Geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry, Sr[sbnd]Nd isotopes, and biotite chemistry of the Deh-Bala intrusive rocks, Central Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (Iran): Implications for magmatic processes and copper mineralization

Abstract

The Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (UDMA) of Iran hosts a variety of volcano-plutonic rocks of different composition and age formed by subduction of Neo-Tethyan Ocean beneath Eurasian supercontinent and the subsequent processes of post-subduction magmatism. This study focuses on mineral chemistry of biotite and amphibole, zircon UPb geochronology, whole-rock geochemistry, and SrNd isotopic geochemistry in the Deh-Bala granitoid, in an attempt to investigate the porphyry-epithermal mineralization potential. The Deh-Bala intrusions in the central part of the UDMA consist mainly of granodiorite and minor tonalite, with microgranular enclaves (MEs) of gabbrodiorite, diorite, and monzodiorite composition. In addition, the main ore minerals associated with more altered and mineralized varieties of these intrusions include chalcopyrite, covellite, malachite, and pyrite. The silicic, argillic, phyllic (sericitic), and propylitic facies of alteration occur in parts of the Deh-Bala area; these types of alteration, which are typically considered the most important predictors of porphyry copper‑gold and (or) epithermal precious metal mineralization.LA-ICP-MS UPb dating of zircons reveals that the pluton was emplaced during Middle-Eocene (ca. 39.0 Ma). The Deh-Bala granitoids (DBG) are calc-alkaline in composition (Na2O + K2O: 4.8–7.3 wt%) and display SiO2 contents from ∼53 to ∼67 wt%. They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), with marked Eu anomalies. They are also characterized by an enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs, such as Rb, K, and U) and a depletion in high-field strength elements (HFSE, such Nb, Y, Ti, and Zr), displaying obviously depletions with Ba, P, and Sc. The DBG shows whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (ISr) of 0.7048–0.7061, εNd(t) values of −1.79 to +1.64, and Nd two-stage depleted mantle model ages (TDM2) from 747 to 1004 Ma. These isotopic data, combined with the geochemical signatures, indicate that the DBG originated through mixing of mafic and felsic end-members, the former was derived from melting of the lithospheric mantle, and the latter derived from partial melting of Neoproterozoic crustal materials in a continental-arc.Biotite compositions analysed by electron microprobe are consistent with the Deh-Bala magmas being oxidized and chlorine-rich, similar to worldwide porphyry copper‑gold systems formed in arc-related settings associated with convergent margin subduction zones. Such a chlorine-rich magmatic-hydrothermal system is known to be effective in scavenging copper and (or) gold from melt and its transfer to shallow levels.