Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18
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Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES SCHOOL OF EARTH SCIENCES PETROGRAPHY AND PETROLOGY OF, GINA AGER- MEGEZEZ LOCALITY, MEGEZEZ SHIELD VOLCANICS NORTH SHOA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA TENAW MENGISTIE ALEMAYEHU A thesis submitted to the School of Earth Sciences, graduate program, Addis Ababa University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Sciences in Geological Sciences (Petrology) June 2018 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tenaw M. Petrology stream Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES SCHOOL OF EARTH SCIENCES PETROGRAPHY AND PETROLOGY OF GINA AGER-MEGEZEZ LOCALITY, MEGEZEZ SHIELD VOLCANICS NORTH SHOA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA BY TENAW MENGISTIE ALEMAYEHU ADVISOR: DEREJE AYALEW (Prof.) A thesis submitted to the School of Graduate Studies of Addis Ababa University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Geological Sciences (Petrology) June 2018 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Tenaw M. Petrology stream Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES SCHOOL OF EARTH SCIENCES PETROGRAPHY AND PETROLOGY OF, GINA AGER-MEGEZEZ LOCALITY, MEGEZEZ SHIELD VOLCANICS NORTH SHOA, CENTRAL ETHIOPIA BY TENAW MENGISTIE ALEMAYEHU Approved by the Examining Committee: Dr. Balemwal Atnafu _____________ (Head, School of Earth Sciences) Signature Date Prof. Dereje Ayalew ____________ (Advisor) Signature Date Prof. Gezahegn Yirgu ____________ (Examiner) Signature Date Dr. Mulugeta Alene _____________ (Examiner) Signature Date Tenaw M. Petrology stream Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 Declaration for Originality I declare that this thesis is my original work for the requirement of master‘s degree accomplished under the supervision of Prof. Dereje Ayalew, School of Earth Sciences, Addis Ababa University, during the year 2017/18. My further declaration is that this work has not been presented and/ or submitted to any other college, institution, or university for the award of any degree or diploma. All secondary data, sources and materials used in the thesis work have duly cited and acknowledged. Tenaw Mengistie Alemayehu (MSc candidate) Signature ______________ Date _____________ This is to certify that the above declaration made by the candidate is correct to the best of my knowledge. Prof. Dereje Ayalew (Advisor) Signature ______________ Date _____________ Tenaw M. Petrology stream Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 Abstract Megezez shield volcanics is a mountain area with elevation ~3593 meter above mean sea level forming gentle slope of (~50); situated on the north western margin of main Ethiopian rift, central Ethiopia. The area is located 125 kms northeast of Addis Ababa. It is characterized by fissural volcanics with the pre-rift phase of eruption of mid-Miocene age (10.5 Ma). The main objective of this thesis work is to understand the petrography and geochemical compositions of Megezez shield volcanic products and finally to assess their petrogenesis. The present study is aimed to address geological data on Megezez shield volcanics via: 1) detailed geological map; 2) composite stratigraphic section; and 3) detailed petrographic and geochemical data. Twenty samples for petrographic analysis; nine samples for geochemical analysis and structural analysis has been utilized to achieve objectives of the research. Basalt, rhyolite, trachydacite, trachybasalt, and trachyandesite are major volcanic units of Megezez shield volcanics. The studied volcanic products are affected by tectonics of crustal extension. Major geological structures include joints, NE-SW strike and SE dipping normal faults imitating the general orientation of border faults of the Main Ethiopian Rift. Megezez volcanic products show wide variation in chemical composition (45.5-72.2 wt% SiO2) as mafic and intermediate-felsic suite. Basalt and intermediate rocks are transitional type; whereas, the rhyolite rock unite is peralkaline. Selected variation and spider diagrams of major and trace elements show parallel trends indicating the volcanic rocks are co-genetic with the major role of fractional crystallization. Assimilation fractional crystallization has some role to form evolved (intermediate) rocks observed from Rb Vs Rb/Nb discriminating diagram. Key words: Megezez shield volcanics, petrography, Fractional crystallization, Assimilation Fractional Crystallization, Crustal Contamination Tenaw M. Petrology stream i Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 Acknowledgement ‘Almighty God’ is the first to be acknowledged to successfully achieve my objective, and always made everything possible from the beginning up to now. I am glad to give my gratitude acknowledgement to Debre Berhan University giving the chance to attend my MSc program with no load while paying full salary for two years. The same gratitude is given to Addis Ababa University for accepting my request and delivering the required knowledge for the requirement of degree of masters in Geosciences/ Petrology. There is no descriptive and adequate word to express my feeling of gratitude to my advisor prof. Dereje Ayalew for his constructive comments, follow-up and encouragement throughout this thesis work. He has always helped me from the beginning to present and made me strong enough to face difficulties with confidence in every movement. I would like to give thank for Dr. Balemwal Atinafu and Dr. Mulugeta Alene, school head and school graduate program coordinator respectively, school of earth sciences, Addis Ababa University, for their academic, administrative and financial support to successfully finish my thesis in a given time line. Australian Laboratory Services (ALS) private limited company also given acknowledgement for geochemical analysis with significant discount in analysis cost and short time line of data receive. My acknowledgement goes to Asagirt Woreda administrative offices, local people of Megezez area and Gina Ager town for their hospitality, willingness, honesty, and openness to give necessary information during mapping and data collection. From the beginning to the end of this research work I got lots of support from my friends, colleagues. Specially Mr. Mengistu Kassa (Debre Berhan university), prof. Gezahegn Yirgu, Mr. Amdemichael Zafu, Mr. Bahiru Zinaye, Mr. Million Alemayehu, Mr. Samuel Getachew, Mr. Biniam Fentie, Mr. Ermias Filfilu and Mr. Abate Asen (Addis Ababa university) for their continuous encouragement, comments and multi-dimensional support to reach here. I have gratitude feeling to thank my family and friends especially w/ro Firehiwot Asega, w/ro Amelework Dessie, Mr. Tewodros Tilahun, Mr. Mitiku Kebede, my brothers, sisters and other persons not mentioned here for their unlimited support to complete my thesis work. Tenaw M. Petrology stream ii Petrography and Petrology of Megezez Shield Volcanics, North Shoa, Central Ethiopia 2017/18 Table of content Abstract .......................................................................................................................... i Acknowledgement ........................................................................................................ ii Table of content ........................................................................................................... iii List of Figures .............................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ............................................................................................................. viii Acronyms ..................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER – ONE ........................................................................................................ 1 1. Introduction ........................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Background .................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Geographic setting of the Study Area ............................................................ 2 1.2.1. Location and accessibility map of study area ......................................... 2 1.2.2. Physiography of study area ..................................................................... 3 1.2.3. Climatic condition ................................................................................... 4 1.2.4. Population and Settlement ...................................................................... 5 1.3. Problem Statement ......................................................................................... 5 1.4. Objectives of the research study..................................................................... 6 1.4.1. General Objective ................................................................................... 6 1.4.2. Specific Objectives ................................................................................. 6 1.5. Research Methods .......................................................................................... 7 1.5.1. Literature survey ....................................................................................