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Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt

Received: 26 May 2022    Accepted: 16 June 2022    Published: 27 June 2022
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Abstract

Gamma-ray spectrometry method is widely used in various fields. The study area is located in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt and covers about 1200 square kilometers. The rock units in the study area can be organized in ages from the Precambrian (mainly granite) to Quaternary. Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data were collected by Aero-Service, 1984. The main objectives of this study are to detect hydrothermal alteration zones and the uranium anomalies in the study area. The processing of the data was conducted to generate radioactive element concentration maps (K, eU and eTh). Hydrothermal alteration zones such as potassic and phyllic altered areas were detected using the Potassium Ternary Composite Image map and the eTh/K map. The F-parameter technique and K ideal method were used to determine the locations of the potassium-enrichment. These locations are characteristically associated with the orogenic gold mineralization in the study area. Fourteen radioactivity zones were classified based on the Interpreted Radio-Spectrometric Zonation (IRSZ) Map. These zones were divided into high, medium and low radioactive response where zones of high radioactive response were revealed as zones 1, 6, 9 and 13. Uranium anomalies have been identified as these anomalies are abundant in eU values and also associated with higher values of eU/eTh and eU/K, where the maximum value of eU is associated with the Younger Granite with a value of 18.831 ppm. These uranium anomalies are associated with Taref Formation, Post-Hammamat felsite, Quaternary deposits and Younger Granite. The locations of uranium anomalies are considered important exploration targets, as these locations are promising and have priority for ground geophysical and geological follow-up.

Published in Earth Sciences (Volume 11, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18
Page(s) 121-129
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, Uranium, Radioactivity, Eastern Desert of Egypt

References
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  • APA Style

    Ahmed Tarshan. (2022). Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Earth Sciences, 11(3), 121-129. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18

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    ACS Style

    Ahmed Tarshan. Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Earth Sci. 2022, 11(3), 121-129. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18

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    AMA Style

    Ahmed Tarshan. Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt. Earth Sci. 2022;11(3):121-129. doi: 10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18

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  • @article{10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18,
      author = {Ahmed Tarshan},
      title = {Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt},
      journal = {Earth Sciences},
      volume = {11},
      number = {3},
      pages = {121-129},
      doi = {10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.earth.20221103.18},
      abstract = {Gamma-ray spectrometry method is widely used in various fields. The study area is located in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt and covers about 1200 square kilometers. The rock units in the study area can be organized in ages from the Precambrian (mainly granite) to Quaternary. Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data were collected by Aero-Service, 1984. The main objectives of this study are to detect hydrothermal alteration zones and the uranium anomalies in the study area. The processing of the data was conducted to generate radioactive element concentration maps (K, eU and eTh). Hydrothermal alteration zones such as potassic and phyllic altered areas were detected using the Potassium Ternary Composite Image map and the eTh/K map. The F-parameter technique and K ideal method were used to determine the locations of the potassium-enrichment. These locations are characteristically associated with the orogenic gold mineralization in the study area. Fourteen radioactivity zones were classified based on the Interpreted Radio-Spectrometric Zonation (IRSZ) Map. These zones were divided into high, medium and low radioactive response where zones of high radioactive response were revealed as zones 1, 6, 9 and 13. Uranium anomalies have been identified as these anomalies are abundant in eU values and also associated with higher values of eU/eTh and eU/K, where the maximum value of eU is associated with the Younger Granite with a value of 18.831 ppm. These uranium anomalies are associated with Taref Formation, Post-Hammamat felsite, Quaternary deposits and Younger Granite. The locations of uranium anomalies are considered important exploration targets, as these locations are promising and have priority for ground geophysical and geological follow-up.},
     year = {2022}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Detection of Uranium Anomalies and Alteration Zones Using Airborne Gamma-Ray Spectrometry at Gabal Attala and Its Surrounding Area, Eastern Desert, Egypt
    AU  - Ahmed Tarshan
    Y1  - 2022/06/27
    PY  - 2022
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18
    DO  - 10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18
    T2  - Earth Sciences
    JF  - Earth Sciences
    JO  - Earth Sciences
    SP  - 121
    EP  - 129
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-5982
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.earth.20221103.18
    AB  - Gamma-ray spectrometry method is widely used in various fields. The study area is located in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt and covers about 1200 square kilometers. The rock units in the study area can be organized in ages from the Precambrian (mainly granite) to Quaternary. Airborne gamma-ray spectrometry data were collected by Aero-Service, 1984. The main objectives of this study are to detect hydrothermal alteration zones and the uranium anomalies in the study area. The processing of the data was conducted to generate radioactive element concentration maps (K, eU and eTh). Hydrothermal alteration zones such as potassic and phyllic altered areas were detected using the Potassium Ternary Composite Image map and the eTh/K map. The F-parameter technique and K ideal method were used to determine the locations of the potassium-enrichment. These locations are characteristically associated with the orogenic gold mineralization in the study area. Fourteen radioactivity zones were classified based on the Interpreted Radio-Spectrometric Zonation (IRSZ) Map. These zones were divided into high, medium and low radioactive response where zones of high radioactive response were revealed as zones 1, 6, 9 and 13. Uranium anomalies have been identified as these anomalies are abundant in eU values and also associated with higher values of eU/eTh and eU/K, where the maximum value of eU is associated with the Younger Granite with a value of 18.831 ppm. These uranium anomalies are associated with Taref Formation, Post-Hammamat felsite, Quaternary deposits and Younger Granite. The locations of uranium anomalies are considered important exploration targets, as these locations are promising and have priority for ground geophysical and geological follow-up.
    VL  - 11
    IS  - 3
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Airborne Geophysics Department, Exploration Division, Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt

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