Economic Geology
Fatemeh Esmaeili; Fardin mousivand; Mahmoud Sadeghian; Seyed Mehran Heidari
Abstract
Miandasht copper deposit is located in 110 km east of Shahrood, 24km north west of Abbasabad, and in the Cenozoic volcanic belt of north of Central Iran zone. The major rock units of the study area have Eocene age and include submarine flows (andesite, basalt, and trachyandesit), pyroclastic (tuff breccia ...
Read More
Miandasht copper deposit is located in 110 km east of Shahrood, 24km north west of Abbasabad, and in the Cenozoic volcanic belt of north of Central Iran zone. The major rock units of the study area have Eocene age and include submarine flows (andesite, basalt, and trachyandesit), pyroclastic (tuff breccia and agglomerate) and sedimentary complex (Nomullitic limestone, tuffacous limestone, shale, sandstone and conglomerate). Mineralization in the Miandasht copper deposit occurred as parallel to layering of the host rocks (tuff breccia and agglomerate), and also along with cross- cutting faults of the host rocks in form of stratabound and epigenetic ores. The main ore textures include vein- veinlets, open space filling, disseminated and replacement. The Ores contain primary pyrite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite, bornit, and secondary covellite, chalcocite, malachite, hematite and limonite. The most important wall rock alterations accompanied with mineralization are carbonatic- silicic, sericitic, argillic, and chloritic, and that the amound of carbonatization and silicification increases with closing to mineralization zones. According to geochemical studies, tectonic setting of the deposit was extensional environment formed in a continental margin volcanic arc. Based on essential characteristics of the copper mineralization such as tectonic setting, host rocks, mineralogy, and type of alterations, the Miandasht copper deposit shows many similarities with Manto- type deposits, dominantly formed during orogeny, folding and faulting of the host sequence. It should be mentiond that some charachteristic features of the Miandasht copper deposit including development of argillic alteration, and lack of extensive zeolitic alteration, distinguishes it from other copper deposits in the region including Abbasabad deposit.
Economic Geology
Mona Mahdevari; Fardin mousivand; Mahmoud Sadeghian; Mehdi Movahednia
Abstract
Kuhe Rig iron- strontium-(manganese) deposit is located in south of Shahrood, in the northern part of the central Iran zone. Mineralization occurred in the Eocene volcano-sedimentary sequence dominated by andesite basalt, basalt and crystal lithic tuffs. Geometry of main ore body is lense-shaped which ...
Read More
Kuhe Rig iron- strontium-(manganese) deposit is located in south of Shahrood, in the northern part of the central Iran zone. Mineralization occurred in the Eocene volcano-sedimentary sequence dominated by andesite basalt, basalt and crystal lithic tuffs. Geometry of main ore body is lense-shaped which is concordant with lithic tuff host rock layering. Vein-Veinlet mineralization occurs beneath the main ore lense. Based on stratigraphic position, mineralogy, and texture of mineralization, three different ore facies can be distinguished: vein-veinlet (feeder zone), bracciated ore and banded ore facies. Ore minerals includes: goethite, hematite, magnetite, celestite, pyrolusite, psilomelane, barite and iron hydroxides which are accompanied by calcite and quartz gangue minerals. Sericitization and chloritization are the main wall-rock alteration styles. Based on volcono-sedimentary host sequence, geometry of ore body, ore textures and facies, mineralogy, alteration zones and geochemical features, Kuhe Rig can be classified as volcanic-exhalative iron deposits. It's worth mentioning that high amounts of celestite is of special characters of the mineralization in Kuhe Rig deposit and any similar deposits has not been reported in Iran and the world.
Sedimentology
hajar ghafleh maramazi; Fardin mousivand; alireza zarasvandi
Abstract
The Gol-e-Zard zinc-lead deposit is located in the Malayer-Isfahan belt of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in northeast of Aligudarz, Lorestan province. Mineralization occurred as two different ore horizon within metamorphosed Jurassic shale and sandstone. Generally, two ore facieses were distinguished in the deposit: ...
Read More
The Gol-e-Zard zinc-lead deposit is located in the Malayer-Isfahan belt of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in northeast of Aligudarz, Lorestan province. Mineralization occurred as two different ore horizon within metamorphosed Jurassic shale and sandstone. Generally, two ore facieses were distinguished in the deposit: 1) vein-veinlet/stringer facies, and 2) bedded facies. Primary minerals of the ores involve pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite, and the secondary minerals include cerussite, smithsonite, azurite, malachite and goethite. The gangue minerals are quarts, chlorite, calcite and clay-mineral. In the stringer facies, chalcopyrite replaced mainly pyrite and other minerals indicating influx of a copper-rich hot fluid influx into a pyrite-rich ore called as “zone-refining process”. In the Gol-e-Zard deposit metal and mineralogical zonation was observed. Alteration zones have distinct pattern, silicic-carbonatic at core to chloritic at margins. Based on textures and structures, mineralogical, ore facies, alterations and geochemical characters, the zinc-lead mineralization in the Gol-e-Zard region is of Selwyn-type sedimentary-exhalative (SEDEX) deposits, deformed and metamorphosed by the Late Cimmerian and Laramid Orogenies at green schist facies.
Economic Geology
Amir Pakizeh; Fardin mousivand; Abdorrahman Rajabi; Sajjad Maghfouri
Abstract
The Nohkuhi copper deposit located at 40 Km Northwest of Kerman, occurred in the Central Iran structural zone (Bafq- Posht-e- Badam block), within Late Precambrian-Early Cambrian volcano-sedimentary sequences. Host sequence of mineralization consists of dominantly black shale, sandstone and dacitic lava ...
Read More
The Nohkuhi copper deposit located at 40 Km Northwest of Kerman, occurred in the Central Iran structural zone (Bafq- Posht-e- Badam block), within Late Precambrian-Early Cambrian volcano-sedimentary sequences. Host sequence of mineralization consists of dominantly black shale, sandstone and dacitic lava of Rizu Series. Mineralization occurred as stratabound (vein-veinlets) and stratiform (bedded) in the three copper- and two iron-manganese horizons. The mineralization in the Nohkuhi area involves four ore facieses including stringer, vent complex, bedded, and hydrothermal-exhalative banded iron and manganese-rich sediments. This mineralization contains primary pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, hematite and pyrolusite. Wallrock alterations are dominated by chloritic and carbonatic-sericitic- silicic. Metal zonation was observed in the deposit. Based on characteristics of mineralization, such as tectonic setting, host rocks, ore textures and structures, mineralogy, metal and alteration zonation, and comparison with main characters of the volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits, the mineralization shows most similarities with the siliciclastic felsic or Bathurst- type deposits.
Economic Geology
Fardin mousivand; Fayeq Hashemi; Mehdi Rezaei-Kahkhaei; Amir Pakizeh
Abstract
The Darreh Amrood Pb (Ag) deposit is located in south of Ghohrood, in the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA). Host rockes to the deposit are Middle to Late Eocene grey-green siliceous tuff and crystal lithic tuff. Geometry of orebodies is stratabound, irregular, and semiconcordant to discordant to layering ...
Read More
The Darreh Amrood Pb (Ag) deposit is located in south of Ghohrood, in the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA). Host rockes to the deposit are Middle to Late Eocene grey-green siliceous tuff and crystal lithic tuff. Geometry of orebodies is stratabound, irregular, and semiconcordant to discordant to layering of the host rocks. Ore structures and textures are dominated by semi-massive to brecciated, banded and vein-veinlets. Main primary minerals are galena, pyrite and chalcopyrite, and secondary minerals are dominated by covelline, goethite and hematite. Gangue minerals are epidote, chlorite, sericite, clay minerals, quartz, calcite and barite. Wall rock alterations are dominated by epidote-chlorite and sericitic. The rare earth element (REE) pattern of ores is not similar to that of volcanic rocks in the footwall and hangingwall that is concordant with sub-seafloor replacement process for ore formation. Also Ce showed negative anomaly that can be attributed to Ce in the seawater. Also based on structural, stratigraphic, petrographic, textures, mineralogical, alteration and geochemical studies, it is inferred that the Pb (Ag) mineralization in the Darreh Amrood area occurred as bimodal felsic- or Kuroko-type volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) mineralization, and formed as sub-seafloor replacement. It should be noted that the Darreh Amrood deposit is the first recognition of base metal-rich and poor barite VMS mineralization in the UDMA.
F Mousivand; E Rastad; M.H Emami; J Peter; M Solomon
Abstract
The Bavanat (Jian) pelitic-mafic- / Besshi-type Cu-Zn-Ag volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit locates in the Bavanat area, South Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Mineralization occurs as two stratigraphic ore horizons discontinuously within the Surian metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary complex through more than ...
Read More
The Bavanat (Jian) pelitic-mafic- / Besshi-type Cu-Zn-Ag volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit locates in the Bavanat area, South Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Mineralization occurs as two stratigraphic ore horizons discontinuously within the Surian metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary complex through more than 35 km in the area. Stratigraphicaly, from footwall toward hangingwall, four ore facieses were distinguished within the Bavanat (Jian) orebodies including: 1) vein-veinlets or stringer, 2) vent complex, 3) bedded-banded, and 4) hydrothermal-exhalative sediments. The ores have various primary and secondary textures and structures, although most of the primary ones were obscured during metamorphism and deformation. The relict primary textures include massive, semi-massive, banded, brecciated, disseminated and vein-veinlet ores. In the stringer and specially in the vent complex facies, chalcopyrite replaced pyrite indicating influx of a hot copper-rich fluid into the pyrite-rich massive ores during zone refining process. Also, a metal and mineralogical zonation is obsereved in the Bavanat deposit. The major wall rock alterations in the Bavanat deposit from center to margins are silicic, quartz-chlorite, chloritic, chlorite-carbonate and chlorite-sericite, which show zonal pattern. Based on electron microprobe studies, chlorite is of iron-rich type. The abundant pyrrhotite in the Bavanat deposit might be due to low oxygen and sulfur fogacity, and occurrence of abundant chlinochlor in the alteration zones may indicate low pH (between 4.3 and 5.3) conditions for the ore-forming fluids. The high amounts of Cu and Zn, and low amounts of Pb, along with fluid inclusion studies results indicate high temprature (300-350 °C) for the ore fluids. Based on this study, the ore fluids responsibe for formation of the Bavanat deposit were hot, reduced and acidic, which entered into a confined marine basins, followed by ore deposition.
S Maghfouri; E Rastad; F Mousivand; Y Lin
Abstract
Copper mineralization in Nudeh Cu deposit and Frezy, Garab, Kalateh lala (Nieran) and Chun occurrences, located in southwest of Sabzevar hosted by a Upper Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence formed in a rift environment. The main is host rock of the Nudeh Cu sulfide deposit includes alkali olivine ...
Read More
Copper mineralization in Nudeh Cu deposit and Frezy, Garab, Kalateh lala (Nieran) and Chun occurrences, located in southwest of Sabzevar hosted by a Upper Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence formed in a rift environment. The main is host rock of the Nudeh Cu sulfide deposit includes alkali olivine basalt flow and subordinate tuffaceous silty sandstone. Host rock of the Ferizy and Garab occurrences is andesite flow. The rock forming mineral of Kalateh lala (Nieran) and Chun occurrences is tuffaceous silty sandstone. Sulfide mineralization in the Nudeh deposit and occurrences within an Upper Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequence occurs as sheet-like &tabular shape within three ore horizons. Based on nature of sulfide mineralization, mineralogy and textures of sulfide minerals, the Nudeh deposit can be divided into three different ore facies. Based on their situation towards the vent of mineralizing fluid, these facies include: A) Vein-veinlets facies (Stringer zone) includes sulfide veins and silica that form as a scissors of host rocks under the massive ore facies. Vein-veinlets and replacement textures formed main features of this facies. B) Massive ore facies that forms the thicker part of generally massive higher grade ores in west of the deposit and includes sulfide mineralization with heterogeneous nature and stratabound, limited in the alkali olivine basalt flow. C) Bedded ore facies which is thinner than the massive ore facies and is characterized by layered and banded apparent and low grade ore. The rock forming mineral of this facies is tuffaceous silty sandstone. This facies occurs as laminated and banded sulfides contemporaneous with the host rocks layering at eastern part of the deposit. Mineralogy of Nudeh deposit includes chalcopyrite, pyrite, bornite, sphalerite, boulangerite and magnetite wall rock alterations are dominated by silicification, chloritization, sericitization and epidotization. The most important characteristics of mineralization at the Nudeh deposit such as tectonic setting, host rocks, mineralogy, metal content as well as wall rock alterations, show similarities with volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. Accordingly, Nudeh Cu deposit is regarded as a Besshi - or pelitic mafic VMS deposit.
F Mousivand; E Rastad; M.H Emami; J.M Peter
Abstract
Various types of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits occurred within the northern and southern parts of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ). The most important VMS deposits of the south SSZ includes the Bavanat Cu-Zn-Ag (pelitic mafic- or Besshi-type), Sargaz Cu-Zn (bimodal mafic- or Noranda-type), ...
Read More
Various types of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits occurred within the northern and southern parts of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ). The most important VMS deposits of the south SSZ includes the Bavanat Cu-Zn-Ag (pelitic mafic- or Besshi-type), Sargaz Cu-Zn (bimodal mafic- or Noranda-type), and Chahgaz Zn-Pb-Cu (silicicalstic felsic-or Bathurst-type) deposits, and the north SSZ hosts the Barika gold-rich (bimodal felsic- or Kuroko-type) VMS deposit. Comparison of the VMS deposits, and investigating of possible relationship between formation of these deposits and tectono-magmatic processes within the SSZ indicate formation of all the deposits within intra-arc rift basins related to subduction of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust beneath the Iranian plate during Mesozoic period. Main reasons for formation of the different VMS types within the SSZ might be due to evolution of magma nature and intra-arc rift basins. Comparison between the deposits in many aspects including host and associated rock types and ore mineral paragenesis indicate clear differences between the Bavanat and Sargaz deposits and the Chahgaz deposit. It is inferred that the differences could be due to variations in magma compositions, i.e., felsic in the Chahgaz, and mafic in the Bavanat and Sargaz host sequences. Indeed, development of the intra-arc rifting was at early/nascent stage in the Bavanat and Sargaz regions and at mature stage in the Chahgaz area.The SSZ (particularly the southern part) due to hosting various VMS type deposits and involving the known largest and majority VMS deposits in Iran is the most attractive structural zone for VMS exploration.
K. Orang; Mohammad Mohajjel; F. Mousivand; E. Rastad
Abstract
The Chah Gaz Zn-Pb-Cu volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit is a polydeformed, polymetamorphosed ore body in southern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. The ore bodies are comprised predominantly of stratiform, tabular and lenticular massive sulfide lenses and are elongated in 0600-0700 orientation. ...
Read More
The Chah Gaz Zn-Pb-Cu volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit is a polydeformed, polymetamorphosed ore body in southern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. The ore bodies are comprised predominantly of stratiform, tabular and lenticular massive sulfide lenses and are elongated in 0600-0700 orientation. The host rocks and massive sulfides have been complexly deformed during three deformation stages (D1, D2, D3) and two associated episodes of green schist facies metamorphism (M1, M2) that all events occurred after middle Jurassic. The earliest structural elements in the mine area are bedding and continuous foliation (S1) that are preserved in the host rocks; include phyllites, slates and schists. F1 folds have not been identified in the ore bodies, Although they do recognized as shallowly to moderately plunging to NW and isoclinal folds within the Chah Gaz area. Geometry of ore bodies was mainly controlled by D2 structures (include folds and foliations). F2 plunge shallowly to NE or SW. F2 are close to open and their axial planes dip steeply to S and N. Ore bodies are commonly transposed from S0-S1 and show rearrangement parallel to axial planar foliation (AS2) and composite foliation (ST2). ST2 is vertical and strikes NE-SW. Sulfide minerals in the ore bodies have undergone extensive deformation, remobilization and dynamic recrystallisation during D2 tectono-thermal stage. D3 structures are locally controller of ore bodies and include folds and shear zones.
F. Mousivand; E. Rastad; M. H. Emami; J. M. Peter; M. Solomon
Abstract
Zn-Pb-Cu mineralization in the Chahgaz area, located 60 km south of Shahre Babak, occurs within a Middle Jurassic metamorphosed bimodal volcano-sedimentary sequence in the South Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Mineralization occurs associated with exhalites within units 1and 2 of the host sequence as numerous ...
Read More
Zn-Pb-Cu mineralization in the Chahgaz area, located 60 km south of Shahre Babak, occurs within a Middle Jurassic metamorphosed bimodal volcano-sedimentary sequence in the South Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. Mineralization occurs associated with exhalites within units 1and 2 of the host sequence as numerous occurrences, and within unit 3 as Chahgaz deposit and some occurrences hosted by meta-rhyolitic tuff, meta-rhyolite, and meta-pelites, as predominantly stratiform, tabular and sheeted-like orebodies at specific stratigraphic horizons. Ore textures include massive, semi-massive, banded, laminated, disseminated and vein-veinlets. Ore minerals are predominantly pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite, arsenopyrite, and minor bornite and pyrrhotite, and gangue minerals include dominantly sericite, quartz, chlorite and barite. Wallrock alteration is dominated by sericitic and chloritic and minor carbonatic and silicic types. Altered host rocks have been foliated due to metamorphism and deformation, and along with the associated ores have been folded and faulted and show cataclastic, triple junctions, pressure shadows, crenulations, and boudinage features. Based on geological, mineralogical, geochemical and alteration studies, it is inferred that Zn-Pb-Cu mineralization in the Chahgaz area has occurred as volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS)-type in an arc rift basin, and has subsequently been metamorphosed under greenschist facies conditions during the Late Cimmerian and Laramid orogenies and younger events. This mineralization, in comparison with similar deposits in the world, has the most similarities with those deposits of siliciclastic felsic-type in the Bathurst Mining Camp, Canada, and Iberian Pyrite Belt in Spain and Portugal; and it is the first recognition of this type in Iran.