The geology of the Wadi Allaqi region comprises the most southerly segment of the late Precambrian
Arabian Shield within Egypt. It contains a northwest and west-trending thrust belt of metasedimentary
and metavolcanics schist, ophiolitic nappes and gabbro/granite complexes which are unconformably
overlain by Nubia group sandstones of upper Cretaceous age.
Metasediment units are interleaved with serpentinite-talc nappes, which propagate through the
volcanics/volcaniclastic units. The ophiolitic serpentinites are tectonically altered to
ankerite-silica-talc magnesian schist and calcite-brucite marbles along the strike. These lower to
upper green schist facies assemblages are intruded by a suite of magmatic and subvolcanic units
ranging from layered ultramafic-mafic sills to gabbro-tonalite-granodiorite-monzogranite-felsite-rhyolite
plutons. A swarm of basic and intermediate dykes infill tensional fractures in the oval-shaped
post-tectonic granites.
Occurrences of trachyte and syenite plugs and trachytic pipes are located in the region and are
possibly of Cretaceous age. Generally, the area is mainly built up of two folded island arc belts
separated by ophiolitic tectonic mélange belt.
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