## 5 Results and Discussion
### Trace Element Geochemistry  
For a better understanding of the provenance of the trace elements, informative ratio indicators were implemented to extract information about their origin. To check the degree of metavolcanics and younger granite recycling, the ratio of Zr/Sc versus Th/Sc was used. The ratio indicator is plotted in Figure 6. It is apparent from the figure that there is a considerable degree of Zr enrichment for Hamash, where the results of the ratio indicator were calculated to be (1241 versus 1452). In addition, it was calculated for Um Hagalig to be (601 versus 606). Finally, the lowest ratio was calculated for the Sukari mine to be (184 versus 170). For comparison purposes, the same ratio indicator was calculated from the literature to be (6.6 versus 0.41) for North American shale composite NASC as it was reported by [PERSON] et al. [38], (22.8 versus 0.8) for world soil average WSA by [PERSON] [39], (13 versus 0.9) for Post Archean Australia Shale PAAS by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [40], and (13.8 versus 0.75) for upper continental crust UCC by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [41], respectively. The obtained results of Hamash and Um Hagalig show that there are significant metavolcanics and younger granite recycling, whereas the results of the Sukari mine are close to the corresponding values of UCC, NASC, and WSA. These findings show that there is noticeable metavolcanics and younger granite recycling. Another informative ratio indicator is the relationship between Th and U, and this is clearly plotted and illustrated in Figure 7. This ratio was chosen as an indicator of the enrichment or depletion of Th and U. The ratio indicator proves the obtained findings as the previous one and shows that significant amounts of Th and U are noticed in the studied samples collected from the Hamash mine (Th/U = 65.5). A considerable amount of Th and U was noticed for Um Hagalig (Th/U = 32.5) as well. Unlike the Hamash and Um Hagalig mines, the Sukari mine has a relatively less amount (Th/U = 8.0) compared with the corresponding values in UCC (Th/U = 3.9), NASC (Th/U = 4.6), PAAS (Th/U = 4.7), and WSA (Th/U = 3.1). Figure 6: Th/Sc vs. Zr/Sc relationship showing Zr enrichment and proving high sediment recycling in Hamash. The corresponding values from the literature were provided. The values were reported by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [41] for upper continental crust UCC, [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [38] for North American shale composite NASC, Taylor, and McLennan [40] for Post Archean Australia Shale PAAS, and Kabata-Pendias [39] for world soil average WSA. Background after [PERSON] and [PERSON] [42]. Figure 7: The biplot illustrating the relationship between Th/U vs. Th. For comparison purposes, the corresponding values reported by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [41] for upper continental crust UCC, [PERSON], [PERSON], [PERSON], and [PERSON] [38] for North American shale composite NASC, Taylor and McLennan [40] for Post Archean Australia Shale PAAS, and Kabata-Pendias [39] for world soil average WSA. Based on the obtained results, the Hamash mine has a considerable amount of uranium and thorium ores that could be of great fortune for the country, and attention should be paid to that mine for not only gold mining but as uranium and thorium sources as well [16]. These peculiarities most likely prove that both U and Au have an origin in magmas as U is leached out of granite by fluids and precipitates when the fluids encounter carbon, e.g., in graphite. When magmas intrude/extrude into an area of mafic volcanic rocks, their Au-bearing fluids can leach further gold from the (mafic) volcanic rocks and precipitate in native form or pyrite [10; 43; 44]. In the case of metavolcanics and younger granite rocks, researchers have recommended other discrimination diagrams based on Si that could serve as a better tool to clarify and distinguish between different rocks [45; 46].