Genesis of Tertiary Magnetite–Apatite Deposits, Southeast of Zanjan, Iran

Abstract

AbstractMagnetite–apatite deposits in the Alborz volcano–plutonic belt, southeast Zanjan, in Iran, have blade, lenzoid, and vein forms, which extend in an E‐W direction. There are many magnetite–apatite veins and veinlets in this region, and some of them are economically important, such as Zaker, Morvarid, Sorkheh–Dizaj, and Aliabad. The sizes of the vein orebodies vary between 2 and 16 m in width, 10–100 m in length, and 5–40 m in depth. Microscopic examination of thin sections and polishes indicate that they are composed of magnetite and apatite, with minor amounts of goethite, hematite, actinolite, quartz, muscovite–illite, talc, dolomite, and calcite. The geochemistry and mineralogy of the granitic host rock reveals that it is calc‐alkaline and I‐type. Field observations, mineral paragenesis, the composition of the orebodies, and the composition of the fluid inclusions in the apatite minerals with low salinity (less than 20 wt.% NaCl equivalent) indicate that these magnetite veins were hydrothermally generated at about 200–430°C and are not related to silica–iron oxide immiscibility, as are the major Precambrian magnetite deposits in central Iran.