GENETIC AND EXPLORATION IMPLICATIONS OF THE ZINC RATIO [100 Zn/(Zn + Pb)] IN THE RODRUIN PROSPECTING AREA OF THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE -EGYPT

Abstract

EgyptRodruin Prospecting Area (26 o 21 / 59 // N, 33 o 20 / 32 // E) in the Golden Triangle -Egypt, was exploited by the Ancient Egyptian Miners. They exploited gold from gossans and gossanous gold-bearing quartz veins. Rodruin deposit is hosted by altered and bleached deeply weathered volcanoclastic-metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks, which underlain by argillaceous metasedimentary rocks. The characteristic "zinc ratio " [100 Zn/ (Zn + Pb)] can be used to distinguish the Rodruin ore deposit zones. In addition, the distribution mode of zinc ratio at Aladdin's Hill is completely different than those from North Ridge, Central Valley and Central Buttress mining working zones. The former shows bimodal distribution, while the latter show single distribution. The zinc ratio of the Aladdin's Hill zone is wide range (6.98-99.53%) with high standard deviation (> 31.85), Spiral Pit and GF-zones is narrow (86.11-99.97%) with very low standard deviations (< 3.83), while it moderately varies (27.27-99.30%) with low standard deviations (< 12.03) in North Ridge, Central Valley, Central Buttress, and South Ridge zones. The "tail" of high lead samples with zinc ratios below 70 may be the result of leaching of zinc from the sub-outcropping mineralization. Variations in the zinc ratio between the Rodruin ore zones indicate that the mineralizing solutions were zinc saturated and Pb-under saturated rather than the volcanic source rocks that were not lead-zinc rich.