GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND RADIOACTIVITY STUDIES OF WADI KHUDA STREAM SEDIMENTS, SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT

This study concerned with the geologic features, mineralogical composition and radioactivity of Wadi Khuda stream sediments south Eastern Desert of Egypt.Geologically, the basement rocks cropping out at Wadi Khuda area are gneisses, gabbro-diorite complex, tonalite-granodiorite, monzogranite and albite granite. The area is drained by several Wadis as Wadi Khuda, Wadi Hindia, Wadi Shut and Wadi Salib el Abiad. The stream sediments samples indicate significant enriched in some HFSE (high field strength elements) such as Zr, Y, Nb compared to the probable source rocks. This indicate that these trace elements in the stream sediments derived from the muscovite granite and granitic pegmatities.
Mineralogical studies on the heavy minerals of Wadi Khuda recorded by magnetite, ilmenite, zircon, thorite, titanite, fluorite, and garnet. The radiometric measurements of the studied stream sediments show that eU varies from 3 to 16 ppm with an average of 7.6 ppm, while eTh ranges from 6 to 40 ppm with an average of 21.5 ppm. The average concentration of Ra and K% are 4.2 ppm and 1.8% respectively.