The Mineral Exploration of the Iron Ores in the Eastern Aswan, by Using Geophysical Techniques

Abstract

The magnetite and hematite mines are located in the Eastern Desert of the Abu Subera area, some 35 km far from the Aswan city, commonly recognized as a volcano-tectonic area. It constitutes one of the largest arc sedimentary rock units lying in the Precambrian sequence. It was strongly affected with multiple deformation stages, resulting in the appearance of folding and faulting. The ironstone deposits predominant in the area are of a bedded-oolitic type, and occur in the form of two bands, inter-bedded with ferruginous sandstone and clay-capping Precambrian rocks, of a thickness varying from 0.5 to 3.5 m. The magnetic measurements are condensing along the six mines where the iron ore bodies are concentered. Seven geoelectrical profiles were measured by means of a dipole-dipole configuration of electrode spacing 5, 10 and 15 m of lengths, ranging from 160 to 240 m. The reached results appear to indicate that the ore deposits prove to refer to low resistive zones, of high chargeability with moderate to high magnetic anomalies.