Mapping Structurally Controlled Alterations Sparked by Hydrothermal Activity in the Fatira–Abu Zawal Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt

• Published in: Acta geologica Sinica (Beijing) Vol. 97; no. 2; pp. 662 - 680
• Main Authors: BADAWI, Mohamed, ABDELATIF, Mahmoud, SHEBL, Ali, MAKROUM, Farid, SHALABY, Ahmed, NÉMETH, Norbert
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Richmond Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.04.2023; Institute of Exploration Geosciences,University of Miskolc,Miskolc 3515,Hungary; Department of Geology,Mansoura University,Mansoura 35516,Egypt%Department of Geology,South Valley University,Qena 83523,Egypt%Department of Mineralogy and Geology,University of Debrecen,Debrecen 4032,Hungary; Department of Geology,Tanta University,Tanta 31527,Egypt%Department of Geology,Mansoura University,Mansoura 35516,Egypt%Institute of Exploration Geosciences,University of Miskolc,Miskolc 3515,Hungary
• Edition: English ed.
• Subjects: Deformation; Deserts; Dikes; Egypt; Embankments; Entropy; Felsite; Gold; granite; Hydrothermal activity; Hydrothermal alteration; island arc association; Juveniles; Mineralization; Orogeny; Pan‐African Orogeny; Relocation; Remote sensing; Shear zone; Tectonics; Eastern Desert; Egypt; gold; island arc association; Pan-African Orogeny; granite; Egypt
• ISSN: 1000-9515; 1755-6724
• DOI: 10.1111/1755-6724.15019

The Eastern Desert of Egypt suffered a protracted period of deformation triggered by cratonization of the new juvenile crust known as the Arabian Nubian Shield (ANS), which has been proposed for potential gold discoveries associated with the corresponding tectonic event. The Fatira area, on the border of Egypt's Northern and Central Eastern Deserts, is covered with metavolcanic rocks twisted by a dextral relocation of the Fatira Shear Zone (FSZ) relative to the Barud magmatic body. The recent study evaluated many deformed post‐orogenic granitic intrusions and felsite dikes associated with promising mineralization localities, notably orogenic gold deposits. The combination of various field observations and remote sensing data, followed by the analysis of aeromagnetic enhanced maps, allowed the differentiation of distinct lithologies, structural features, and hydrothermal alterations in the study area. Additionally, the integrated results obtained from the different interpretation techniques are utilized to identify and confirm the previously supposed mineralized localities in the Fatira and Abu Zawal areas and predict other matched localities. The final ASTER, Sentinel 2 hydrothermal alteration, and orientation entropy heat maps demonstrate the association between these mineralized regions and major structures related to the FSZ late stage of deformation rather than other structures studied throughout the area of interest.