scholarly journals Geochemistry, Paragenesis, and Wall-Rock Alteration of the Qatruyeh Iron Deposits, Southwest of Iran: Implications for a Hydrothermal-Metasomatic Genetic Model

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sina Asadi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Rajabzadeh

The Qatruyeh iron deposits, located on the eastern border of the NW-SE trending Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic zone, southwest of Iran, are hosted by a late Proterozoic to early Paleozoic sequence dominated by metamorphosed carbonate rocks. The magnetite ores occurred as layered to massive bodies, with lesser amounts of disseminated magnetite and hematite-bearing veins. Textural evidences, along with geochemical analyses of the high field strengths (HFSEs), large ion lithophiles (LILEs), and rare earth elements (REEs), indicate that the main mineralization stage occurred as low-grade layered magnetite ores due to high-temperature hydrothermal fluids accompanied by Na-Ca alteration. Most of the main ore-stage minerals precipitated from an aqueous-carbonic fluid (3.5–15 wt.% NaCl equiv.) at temperatures ranging between 300° and 410°C during fluid mixing process, CO2 effervescence, cooling, and increasing of pH. Low-temperature hydrothermal activity subsequently produced hematite ores associated with propylitic alteration. The metacarbonate host rocks are LILE-depleted and HFSE-enriched due to metasomatic alteration.

1981 ◽  
Vol 44 (336) ◽  
pp. 417-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Cathelineau ◽  
J. Leroy

AbstractHydrothermal uranium veins, associated with the Hercynian leucogranites show important variations in their mineralogical, chemical and structural features in relation to the host rock lithology. These are described with particular reference to the Chardon deposit, Vendée where the veins cut granite, basic lithologies, and shales. The following features are described: 1Changes in the thickness of veins near to contact zones, particularly those between granites and basic lithologies, lamprophyres, and shales.2Changes in the gangue mineral assemblage with the preferential development of carbonate in veins cutting basic lithologies, and of silica in veins which cut granite.3Paragenetic zoning in the veins in passing from granites to their metamorphic aureoles.Comparisons between deposits of Vendée, Limousin, and Erzgebirge allow the following generalizations to be made: 1Open faults and subsequent mineralization are concentrated at boundaries between competent and more plastic lithologies.2Mineralizing fluids cause wall-rock alteration characterized by the removal of Si from granite and of Ca, Mg, Fe from metamorphic and basic rocks.3The chemical and structural characteristics of wallrocks are important controls on the mineralization but in acid lithologies the main controls on the pitchblende vein formation are the structural characteristics of the wallrock.


1995 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 993-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Neumayr ◽  
J.R. Ridley ◽  
D.I. Groves

Synamphibolite facies Archean gold mineralization in the Mt. York District, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, is hosted in metamorphosed banded iron formation (Main Hill–Breccia Hill prospect), amphibolites, and ultramafic schists (Zakanaka prospect). Mineralization at Main Hill occurs in quartz breccias with sulfide matrices and in altered wall rock adjacent to quartz–biotite–amphibole ± clinopyroxene veins. Alteration associated with quartz veins is zoned, with biotite—pyrrhotite vein selvedges and a distal calcic-amphibole, arsenopyrite–lôllingite zone. Hydrothermal biotite and actinolite have highest Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratios where associated with abundant sulfarsenides in the distal alteratin zone. Whole-rock geochemical analyses and calculated metasomatic reactions indicate the addition of K, Al, S, As, Au, Ag, and Ni during hydrothermal alteration. Mineralization at Zakanaka is characterized by a broad wall rock alteration halo of biotite–amphibole, and zoned quartz–calc silicate veins proximal to ore. Wall rock adjacent to the veins contains pyrrhotite, pyrite, and gold. The alteration is explained by K-metasomatism distal to mineralization and K and Ca metasomatism proximal to mineralization. Balanced metasomatic reactions and mass-balance calculations indicate addition of K and depletion of Na, Ca, Mg, and Fe in distal alteration zones and addition of K, Ca, Mg, Fe, and Ti in proximal zones. Gold precipitation at both prospects occurred through loss of S, and possibly As, from the ore fluid during sulfidation reactions with Fe-rich amphiboles and biotites to form Mg-enriched equivalents and sulfarsenides. Changes in the oxidation state of the ore fluid may have enhanced gold precipitation, though pH changes are unlikely to have been important. The controls on mineralization are thus similar to those at many lower temperature, mesothermal deposits. The lack of consistently increasing Mg ratios of calc-silicate phases with increasing intensity of alteration and sulfidation at Main Hill may be the result of coupled substitutions in amphiboles and biotites during infiltration of a fluid with high-S, but low-As, activities.


2003 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank P Bierlein ◽  
Paul K Smith

The Touquoy Zone deposit is host to disseminated gold mineralisation in metasiltstones of lower Palaeozoic age. From the close correlation between ore grades and the intersection of favourable stratigraphy and bounding faults, it is apparent that mineralisation is controlled by both structural and lithological influences. Within the ore zone, disseminated gold, arsenopyrite, pyrite, and rare base-metal sulphides are associated with a network of widely spaced, millimetre-scale, quartz–carbonate veinlets. Quasi-pervasive fluid flow and prolonged interaction with the host rocks resulted in a diffuse, but pronounced halo of wall-rock alteration that is characterized by the breakdown of detrital feldspar and metamorphic chlorite and the development of hydrothermal carbonate phases, K-mica, and disseminated sulphides. These mineralogical changes are accompanied by enrichment in CO2, K, Au, As, and S and depletion in Na across the ore zone. Vein formation occurred at between 250° and 350°C and pressures of less than 1–2 kbar (1 kbar = 100 MPa), corresponding to an estimated depth of between <2.8 and 6 km. Mineralisation resulted from the unmixing of an overpressured (low-salinity, CO2-rich) fluid in response to decreasing pressure during its ascent and penetration into permeable host rocks. Geological and geochemical features of mineralisation in the Touquoy Zone deposit are seen as convincing evidence for a close genetic association between disseminated-style and lode gold mineralisation in orogenic terrains, with the resulting style of mineralisation largely controlled by the overall structural geometry of the mineralising site, rheological properties, permeability and chemical receptiveness of the host rock, and structural level of emplacement.


1973 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 760-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guy Spitz ◽  
Richard Darling

The Louvem copper deposit, discovered by SOQUEM in 1968, is situated in the Precambrian volcanic belt that stretches between the mining districts of Noranda and Val d'Or. The ore deposit is in the upper part of the volcanic pile, near the base of the overlying silicic pyroclastic rocks, and it is conformable with surrounding rocks. Its host rocks are meta-rhyodacite and meta-dacite flows and silicic pyroclastic rocks including tuff, agglomerate, and breccia. The principal structural features are a well-developed shear zone along the original footwall of the deposit and a locally-developed, complexly folded zone that perhaps represents a zone of slumping along the original roof of the deposit. The rocks surrounding the deposit contain mineral assemblages characteristic of the greenschist metamorphic facies. Wall-rock alteration surrounding the deposit includes pyritization, chloritization, sericitization, and silicification. Pyrite and chlorite alteration is characteristic of rocks immediately surrounding the ore while sericite and secondary quartz are present in an outer alteration zone further from the deposit. Ore deposition took place in a zone of permeable pyroclastic rocks sandwiched between two massive bands of volcanic rocks.


1972 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1596-1611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayanta Guha ◽  
Richard Darling

Microscopic study of samples from the Louvem copper deposit shows that the principal ore minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite and the accessory ore minerals are rutile, tetradymite, two unidentified tellurides, cobaltite, molybdenite, galena, and four optically distinct phases having compositions along the digenite–bornite tie line.The Louvem ore body is a pipe-shaped mass of mineralized rhyolitic tuff and agglomerate that is conformable with enclosing volcanic and pyroclastic rocks. The ore body is zoned, with a copper-rich core and pyrite-rich margins. Wall-rock alteration spatially related to the ore deposit suggests that it was formed by replacement of porous tuffaceous host rocks by a hydrothermal fluid. Textural features of the ore indicate that it was subjected to post-emplacement thermal metamorphism.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Vezzoni ◽  
Diego Pieruccioni ◽  
Andrea Dini ◽  
Giancarlo Molli ◽  
Cristian Biagioni

&lt;p&gt;The origin and evolution of an orebody hosted in metamorphic terrane is a prime topic in economic geology because they have implications on exploration as well as on related potential geo-environmental health hazards. The Alpi Apuane orebodies has long been known; however, their ore genesis and the relationships with the Apenninic age deformation and metamorphism is still a matter of debate. Indeed, they are still an interesting field of research, as proved by the recent discovery of a remarkable Tl anomaly associated to the baryte &amp;#177; pyrite &amp;#177; Fe-oxides ores of southern Alpi Apuane, northern Tuscany, Italy [1]. The present work reports a new detailed field and underground geological-structural investigation, performed from cartographic- to microscopic-scale, integrated by available drill-logs data, of one of these Tl-rich orebodies - the Buca della Vena ore.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The present study gives new insights on some aspect of the ore-forming events and discusses previous interpretations. According to our investigations, the ore settings were acquired during successive geological events related to an early hydrothermal-magmatic phase, likely of Permian age, and to the more recent Apenninic deformations. We suggest that the proto-ore was produced by hydrothermal activity related to the post-Variscan magmatic cycle (documented by the Permian age &amp;#8220;Fornovolasco metarhyolite&amp;#8221; Fm [2]), causing ore-formation, tourmalinization and hydrothermal alteration halo in the Cambrian-Lower Ordovician phyllites host-rocks. In our model, the ores were then partially exhumed suffering supergene alteration with development of minor Fe-oxides sedimentary mineralizations during the upper Norian-Hettangian. Finally, the previous hydrothermal and sedimentary ores, along with the host-rocks, were involved in the Apenninic orogenesis, and were recrystallized, and partially remobilized acquiring the current mineralogical, textural, and structural settings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[1] Biagioni, C., D&amp;#8217;Orazio, M., Vezzoni, S., Dini, A., Orlandi, P., 2013. Mobilization of Tl-Hg-As-Sb-(Ag,Cu)-Pb sulfosalt melts during low-grade metamorphism in the Alpi Apuane (Tuscany, Italy). Geology, 41, 747-750.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;[2] Vezzoni, S., Biagioni, C., D&amp;#8217;Orazio, M., Pieruccioni, D., Galanti, Y., Petrelli, M., Molli, G., 2018. Evidence of Permian magmatism in the Alpi Apuane metamorphic complex (Northern Apennines, Italy): New hints for the geological evolution of the basement of the Adria plate. Lithos, 318-319, 104-123.&lt;/p&gt;


2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Κ. Σερέλης ◽  
Ε. Γκάρτζος ◽  
Π. Τσαουσίδου

Three different kinds of alteration processes occur in the studied ultramafic host rocks of the magnesite deposits of N. Evia. In chronological order: Pre-magnesite event (serpentinization), syngenetic brown alteration and weathering. This paper concerns the syngenetic wall rock alteration of the ultramafic host rocks. Two types of wall rock alteration were distinguished. The first one named type (B-i) concerns cases of brown alteration accompanying thin to medium size veins of magnesite. Alteration is restricted in thin (a few cm to 20 cm) vein-parallel bands occurring on both sides of the vein. Alteration increases gradually towards the edges of the vein. The altered band consists mainly of abundant dolomite and/or quartz. The second type (B2) concerns argillic alteration of large ultramafic masses in areas with intense magnesite mineralization and can be observed along the walls of the open pit mines. Secondary vermiculite has been formed in this case. Both types are related to the genesis of the magnesite deposits


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