Investigation of Economic Heavy Minerals in East El Gharbia Drainage, North Delta, Egypt

Abstract

The study area extend from East El Gharbia drainage from the West to new El Mansoura city from the East with total length of about 18km, while the width extend from the beach southward to the International High way ranging from 0.750km to 1.60km with total area of about 24.50km2. This study is mainly concerned to the muddy coast. The coastal environment is the area lying at the interface
between the land and the sea. The area is covered by two profiles oriented parallel to the shoreline with 1 km spacing. About 32 stations were drilled in east El-Gharbia drainage, two-meter depth in every station. The first profile located near and referred by simple (WK), the second profile located southward the first one and near to the International High and referred by simple (WKS), The total samples which collected from the area are 64 samples. The total heavy minerals content in the 1st meter in profile (WK) range from 3.60% to 9.17% with an average of 6.104%, in the 2nd meter in the same profile range from 2.95% to 5.73% with an average of 4.451%. Its content in the 1st meter in profile (WKS) range from 4.61% to 6.83% with an average of 5.622%, in the 2nd meter in the same profile range from 4.30% to 6.86% with an average of 5.61%. The total economic minerals content in the 1st meter in profile (WK) range from 1.01% to 2.59% with an average of 1.62%, in the 2nd meter in the same profile range from 0.88% to 1.77% with an average of 1.39%. Its content in the 1st meter in profile (WKS) range from 1.07% to 1.55% with an average of 1.28%, in the 2nd meter in the same profile range from 0.86% to 1.59% with an average of 1.22%. The identified heavy mineral assemblages studied under a Binocular Stereomicroscope in the studied area can be classified into two main groups according to Folk (1980). The first one includes opaque minerals as; Magnetite, Hematite, Ilmenite, Leucoxene. The second group comprises non-opaque minerals includes Garnet, Zircon, Rutile, Monazite and Titanite. The accessory minerals as: Staurolite, Pyrite, Apatite, Chromite, kyanite.