GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND ELEMENT
ASSOCIATIONS IN DIFFERENT ROCK TYPES OF EL MINIA
DISTRICT, NORTH UPPER EGYPT
RAFAT M. ZAKI
Geology Department,Faculty of
Sciences, Minia University |
Several chemo-facies and litho-facies maps have been constructed from the chemical data for different rock types representing limestones and shales of Early-Middle Eocene age as well as recent alluvial sediments in El Minia district, in order to give a clear picture on the distribution of elements in their units. The
CaO/MgO and SiO 2 /Al2O3
ratios in the limestones and shales are indicator to the prevalence of shallow epineritic environment in the southern area and tend to be to epineritic and relatively deeper epineritic northward. A proposed composite succession of the Lower and Middle Eocene rock units in the area east El Minia district was constructed according to the chemical compositions and lithofacies into Minia, Samalut and
Maghagha-El Merier formations. The most of the studied limestones can be used for building stones. The lirnestones of Minia and Samalut formations especially at Bani Khalid, Nazlet El Diaba and El Sheikh Mohamed areas are considered the best raw material for iron and steel industry and production of white cernent in Egypt. The redistribution and concentration of major and trace elements in young alluvial sediments are controlled by sedimentary processes, provenance, weathering of Oligocene basalts, and pollution related to industrial activities.
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