Metamorphic Rocks of the Central Eastern Desert, Egypt in Bloomington, MN

The central Eastern Desert of Egypt exhibits a diverse array of metamorphic rocks, forming part of the Pan-African orogenic belt. These rocks, primarily low to middle green schist facies, comprise metamorphic volcano-sedimentary sequences featuring metasediments like mudstones, pebbly mudstones, greywackes, and schists, alongside metavolcanics such as metabasalt, meta-andesite, and porphyrites. Petrochemical analyses suggest a mixed origin, with features of calc-alkaline and subalkaline rocks, with mature island arc volcanic rocks prevailing. The schists display various compositions and textures, including chlorite, epidote, biotite, graphite, hornblende, talc, and tremolite-actinolite schists. Petrographic studies hint at a shared origin or protolith among the schists, metasediments, and metavolcanics, evidenced by overlapping chemical compositions. These findings deepen our understanding of the geological evolution of the region, offering insights into the tectonic processes and depositional environments that have shaped the central Eastern Desert of Egypt within the broader Pan-African orogenic belt.