Phases of Magmatic Activities in South Wadi Hodein-Shalatein, Egypt: Resolving controversy about their age using Paleomagnetism and AMS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Several exposures of basaltic intrusions are distributed near Red Sea coast at Wadi Hodein Southern Egypt. There is some disagreement about the palaeomagnetic pole results of these basalts; some claim it is Tertiary in age, while others claim it is of Cretaceous age. To our knowledge, no Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) results have ever been published from these rocks. Therefore, palaeomagnetic and AMS studies were performed on these basalts in order to identify phases of magmatism, paleomagnetic pole position and types of magmatic intrusions. In the present study, eight sites (219 oriented core specimens) were sampled from eight location. Rock magnetic studies reflect the presence of magnetite as the chief mineral in these rocks. Alternating field technique in association with Thermal Demagnetisation process revealed presence of one magmatic phase took place in Cretaceous age with VGP (65°N, 250°E; A 95 = 5.3). AMS results showed that the basaltic intrusions in the study area are still holding their primary fabrics.