Petrographical, structural, and remote sensing–based mapping of Gebel Atawi area, central Eastern Desert, Egypt

The present article deals with field geology, petrography, and remote sensing of Gebel Atawi area in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt. It is a portion of the Arabian-Nubian shield which occupies the NE portion of the Pan-African orogenic belts. In the study area, petrographical characters of the encountered rocks and structural elements were investigated to build an evolution model. Field and remote sensing–based mapping revealed that the basement rocks cropping out in the study area are (from old to young) ophiolitic serpentinites, island arc metavolcanics, GI granitoids, intraplate (Hammamat) sediments, GII granites, as well as dikes and trachyte sheets and plugs. Petrographical characteristics of these rock units were described in detail in the present study. Bedding, foliations, lineations, folds, and faults observed in the studied rocks were thoroughly described. The study area could be evolved through five different stages which are the oceanic stage, the island arc stage, the mature arc stage, the collision stage, and finally the anorogenic stage. © 2021, Saudi Society for Geosciences.