Geotectonic implications of Neoproterozoic chromitite in the serpentinized peridotite of Al-Barramiya district, Eastern Desert, Egypt

Document Type : Original papers

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1 Geology Department, Faculty of Science, New Valley University, El-Kharga 72511, Egypt

2 Geological Science Department, National Research Centre, El-Dokki 12622, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

The present study deals with chromitite lenses and pods associated with the mantle section of Neoproterozoic Al-Barramiya ophiolite in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Al-Barramiya mantle section includes serpentinized peridotite-bearing chromitite bodies. Preserved textures in the serpentinite around chromitite include an abundance of mesh texture indicating dunite parentage that grades outwards to serpentinite with bastite texture indicating harzburgite parentage. Chromitite is commonly massive and grades to disseminated type. The interstitial minerals include serpentines, carbonates, and chlorite. Chrome spinel of the massive chromitite has higher Cr# (0.79-0.83) and low TiO2 (0.10-0.17 wt. %) consistent with boninitic parent magma that experienced high degrees of partial melt extraction in the forearc environment. The studied chromitite bodies display magmatic textures and have geochemical characteristics of boninite. This supports the role of melt–peridotite interaction and subsequent melt mixing in the SSZ environment. The process of mixing occurs between peridotite and boninite melts in a dunite conduit.

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