Economic Geology
Maryam Khosravi; Wenchao Yu; Jintao Zhou
Abstract
The Gano bauxite deposit is located 90 km northeast of Semnan city in the eastern Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. The bauxite ores occur as stratiform discrete lenses with a length of 6 km and thickness of 2–20 m along the contact between carbonates of the Elika Formation and shale, sandstone, ...
Read More
The Gano bauxite deposit is located 90 km northeast of Semnan city in the eastern Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. The bauxite ores occur as stratiform discrete lenses with a length of 6 km and thickness of 2–20 m along the contact between carbonates of the Elika Formation and shale, sandstone, siltstone, and coal of the Shemshak Formation. Mineralogical analyses revealed that the bauxite ores consist of diaspore, hematite, kaolinite, chlorite, anatase, illite, zunyite, goethite, quartz, and dolomite minerals. Fluctuations of the groundwater table level, acidic atmospheric waters, and an increase in pH of the weathering solutions close to carbonate bedrocks played an important role in the concentration of Fe-poor ores in the upper parts and Fe-rich ores in the lower parts of the studied profile. An increase in oxidation, the possible presentence of secondary phosphate minerals, fluctuations of the groundwater table level, and the role of carbonate bedrock as an active buffer played an important role in the extent of Ce anomaly in the ores (0.79–12.25). The pH variations of weathering solutions, fluctuations of the groundwater table level, the role of carbonate bedrock as a geochemical barrier, and simultaneous precipitation of Fe-bearing minerals and preferential scavenging of LREE(La–Eu) by hematite played an important role in the distribution and fractionation of rare earth elements in the bauxite ores. According to geochemical considerations (Eu/Eu* vs. TiO2/Al2O3 and Sm/Nd bivariate diagrams), the Gano bauxite deposit probably derived from the weathering of intermediate igneous rocks.
S. Esmailnezhad; N. Taghipour; A. A. Hassannezhad
Abstract
The Nukeh iron deposit is situated at the north of Semnan and at south of Central Alborz structural zone. Volcano-pyroclastic rocks with Eocene age are the host of this deposit. Iron mineralization occurs as massive, disseminated, vein and breccia types in the Nukeh deposit and magnetite, hematite, pyrite, ...
Read More
The Nukeh iron deposit is situated at the north of Semnan and at south of Central Alborz structural zone. Volcano-pyroclastic rocks with Eocene age are the host of this deposit. Iron mineralization occurs as massive, disseminated, vein and breccia types in the Nukeh deposit and magnetite, hematite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, garnet, epidote, quartz and calcite are the main minerals in this deposit. Fluid inclusions and stable isotopes (O, C, S) have been used to reveal the physico-chemical characteristics of hydrothermal fluids and genesis of the Nukeh Fe deposit. Seven types of fluid inclusions are identified in quartz, according to the phase numbers, which include, liquid inclusions (L), liquid-rich inclusions (L+V), vapor-rich inclusions (V+L), vapor inclusions (V), simple brine inclusions (L+V+S), halite-bearing liquid inclusions (L+S) and opaque-bearing liquid-rich inclusions (L+V+O). The ranges of homogenization temperature and salinity of liquid-rich fluid inclusions in quartz are 100-200˚C and 10-20 wt. % NaCl equivalent, respectively, whereas the ranges of homogenization temperature and salinity of vapor-rich fluid inclusions are 350-500˚C and 10-30 wt. % NaCl equivalent, respectively. Also homogenization temperature and salinities of liquid-rich fluid inclusions in calcite in garnet (type a) and magnetite (type b) zones is 75-125 ˚C but the salinity of fluid inclusions in calcite in garnet zone (15-25 wt. % NaCl) is more than salinity of these inclusions in magnetite zone (10-20 wt. % NaCl). δ13C and δ18O values of calcite (n=15) vary between -1.9 to +0.1 ‰ (VPDB) and -19.4 to -14.9‰ (SMOW), respectively. The average value of δ18OWater is of +17.85‰ (SMOW) in the Nukeh Fe deposit is different from the values for the primary magmatic fluid. Pyrite is the main sulfide mineral in the Nukeh Fe deposit and δ34S values of pyrite (n=9) is within the range of +3.9 to +5.4 ‰ CDT . The source of sulfur is considered to be magmatic on this basis. Fluid inclusions and stable isotopic (O, C, S) data suggest that the ore-forming fluids evolved by the various mixtures of magmatic brines and meteoric water and probably the genesis of the Nukeh Fe deposit is similar to skarn deposits.
M Hajibahrami; N Taghipour; G Ghorbani
Abstract
The Hamyerd iron deposit is located in the northeast of Semnan in the boundary of the southern Alborz and Central Iran structural zones. A sub-volcanic body of monzonite and monzodiorite composition intruded limestone and pyroclastic rocks (equivalent to the middle Eocene Karaj formation). The iron mineralization ...
Read More
The Hamyerd iron deposit is located in the northeast of Semnan in the boundary of the southern Alborz and Central Iran structural zones. A sub-volcanic body of monzonite and monzodiorite composition intruded limestone and pyroclastic rocks (equivalent to the middle Eocene Karaj formation). The iron mineralization occurred at the contact between intrusive bodies and these sedimentary rocks. The extensive hematite content along with minor amounts of magnetite, goetite, limonite, pyrite, dolomite, barite and calcite are important characteristics of the Hamyerd ore deposit. Mineralization occurred as veins and also hematite lenses with minor magnetite content. Fluid inclusion and stable isotope (S, C and O) studies were integrated to explore the Hamyerd iron ore genesis. Petrographic studies display five types of fluid inclusions in quartz and 4 types in barite. Fluid inclusions in quartz include single-phase liquid, single-phase gas, two-phase liquid-rich, two-phase gas-rich, and three-phase (liquid-solid-gas) inclusions. Three-phase liquid-solid-gas inclusions were not detected in barite. Microtermometry studies in two-phase liquid-rich inclusions revealed homogenization temperatures of 200-250 ˚C and 100-200 ˚C, and salinities of 10-20 and 0.5-5 wt% NaCl equivalent for quartz and barite fluid inclusions, respectively. Microthermometry of halite-bearing three-phase fluid inclusions showed homogenization temperature from 200 to 350 ˚C and salinity from 30 to 40 wt% NaCl equivalent. δ34SCDT values of pyrites at Hamyerd iron deposit are in the range of 2.2 to 7.4‰. The isotopic values of barites range from 13.6‰ to 20.2‰ for δ34SCDT and 10.2‰ to 12.1‰ for δ18OVSMOW, respectively. The carbon and oxygen isotopic values of calcite are in the range of -3.4‰ to -4.5‰ and 17.7‰ to 19.1‰, respectively. Microthermometry of fluid inclusions and stable isotopes (S, O, C) at Hamyerd iron deposit suggested mixing of magmatic and meteoric fluids as origin of hydrothermal solutions. Mineralization in the Hamyerd iron deposit is probably similar to Fe-skarn deposits.
A. R. Ghiasvand; M. Ghaderi; N. Rashidnejad-Omran
Abstract
The iron deposits in north of Semnan are located in the south of Central Alborz structural zone. Stratigraphically, the area consists of Paleozoic to Quaternary rock series exposures. The area has been affected by Semnan, Darjazin, Attari and Diktash faults. An intermediate to acidic granitoid body of ...
Read More
The iron deposits in north of Semnan are located in the south of Central Alborz structural zone. Stratigraphically, the area consists of Paleozoic to Quaternary rock series exposures. The area has been affected by Semnan, Darjazin, Attari and Diktash faults. An intermediate to acidic granitoid body of calc-alkaline and metaluminous composition, representing I-type granite characteristics, has intruded the Eocene volcanopyroclastic rocks in the north of Semnan. Skarn development and iron mineralization have occurred at the contact of the intrusive body and the volcanopyroclastic rocks. Mineral Paragenesis consists of magnetite accompanied by hematite, oligist, pyrite, chalcopyrite, garnet, pyroxene and epidote. Geometry of the ore bodies is massive, lenticular and vein type and their texture is disseminated, brecciated, vein-veinlet and massive. Dominant alterations in the area are propylitic, argillic, silicic, sericitic, chloritic and pyritic, respectively. The intrusive body has many similarities with intrusive bodies which form Fe-skarn deposits. Variations in the calculated parameters for REE indicate contribution of magmatic origin hydrothermal fluids to mineralization and that the intrusive body has had the dominant role as source of the skarn ore materials. Along with the intrusion, emplacement and crystallization of intrusive body, Fe-bearing fluids have intruded the volcanopyroclastic rocks, forming sodic metasomatism and deposited iron ores in the north of Semnan which have many similarities with calcic Fe-skarn deposits.
