EVOLUTION OF THE TALC-CARBONATE ROCKS IN UMM RILAN OPHIOLITE, SOUTH EASTERN DESERT, EGYPT: IMPLICATION FROM MINERALOGY, PETROGRAPHY, GEOCHEMISTRY AND P-T CONDITIONS.

Umm Rilan area is made up of talc-carbonate and talc serpentinite rocks of ophiolitic mélange, metavolcanics and granitoid rocks. The derivatives of ultramafic rocks as a result of metamorphism and the neighboring massive metavolcanic of the Late Proterozoic orogeny are related to a dismembered Pan-African ophiolitic mélange. In ultramafic rocks talc occurs as lenticular veins and along shear zone planes. Talc-carbonate rocks are whitish green, massive, slightly deformed, very fine- to fine-grained and composed of talc with carbonates as well as iron and manganese oxides as accessories. The talc carbonate rocks consist essentially of talc, malachite, dolomite, tremolite and magnesite. Geochemically, these rocks exhibit mafic-ultramafic cumulate ophiolite rocks of metamorphic peridotite and dunite in composition. The different variation diagrams indicate that these rocks are originated from cumulative komatiite with tendency to be tholeiitic magma and revealed that these rocks are formed in low Ti-ophiolites of tholeiitic environment. The scanning electron microscopic analysis detected that, the presence of Ta, Zn and Fe minerals in association with Cu, Ca and Mg mineralization. The contents of Cu, Zn and Pb show high tendency to be concentrated in the hydrothermally altered products associated with the sulfide minerals. The studied talc-carbonate rocks suffered low grade metamorphism in greenschist facies and was formed under medium pressure and low temperature of low Al2O3/CaO ratio related to the ultramafic rocks. Umm Rilan talc-carbonates are of hydrothermal origin. Tectonic activity plays a major role in the formation of Umm Rilan talc deposits by allowing fluids to penetrate the ultramafic rocks, creating a micro-permeability that facilitates reactions with the host rock (ultramafic-mafic rocks).