Geology and Mineral Chemistry of Uranium-and Thorium-bearing Minerals in Rare-Metal(NYF)Pegmatites of Um Solimate,South Eastern Desert,Egypt

摘要

The garnet muscovite granitic pegmatite of Um Solimate,in southern Egypt,represents a promising asset for strategic and economic metals,especially Bi-Ni-Ag-Nb-Ta as well as U and Th.The ore bodies occur as large masses,pockets and/or veins of very coarse-grained pegmatites,which consist mainly of K-feldspar,quartz and albite with subordinate muscovite,garnet,and biotite.Radiometric data revealed that e U-and e Th-contents of the pegmatites reach up to 39 ppm and 82 ppm,respectively.The studied pegmatites are enriched in primary U and Th minerals(uraninite,coffinite,thorianite and uranothorite)as well as Hf-rich zircon and monazite,which give rise to anomalous radioactive zones.Niobium-tantalium-bearing minerals(i.e.ferrocolumbite,microlite and uranopyrochlore),xenotime,barite,galena,fluorite,and apatite are ubiquitous,and,consequently,the studied pegmatites belong tothe Niobium-Yttrium-Fluorine-type(NYF)family.The noble metal mineralization includes argentite(Ag_(2)S),native Ni and Bi as well as bismite and bismoclite.In addition,beryl and tourmaline are observed in pegmatites near the contact with metasediments and ultramafic bodies.The observed compositional variations of Ta/(Ta+Nb)and Mn/(Mn+Fe)ratios in columbite(0.08-0.45 and 0.11-0.57,respectively)and Hf contents in zircon(3.54-6.46 wt%)may reflectan extreme degree of magmatic fractionation leading to formation of the pegmatite orebody.