hb Mg-Hb Act. Act. -Hb (218C,MZ) (210,UZ) (218C,MZ) (210,UZj
SiO2 45.44 45.64 46.66 52.48 50.92 0.30 0.20 0.48 0.16
TiQ 1.78 1.74 0.7l 0.10 0.88 0.03 0.21 45.42 46.48
8.43 8.18 7.73 3.59 4.98
0.07 - 0.08 0.18
Fe0 15.03 15.34 15.09 10.80 12.73
MnO 0.25 0.32 0.29 0.22 0.26
0.11 0.12 -
Ml@ 12.21 12.39 12.92 18.12 15.82 91.51 91.51 50.96 49.55
CaO 12.31 11.79 12.17 11.92 12.12 2.01 2.30
NazO 0.95 0.93 1.08 0.23 0.39 0.07 0.08 0.24 0.18
KZO 0.82 0.83 0.60 0.05 0.18
0.09 0.20 0.28 0.02
iTotal 97.22 97.16 97.25 97.00 98.28
92.18 92.32 99.47 98.87
6 7.50 7.25 Si 6.50 6.25 5.75
100 FeO* = toti ironasFe0

A A
content of clinopyroxenes. In addition, application of
P
. the amphibole-plagioclase geothermometer (Bhmdy
250 * 0 c w 00 D E
and Holland, 1990) yields crystallization tempera-
tures of about 1080 to 1lOO’C for the amphibole-
P
8 plagioclase pairs in the middle and upper zones.
F G H I J Among the opaque oxides, ilmenites from the
O<
middle and upper zones are Al, Mg and Cr poor but
Figure 3. Composition of cakic amphiboles (after Lake, 1978) in Mn rich (~2.0%; Table 4) and the magnetites are Ti,
the Abu ZawaI gabbmic intrusion. Whomblende of the MZ; Al, Mg, Cr and Mn poor (Table 4).
W=hornblende of the UZ; A=reaction amphibole of the LZ;
A=reaction amphibole of the LZ. A=actinoIite; B=actinolitic
GEOCHEMISTRY
hornblende; C=Mg-hornblende; D=tschermakitic hornblende;
E=tschermakite;F=fernxxtinoIite; G=ferro-actinoIitic hornblende;
H=ferro-hornblende; I=ferro-tschermakitic hornblende; J-ferro- Representative samples of the Abu Zawal gab
tschermakite. broic intrusion have been analysed for major and
trace elements (Table 5). The major elements have
The clinopyroxene is classified as augite according been determined by ICP methods using an ARG
to the scheme of Poldervaart and Hess (1951). It oc- 34000 emission spectrometer. SQ, Fe0 and LO1
curs as irregular crystals and as relicts in uralitic am- (Loss on Ignition) were determined using the wet-
phiboles. Its low A1203 content (0.65-1.25 wt.%; Table chemical methods of Shapiro (1975). Trace elements
2) is suggestive of crystallization at low pressure were determined by an automated Philips 1400 XRF
(Green and Ringwood, 1968). The clinopyroxene plots spectrometer. REE were determined by instrumental
in the subalkaline field (Fig. 2) of le Bas (1962). neutron activation analysis using the methods of de
Calcic amphiboles form pale-green fibrous rims Bruin (1983). All analyses were carried out at the
around the clinopyroxene, but they also occur as sub Geochemistry Department, Utrecht University and at
hedral pale-brown to brown crystals interstitial be- IRI, Delft, the Netherlands.
tween the palgioclase crystals, especially in the
hornblende gabbro and ferro-gabbro. The amphiboles Whole rock chemistry
forming rims around clinopyroxene occupy the acti-
nolite and the actinolitic hornblende fields (Fig. 4) on Table 5 shows chemical analyses of representative
the classification diagram of Leake (1978), pointing to samples from the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion ar-
an origin by replacement of clinopyroxene (Nakajima ranged in order of increasing FeO*/MgO and hence
and Ribbe, 1981). The subhedral amphibole crystals decreasing Mg number ~g#=lOO molar MgO/
in the hornblende gabbro and ferro-gabbro occupy (MgO+FeO)]. The uralitized gabbro (LZ) has FeO*/
the magnesio-hornblende field on the same classifi- MgO ranging from 0.56 to 0.85 and Mg# from 77.5 to
cation diagram (Table 3; Fig. 3). 69.7. The hornblende gabbro (MZ) has FeO*/MgO
Application of the hornblende geobarometer of ranging from 1.16 to 1.38 and Mg# from 63.4 to 58.4
Hammarstrom and Zen (1986) and Hollister et al. and the ferro-gabbro (LIZ) has Fo/MgO ranging
(1987) suggests crystallization at pressures of about from 1.97 to 2.90 and Mg# from 51.1 to 42.2. Therefore,
2.9 to 3.5 kbar. This range of crystallization pressure the three gabbroic zones may represent three stages of
can be reasonably extrapolated to all of the gabbroic fractional crystallization in which the lower, middle
zones, as is also corroborated by the low AhO3 and upper zone gabbros represent the early, middle
Table 5. Major (wt%) and trace element @pm) analyses of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion.

Lower Zone (uralitized gabbros) Middle Zone (hornblende gabbros) Upper Zone (ferro-gabbros)
202A 212 215 2098 206C 221 203 219 230B 218 208 250 220 210
51 3R
i_.-.. X.4? 52.82 51.42 5717
i-___ 5%6&i
i-s__ 5114
i_.__ 51.19 55.94 53.MI 45.93 0.34 47.66 4435
TioZ 0.36 0.35 0.30 0.29 0.32 0.63 0.45 0.98 0.92 1.48 4.00 3.55 3.33 3.77
19.16 18.25 17.19 18.13 18.60 18.37 18.64 16.96 17.46 17.12 14.82 14.61 14.50 14.75
1.50 1.48 1.52 1.32 1.59 2.19 2.14 3.14 2.43 2.37 6.94 6.04 9.00 10.26
3.46 3.62 4.06 4.62 4.06 3.44 4.07 4.28 3.70 5.75 6.80 7.72 6.27 7.40
0.10 0.10 0.11 0.12 0.10 0.10 0.11 0.13 0.15 0.14 0.13 0.25 0.17 0.26
8.53 8.11 8.79 8.80 7.96 6.54 7.03 6.12 4.74 5.73 6.61 5.7l 5.23 5.74
11.70 11.39 9.82 11.79 10.00 8.91 10.60 9.65 7.11 8.84 10.09 7.83 9.64 9.41
2.81 2.% 3.15 2.68 3.51 3.52 3.54 3.68 5.12 3.74 2.70 3.59 3.16 2.79
0.20 0.77 1.16 0.49 0.75 1.33 0.23 1.25 1.29 0.90 0.81 1.43 0.52 0.70
P205 0.05 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.08 0.07 0.15 0.15 0.18 0.32 0.37 0.45 0.47
L.O.I. 0.73 0.90 1.16 0.92 0.96 1.30 0.60 1.47 1.57 0.89 i.15 1.37 0.41 0.65
Total 99.96 100.44 100.10 100.60 100.04 100.06 100.62 99.18 100.49 100.14 100.10 99.47 100.34 100.55
Mg# 77.48 76.00 75.70 74.18 73.65 70.64 69.73 63.41 61.64 58.44 51.13 46.74 43.60 42.23
Trace elem its (in ppm)
Rb 2 13 28 6 16 25 1 35 21 16 17 31 7 16
Sr 735 655 830 7l4 684 779 816 781 522 771 591 473 723 695
Ba 84 132 137 93 122 252 124 174 234 407 634 288 508 571
Zn 44 41 52 46 45 55 52 79 81 75 62 174 90 105
Cll 104 44 59 30 5! 75 92 43 6 53 165 74 27 124
co 31 36 35 33 36 31 35 34 23 38 69 48 64 64
Ni 204 210 178 176 83 86 109 58 49 55 109 64 13 47
V 84 113 100 91 102 120 112 156 158 214 636 645 469 616
Cr 167 72 67 54 51 14 24 25 37 14 11 7 5 5
Y 7 7 7 6 7 12 9 19 18 14 14 19 18 15
zr 10 11 7 5 4 17 8 22 24 22 26 31 24 21
Nb n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d 3 n.d n.d. 3 3 2 2 3 3
n.d. = not de&t&.
152 F. F. ABU EL-ELA

0.4 0.5

0.2

0.0 0.3
16

12

0
20
%
16
.rn ????
12
6
No70
4

0 8
56
6
52 10

46 0

44 6

40 4
0.5 1 2 3
FeO*/ MgO

Figure 4. Variation diagram for major elements illustrating the main trends exhibted by rock samples of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intru-
sion. Symbols as for Fig. 2.

and late-stages of crystallization, respectively. normalized to N-type MORB concentrations (Pearce,

Variation diagrams for the major and trace ele- 1984) and plotted in Fig. .6. This figure demonstrates
menk plotted versus FeO*/MgO as a differentiation that there is a relative enrichment in large ion litho-
index are shown in Figs 4 and 5. Five significant geo- phiIe (LIL) elemenk (Rb, Sr, Ba and K) over the other
chemical points are demonstrated by these variation incompatible elements (Nb, P, Zr, Ti and Y) in all
diagrams: gabbroic zones. These hyg-romagmatophile element
i) Ti@ increases with increasing FeO*/MgO. This patterns (Fig. 6) are very distinct from those of mod-
behaviour is also followed by FeO*, MnO, Co and V; em alkali basalk (which are enriched in Nb) and mid
ii) strontium decreases gently with FeO*/MgO. oceanic ridge basalk (Wood et al., 1981; Tamey et al.,
This trend is followed by Al203 and CaO; 1980), but are comparable to those of talc-alkaline ba-
iii) yttrium displays a bell-shaped trend against salt (Wood et aZ., 1981). Depletion in Nb and other
FeO*/MgO, where some of the UZ gabbros have high field strength elements (HFSE) (P, Zr, Ti and Y),
lower values than those of the MZ gabbros. This be- especially in the LZ gabbros (uralitized gabbro) rela-
haviour is also followed by SiOr, NazO and Zr; tive to LIL elements, is a characteristic feature of all
iv) chromium decreases with increasing subduction-related magma (Saunders et d., 1980).
FeO*/MgO for all gabbroic zones. This trend is also This has been attributed to:
followed by MgO and Ni; and i) partitioning of HFSE into residual Ti phases
v) barium increases with increasing FeO*/MgO for (e.g. ihnenite and sphene) which are stabilized during
all gabbros. This behaviour is also followed by PzOs. hydrous partial melting conditions; and
The noted decrease in Cr and Ni contents from the LZ ii) the transportation of the LIL elements into the
gabbro (167 ppm Cr, 204 ppm Ni) to the UZ gabbro (5 source regions of the talc-alkaline magmas as a result
ppm Cr, 13 ppm Ni) is consistent with the fractiona- of dehydration of the downgoing slab (Saunders et
tion of spine1 and clinopyroxene. al., 1980).
Titanium and V abundances correlate with the In addition, the low Zr/Y (0.57-1.86) observed among
modal abundances of Fe-Ti oxides. Strontium con- the gabbroic zones support an oceanic-arc setting
tenk reflect the modal abundance of plagioclase. rather than a continental-arc setting (Pearce, 1984).
The average of the hygromagmatophile element Chondrite-Rormalized REE patterns for represen-
abundances in the three gabbroic zones have been tative gabbroic samples from the lower, middle and
 The petrology of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion 153

OLower zone
0 Middle zone
20 - rfh ?? ??
??
0

10 - so Zr
0
25 -
41 ??
15 - 0 w
ppm _
5_ SO” Y

??
200 - 0 0
0
0
- A# Ba
0

900 -
- O8 ? ?o
700 - 3 4

0 1 2 3 0 1 2 3
FeO*/ MgO FeO*/ big0

Figume5. Variation diagram for trace elements illustrating the main trends exhibted by
rock samples of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusim.

upper zone gabbros (Table 6) are plotted in Fig. 7. ESTIMATION OF THE PARENT MAGMA
REE become steadily enriched from the LZ to the COMPOSITION
UZ gabbros. The gabbros have moderately frac-
tionated REE patterns with (La/Yb)N from 2.27 to A common problem in studying mafic layered in-
5.75 and (Ce/Yb)N from 2.14 to 4.00, passing from trusions is the estimation of the parent magma com-
the LZ gabbro (uralitized gabbro) to the UZ gabbro position in as much as the bulk chemical composition
(ferro-gabbro). This is due to marked light rare of rock samples is unlikely to match that of the paren-
earth elements (LREE) enrichment with increasing tal magma because of the occurrence of cumulus
differentiation (i.e. with increasing FeO*/ MgO processes (Irvine, 1979).
from 0.56 to 2.90). The heavy rare earth elements The chilled margin method used to obtain the par-
(HREE) show a smooth and flat trend with ent magma composition (Wager and Brown, 1968)
(Tb/Yb)N from 1.20 to 1.95. This indicates that the cannot be applied to the Abu Zawal gabbroic intru-
generation of magma was not accompanied by sion because extensive interaction processes have
significant HREE fractionation and that the parent been operative along all contacts. However, the pa-
magma was generated in the spine1 stability field rental magma composition can be estimated by the
rather than the garnet stability field (cJ Weaver weight summation method (Ragland and Butler,
and Tarney, 1981; Gill, 1974). The positive Eu 1972; Klewin, 1990; Tommasini and Poli, 1992). This
anomaly in the LZ gablbro is due to preferential Eu method has been applied to the Abu Zawal gabbroic
incorporation by the first accumulating plagio- intrusion summing the average chemical composition
clase. The variations in the scale of the Eu anomaly of each gabbroic zone, weighted according to its out-
in the middle and upper zone gabbros are ascribed crop surface. The calculated major element composi-
to a combination of the degree of Eu fractionation tion of the parent magma is reported in Table 7. This
in the magma and the amount of cumulus plagio- composition is similar to the average high alumina
clase present in each sample. basalt in island-arc settings (see Table 7).
154 F. F. ABU EL-ELA

1 Table 6. REE abundances (ppm) for representative

samples from the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion.

Sample No Lower Zone Middle Zone Upper Zone

(202A) (218C) (210)
0 Lower zone
La 2.46 9.31 11.22
10 0 Middle zone Ce 6.02 18.29 20.37

L
Sm- 1.15 2.98 3.812
m Upper zone
Eu 0.576 1.22 1.365
Tb 0.198 0.395 0.583
Yb 0.73 1.555 1.318
Lll 0.129 0.219 0.211 -I

estimation of the crystallization temperature on the

amphibole - plagioclase pairs in the middle and the
upper zone gabbros ranges from 1080 to 1100°C and
indicates a water content in the magma of about 4-5
wt.% and a liquidus temperature of about llOO-
1150°C (Baker and Eggler, 1983, Fig. 3). The water
content in the magma is close to the water-saturated
curve for basalts at 3-4 kbar (Holloway and Bum-
ham, 1972; Hughes, 1982). Therefore, the crystalli-
zation of the gabbroic zones took place under wet
conditions.

0.1
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
Sr K Rb Ba Nb P Zr Ti Y

The Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion shows features

Figure 6. Spidergrams of the averages of the Abu Zawal gabbroic
zones. Nommlization data after Pearce (1984). which in part reveal the emplacement mechanism:
the absence of a chilled margin and grain-sized
DIFFERENTIATION OF THE GABBROIC ZONES graded layering (Irvine, 1982) indicate that the gab-
bro was probably not emplaced in a completely mol-
A model of low-pressure, closed-system in situ ten state. The absence of magmatitic structures indi-
crystallization is proposed for the differentiation of cates that the gabbro crystallized in situ and was not
the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion. The mafic magma emplaced as a crystal mush nor were significant por-
was emplaced probably in a single, relatively rapid tions being crystallized as new magma was still being
injection and crystallization commenced throughout. injected. Thus, the Abu Zawal cumulates probably
The following order of crystallization is pro- began to crystallize in the crust at pressures which
posed for the gabbroic zones on the basis of petro- were not significantly higher than those where final
graphical and mineral chemistry data. Plagioclase solidification took place (cfi Sutcliffe et al., 1989). This
(Ar@+clinopyroxene nucleated at the begining of conclusion is confirmed by the hornblende geoba-
crystallization. Then, plagioclase grading from Anss ,rometer, which gives a crystallization pressure of
to &+calcic amphibole (brown hornblende)+Fe-Ti about 2.9-3.5 kbar, and the low A1203 content of the
oxides followed in the crystallization sequence and clinopyroxene suggests crystallization at relatively
were successively joined by the crystallization of low pressure.
quartz and apatite. The Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion consists of
The hydrous phases crystallized in response to three gabbroic zones (LZ, MZ and UZ). These three
an increase in Hz0 activity due to the early crystal- zones may represent three stages of fractional crys-
lization of anhydrous phases, as has been docu- tallization which can be demonstrated by the evolu-
mented in experimental studies (Baker and Eggler, tional geochemistry. For example, the PROScontent is
1983). On the basis of microscopic and mineral as low as 0.02-0.08 wt.% in the LZ gabbro (early-stage
chemistry studies, magnesio-hornblende crystal- gabbro) but during fractional crystallization PZOS
lized directly from the evolving liquid, whereas probably became highly concentrated in the residual
actinolite and actinolitic hornblende formed by re- liquid. The very low P205 content in the LZ gabbro
action between the liquid and clinopyroxene. The suggests that this intercumulus liquid was driven out
 The petrology of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion 155

La Cc Sm Eu Tb Yb Lu

Figure 7. Chondrite-mmnaked (after Evensen et al., 1978) REE patterns of the Abu Zawal gab-
broic intrusion, Symbols as for Fig. 6.

Table 7. Estimated parental magma composition according to the weight summation

method and comparsion of the estimated parent magma with high-alumina basahs.

1.z MZ uz
N 7 3 4
P 56.:30% 32.50% 11.20% Estimated

Ti02 0.38 1.13 3.66 0.99 0.92 0.73 1.01 0.71

AI203 18.33 17.18 14.67 17.54 18.98 17.30 18.10 19.70
Fez03 1.68 2.65 8.06 2.71 - 3.40 - -
Fe0 3.90 4.58 7.05 4.48 9.79* 5.54 9.45* 7.75
MnO 0.10 0.14 0.20 0.13 0.19 0.22 0.21 0.13
MgO 7.97 5.53 5.82 6.94 5.77 5.50 4.47 5.66
CaO 10.61 8.53 9.24 9.77 10.69 8.94 8.93 10.00
Na20 3.17 4.24 3.06 3.50 3.36 3.10 3.49 2.51
IGO 0.70 1.15 0.87 0.86 0.99 0.90 0.75 0.52
E205 0.04 0.16 0.40 0.11 0.22 0.20 0.23 0.97
L.O.I. 0.94 1.31 0.90 1.06 -
N=number
of samples; P=percentage of the outcrop surface of each zone, A=average composition; ??
=total iron
as FeO; l=average of Aleutian high-ahunina basalt (Marsh, 1976; Brophy, 1984); 2=New Georgia (Solomon Is.)
high-alumina basalt (Brown and khairer, 1967); 3,4=high-ahnnb~a basalt (cf. Crawford et al., 1987, Table 1,
sample No. 1,2).

by post-accumulation crystal growth (i.e. this gabbro the TiO2 content of the LZ gabbro is low, ranging
may have adcumulus properties as defined by Wager from 0.29 to 0.63 wt.% (Table 5), which suggests that
and Brown, 1968). Then, during the middle- and late- during this early stage of fractionation TiOz was also
stage fractionation (middle and upper zone gabbros), highly concentrated in the liquid. Then, during the
the E205 content of the gabbros was increased by be- crystallization of the MZ gabbro, the TiOr content of
ing fixed in crystaking apatite. The upper zone gab the gabbros increased due to the crystallization of Fe-
bros have between 0.32 and 0.47% I’&,. In addition, Ti oxides. In the UZ gabbro, TiOz is 4.00 wt.%. This
156 F. F. ABU ELELA

probably means that most of the TiOz remained in the trace elements in the gabbroic rocks of Egypt. Che-
liquid in the early-stage of fractionation and most of mie Erde 30(3), 282-299.
it entered cumulates in the late-stage of fractionation Bask, E. Z. and Takla, M. A. 1974b. Distribution of
(UZ gabbro). opaque minerals and the origin of the gabbroic
That the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion may have rocks of Egypt. Bulletin FacuZty Science Cairo Univer-
crystallized from an island-arc high alumina basaltic sity 47,347-364.
magma, which was derived from a mantle source, is Blundy, J. D. and Holland, T. J. B. 1990. Calcic am-
suggested by the following observations: phibole equilibria and a new amphibole-plagioclase
i) The gabbroic rocks have very low abundances geothermometer. Contributions Mineralogy Petrology
of incompatible elements (K, Rb, Ba, Nb, I’, Zr, Ti and 104,208~224.
Y) and the abundances of these elements increase Brophy, J. G. and Marsh, B. D. 1986. On the origin of
with increasing differentiation. LIL elements (Sr, K, high-alumina arc basalt and the mechanics of melt
Rb and Ba) have higher abundances relative to high extraction. Journal Petrology 27,763-789.
field strength (I-IFS) elements (Ti, P, Zr and Nb). In De Bruin, M. 1983. Instrumental neutron activation
addition, the low concentration of Cr and Ni are analysis - a routine method. Ph. D. dissertation 270p.
characteristic of an island-arc basalt parentage. Delft University, the Netherlands.
ii) LILE/LREE enrichment, in combination with El-Gaby, S., List, F. K. and Tehrani, R. 1988. Geology,
negative Nb anomalies, are characteristic features of evolution and metallogenesis of the Pan-African
basaltic rocks from recent destructive plate margins Belt in Egypt. In The Pan-African Belt of Northeast
(Pearce, 1984; Hohn, 1985). Africa and Adjacent Areas (Edited by El-Gaby, S. and
iii) The estimated parent magma composition for Greiling, R. 0.) ~~17-68. Friedrich Vieweg and
the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion is equivalent to an Sohn, Braunschweig, Wiesbaden.
evolved high alumina basalt (Table 7). El-Ramly, M. F. 1972. A new geological map for the
iv) The crystallization sequence in the Abu Zawal basement rocks in the Eastern and South-Western De-
gabbroic intrusion is similar to that in experimental sert of Egypt Annals Geological Survey Egypt 2,1-18.
high alumina basaltic systems crystallized under wet El-Ramly, M. F. and Akaad, M. K. l%O. The base-
conditions (Green and Ringwood, 1968; Brophy and ment complex in the Central Eastern Desert be-
Marsh, 1986). tween Lat. 24”30’ and 25’40’ N. Geological Survey,
Cairo, Egypt Paper 8,35p.
Acknowledgements El-Sharkawy, M. A. and El-Bayoumi, R. M. 1979. The
ophiolite of Wadi Ghadir, Eastern Desert, Egypt.
A scholarship from the Dutch Government and the Annals Geological Survey Egypt 9,125-135.
Institute of Earth Sciences, State University of Utrecht, El-Tahir, M. A. 1978. Relation between geology and
is gratefully acknowledged. Discussion with Dr. J. P. P. radioactivity of some basement rocks to the north of
Huysmans was very helpful. Prof. Dr. El-Gaby is Qena-Safaga asphalitic road, Eastern Desert, Egypt.
thanked for his reading and criticism of the original M. SC. Thesis 154~. Al-mar University, Cairo,
draft. Comments by Dr. D. Hughes and another re- Egypt*
viewer have greatly improved the manuscript. Evensen, N. M., Hamilton, P. J. and O’Nions, R. K.
1978. Rare-earth abundance in chondritic meteor-
REFERENCES ites. Geochemica Cosmochemica Acta 42,1199-1212.
Gill, J. B. 1974. Role of under&r&t oceanic crust in
Abu El-Ela, F. F. 1990. Supra-subduction zone the genesis of a Fijian talc-alkaline suite. Contibu-
ophiolite of Qift-Quseir road, Eastern Desert, tions Mineralogy Petrology 43,150-166.
Egypt. Bulletin Faculty Science Assiut University, Green, T. H. and Ringwood, A. F. 1968. Genesis of the
Egypt 19(2-F), 51-70. talc-alkaline igneous rock suite. Contributions Min-
Abu El-Ela, F. F. 1991. Ophiolitic melange around eralogy Petrology 18,105-162.
Gebel Atud, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Bulletin Faculty Hammarstrom, J. M. and Zen, E. 1986. Aluminum in
Science Assiut University, Egypt 20(1-F), 215-230. hornblende: an empirical igneous geobarometer.
Akaad, M. K. and Essawy, M. 1964. The metagabbro- American Mineralogist 7l, 1297-1313.
diorite complex N.E. of Gebel Atud, Eastern Desert Hollister, L. S., Grisson, G. C., Peters, E. K., Stowell,
and the term “epidiorite”. Bdetin Science Technology H. H. and Sisson, V. B. 1987. Confirmation of the
Assiu t Uqiversity, Egypt 7,83-108. empirical correlation of Al in hornblende with pres-
Baker, D. R. and Eggler, D. H. 1983. Fractionation sure of solidification of talc-alkaline plutons. Ameri-
paths of Atka (Aleutians) high alumina basalk: can Mineralogist 72,23X239.
constraints from phase relations. Journal Volcanology. Holloway, J. R. and Bumham, C. W. 1972. Melting
Geothermal Research 18,387-404. relations of basalt with equilibrium water pressure
Bask, E. Z. and Takla, M. A. 1974a. Distribution of less than total pressure. IournaZPetrology 13,1-29.
 The petrology of the Abu Zawal gabbroic intrusion 157

Hobn, P. E. 1985. The geochemical fingerprints of dif- aIkaIine magma. Earth Planetary Science Letters 46,
ferent tectonomagmatic environments using hy- 344-360.
gromagmatophile elements of tholeiitic basalts and Shapiro, L. 1975. Rapid analysis of silicate, carbonate
basaltic andesites. ChetnicuZGeoZogy 51,303323. and phosphate rocks (revised edition). American
Hughes, C. J. 1982. Igneous Petrology. 551~. EIsevier, GeoZogicaZSurvey BuZZetin1401.
Amsterdam. Sharara, N. A., Abu El-Ela, F. F., El-Nady, 0. M. and
Hussein, A. A., AIi, M. M. and El-RamIy, M. F. 1982. Sohman, M. F. 1990. Geology and geochemistry of
A proposed new classlication of granites of Egypt. the island arc association of the area around GabaI
]oumaZVolcanology Geothermal Research 14,187-198. El Urf, Eastern Desert, Egypt. BuZZetinFacuZty Sci-
Irvine, T. N. 1979. Rocks whose composition is de- ence Assiut LZniversity,Egypt 19(1-F), 97-122.
termined by crystal accumulation and sorting. In Sutchffe, R. H., Sweeny, J. M. and Edgar, A. D. 1989.
Theevolution of igneous rocks (Edited by Yoder, H. S.) The Lac des lies complex, Ontario: Petrology and
245-306~~. Princeton University Press, Princeton, platinum-group elements mineralization in an Ar-
New Jersey. chean mafic intrusion. Canadian JoumaZ Earth Science
Irvine, T. N. 1982. Ter:minology for layered intru- 26,1408-1427.
sions. ]oumaZPetroZogy 23,127-162. TakIa, M. A. 1971. On mineralogical and geochemical
KIewin, K. W. 1990. Petrology of the Proterozoic Po- studies of some basic and associating ultrabasic ig-
tato River layered intrusion, Northern Wisconsin, neous rocks, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Ph. D. dissertu-
USA. ZoumaZPetrology ,31,1115-1139. tion 347~. Cairo University, Egypt.
Leake, B. E. 1978. Nomenclature of amphiboles. TakIa, M. A., Basta, E. and Fawzi, E. 1981. Charac-
American Mineralogist 63,1023-1052. terization of the older and younger gabbros of
Le Bas, M. J. 1962. The :role of ahuninum in igneous Egypt. DeZtaJournal Science 5,279-314.
chnopyroxenes with relation to their parentage. Tamey, J., Wood, D. A., Saunders, A. D., Cann, J. R.
American Journal Science 260,267-288. and Varte, J. 1980. Nature of mantle heterogeneity
Nakajima, Y. and Ribbe, P. H. 1981. Texture and in the North Atlantic: evidence from deep sea
structural interpretation of the alteration of pyrox- drilling. PhiZosphicaZTransactions Royal Society Lon-
ene to other biopyroboles. Contributions Mineralogy don A297,179-202.
Petrology 78,230239. Tommasini, S. and PoIi, G. 1992. Petrology of the Late
Pearce, J. A. 1984. Role of the sub-continental Iitho- Carboniferous Punta Falcone gabbroic complex,
sphere in magma genesis at active continental north Sardinia, Italy. Contributions MineraZogy Pe-
margins. In Continenbzl basalts and mantle xenoliths trology 110,16-32.
(Edited by Hawkesworth, C. J. and Norry, N. J.) Wager, L. R. and Brown, G. M. 1968. Layered igneous
~~230-249. Shiva Publishing, Nantwich. rocks. 588~. W. H. Freeman and Company.
Poldervaart, A. and Hess, H. H. 1951. Pyroxenes in Weaver, B. L. and Tarney, J. 1981. The scourie dyke
the crystaBization of basaltic magma. Journal GeoZ- suite: Petrogenesis and geochemical nature of the
ogy 59,472489. Proterozoic sub-continental mantle. Contributions
Ragland, P. R. and Butler, J. R. 1972. Crystallization of Mineralogy PetroZogy78,175188.
the West Farrington pluton, North Carolina, USA. Wood, D. A., Tamey, J. and Weaver, B. L. 1981. Trace
Journal Petrology 13,38:1-404. element variations in Atlantic ocean basahs and
Saunders, A. D., Tamey, J. and Weaver, S. D. 1980. Proterozoic dykes from northwest Scotland: their
Transverse geochemical variations across the Ant- bearing upon the nature and geochemical evolution
arctic Peninsula: implications for the genesis of talc of the upper mantle. Tectonophysics 75,91-112.