QE568 : Mineralogy, geochemistry and genesis of graphite-copper-nickel and iron mineralization in the Sabzevar ophiolites (south of Joghtay)
Thesis > Central Library of Shahrood University > Geosciences > MSc > 2021
Authors:
Fatemeh Sadat Rezaei [Author], Fardin Mousivand[Supervisor], Habibolah Ghasemi[Supervisor]
Abstarct: Graphite-copper-nickel, copper and iron ores have occurred in the south of Joghatay city and south of Zamand village within the mantle section of Sabzevar ophiolite sequence, inside the Upper Cretaceous dunite and serpentinite units. Mineralization occured as vein-veinlelts, disseminated, massive and lenticular/millonitic textures. Graphite-copper-nickel mineralization contains primary minerals of valleriite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, magnetite, graphite, cobaltite, millerite, pentlandite, and secondary minerals of malachite, hematite and goethite. Copper mineralization is also in the form of sulfide lenses rich in pyrite and chalcopyrite, which were weatherd to iron oxides and malachite. Primary minerals in iron mineralization mineral include chromium spinel, magnetite, pentlandite and secondary minerals including goethite and malachite. In iron mineralization, magnetite minerals sometimes have chromium spinel nuclei. The gangoue minerals in these mineralizations mainly include serpentine and calcite minerals. According to geochemical studies in graphite-copper-nickel mineralization, the gold content in the oxidized sulfide lenses reaches to about 2 ppm (1838 ppb). The Cu/(Cu+Ni) ratio of the sulfide ores is between 0 and 0.97 (with average of 0.7) and, Ni/Co ratio between 0.8 and 10 (with average of 4). These ratios indicates hydrothermal origin for the graphite-Cu-Ni sulfide mineralization. baxsed on isotopic studies of sulfur, the amount of δ34S in the sulfides of the graphite-copper-nickel mineralization is in the range of +0.68 to +1.69 permil, which can be a sign of magmatic origin for sulfur. baxsed on oxygen isotopic studies, δ18O values in the magnetite of the iron ores are in the range of + 12.2 to +15 permil, and can indicate a deep source as well as mextamorphism process for the mineralizing fluids. Due to the basic characteristics of mineralizations, including the geometric shape and fault control of mineralizations, host rocks, structure and texture, and mineralogy and alteration, it seems that graphite-copper-nickel, copper, and iron mineralization were deposited by hydrothermal fluids during serpentinization process. In graphite-copper-nickel mineralization, extermely reduced CO2-rich fluids originated from deep sections during serpentinization of dunite, and leached elements from ultramafic rocks. Serpentinization process was resulted in formation of CH4. Under the reduced conditions, due to reaction between CO2-bearing mextal-rich fluids and CH4, graphite was formed accompaning with sulfide meinerals. The iron deposit formed within dunites during serpentinization and the replacement of chromium-bearing spinels by magnetite. It is noteworthy that graphite-copper-nickel mineralization in this study is reported for the first time in the Sabzevar and the other Iranian ophiolites.
Keywords:
#Graphite-Copper-Nickel #Magnetite #Zamand #Joghatay #Hydrothermal #Ophiolite #Sabzevar. Keeping place: Central Library of Shahrood University
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