Fluid source, element mobility and physicochemical conditions of porphyry-style hydrothermal alteration-mineralization at Mirkhani, Southern Chitral, Pakistan

Abstract

The Cretaceous calc-alkaline granodioritic rocks in north-western Kohistan island arc host porphyry-type mineralization at Mirkhani in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. In this paper, we present whole-rock geochemistry, mass-change calculations, and type and degree of element mobility regarding the hydrothermal mineralization-alteration processes. There are two distinct types of pyrite mineralization: (1) euhedral to subhedral pyrite (Py1) and cataclastic pyrite (Py2). To comprehend the source of hydrothermal fluids and their physicochemical conditions, trace element and S (sulfur) isotope compositions of the two types of pyrite were determined. Besides, the pyrite and silicate minerals were investigated through electron probe microanalysis (EPMA).The average low Ni (46), Zn (5), Cd (below detection level), and Bi (1) contents (in ppm), high Co/Ni ratio (>10) of both Py1 and Py2, and the range of sulfur isotope values for Py1 (−0.84‰ to 1.49‰) and Py2 (−0.93‰ to 1.84‰) indicate affiliation of the mineralization with felsic magma-derived hydrothermal fluids. The average low and high contents (ppm) of Se (0.7), As (2.6) and Zn (2), and Co (1089), respectively, in Py1 than Py2 (Se = 1.3, As = 4, Zn = 6 and Co = 747) indicates that former pyrite grains crystallized at a higher temperature than the latter, however, both types of pyrites were formed in medium to high-temperature conditions.The observed strong mobility of REE (rare earth elements) and HFSE (high field strength elements), high La/Yb ratios (avg. 23), and low (<1) Nb/La and Th/La ratios in the altered rocks reflect mobilization by slightly acidic solutions dominated by chloride and fluoride-rich complexes (±SO4 and OH). The gain-loss calculations reveal that SiO2, CaO, and TiO2 were leached out, whereas Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, P2O5, K2O, Cu, As, Mo, Ag, Au, Bi, and REE, HFSE, and LILE (large-ion lithophile elements) were variably added to the rocks during the hydrothermal process.Temperature calculation for chlorite formation and the type of gangue and ore mineral assemblage (epidote + sericite + albite + pyrite) implies a mineralization temperature range between ~ 215 °C and ~ 322 °C. The porphyry style of hydrothermal alteration-mineralization, trace element and S isotope composition of pyrite, and elemental gain and loss indicates that the mineralization at Mirkhani could be a part of a major porphyry Cu-Au system.