Uranium mobility and its implication on favourable potentiality concentration in Gabal Um-Araka area, Northern Eastern Desert, Egypt

The airborne gamma-ray spectrometric data of Um-Araka area, Northern Eastern Desert of Egypt, were treated and correlated with the geological map with the aim of searching for areas of high potentiality of uranium mineralization. Uranium migration was applied to yield leaching and deposition zones of uranium for each rock unit. The positive values (representing deposition zones) are recorded on intermediate metavolcanics, Samh Formation, alkali feldspar granites, monzogranites and Gharamul Formation. Meanwhile, negative values (representing leaching zones) are associated with acidic metavolcanics, gabbro-diorites, granodiorites and Gabir Formation, as well as Pleistocene sediments, alluvial and recent wadi sediments. Uranium favourability indices (U-2) and alteration-F-parameters were calculated for the different lithologic units. Monzogranite, alkali feldspar granite and intermediate metavolcanics with Wadi sediments show relatively high values for both indicators. Meanwhile, Pleistocene sediments and Samh Formation display relatively the lowest values.