A Comparative Study on the Metallogenic Provinces in the Ophiolite Belts and Ring Complexes in Both Egypt and Saudi Arabia (between Latitude 22°N–24°N)

Summary

The ophiolite belts in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia between Latitude 22° N and 24° N, having approximately the same direction of extension, NNW or N—S.

The ophiolite belts are folded, the fold axes trending NW to E W in Egypt, while NE—SW is the main trend in Saudi Arabia. The shear zones of E—W strike are mineralized (Cu, Zn, Pb minerals) in the Egyptian side, while N—S or NE—SW shears are mineralized in Saudi Arabia (Cu minerals in Umm ad Damar and J. Sumran). The tension faults play a role for gold mineralization in both Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The directions and magnitudes of folds and faults in Egypt and Saudi Arabia are different, probably that is due to the difference in directions and magnitude of the forces and stresses on both sides of the Red Sea. The sulfides in the ophiolites have to be taken to represent typical “Cyprus type” volcanic exhalative mineralization during sea floor spreading. Later on some of these sulfides were remobilized by epigenetic hydrothermal solutions to be localized along pre-existing shears.

In Egypt, the ring complexes zone is located west to the main ophiolitic suite; that let the present writer to be tempted to say, the ring complexes are probably existing in a zone east of the western ophiolitei mass of Southern Hijaz Quadrangle, but now is covered by Tertiary basaltic and andesitic lavas.