NSF Award
1004021
This project supports collaborative research between Dr. A. El-Shazly, Department of Geology, Marshall University, West Virginia and Dr. Khalil Ebeid, Geology Department of Alexandria University. They plan to study the banded iron ore deposits occurring in the Eastern Desert of Egypt to identify the processes involved in the genesis of these banded iron ores and to determine the age of formation. <br/><br/>Intellectual Merit<br/>By focusing primarily on the deposits of Umm Nar and Wadi Kareim, which are characterized by exceptionally high Fe/Si ratios, US and Egyptian PIs will attempt to identify the processes involved in the genesis of these banded iron ores and the geological timeline of each. Field work will be carried out to map the ore bodies and establish their relations to specific structures. Petrological and whole rock geochemical analysis for major and trace elements will help classify the deposits, constrain the conditions of their metamorphism, and identify the tectonic setting of their formation. Microthermometric and laser micro-Raman studies of fluid inclusions will lead to the identification of the roles of diagenesis, hydrothermal activity, and metamorphism in the formation of these deposits through characterization of the fluid compositions and their conditions of entrapment. U-Pb dating of individual zircon crystals separated from the iron ores and their intercalated rocks using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry at the University of Arizona will constrain the timing of hydrothermal alteration and metamorphism through dating specific chemical zones within each crystal.<br/><br/>Broader Impacts<br/>The broader impacts of this project will promote the development of junior scientists. The involvement of an M.S. level student from Egypt and a US undergraduate from Marshall University will lead to a better understanding of educational systems and cultures for both groups. Participation of a Marshall University undergraduate in field work in Egypt and subsequent training in techniques of geochemical analysis and scientific research will be beneficial to the student. The proposed geochemical studies will result in a better evaluation of the economic potential of these iron ores, as it will determine the concentrations of any elements deemed undesirable for the steel industry as well as the overall grade of the ores.
