Petrography, mineralization and mineral explorations in the Zendan salt dome (Hara), Bandar Lengeh

زمین شناسی اقتصادی

Article 6, Volume 10, Issue 1 - Serial Number 18, 2018, Pages 195-216   

Document Type: Research Article

DOI: 10.22067/econg.v10i1.45224

Authors

Habib Biabangard^{* 1}; Farooq Alian¹; Marziyeh Bazamad²

¹Sistan and Baluchestan

²Payame Noor

Abstract

Introduction
The Zendan salt dome is located at 80 Km north of Bandar-Lengeh and 110 Km west of Bandar-Khamir cities in the Hormozgan province. Based on the structural geology of Iran, the Zendan salt dome is placed in the southeastern part of the Zagros zone (Stocklin, 1968). Important units in this area are Hormuz, Mishan, Aghajari and Bakhtiari formations with the Precambrian age (Alian and Bazamad, 2014). The Hormuz formation with the four members of H1, H2, H3, and H4 is the oldest formation (Ahmadzadeh Heravi et al., 1991). Basalt and diabase rocks are mostly rocks that are exposed in the Zendan salt dome. Magnetite and hematite iron mineralization happened in all the building rocks of salt dome, and is not a uniform mineralization. Iron mineralization contains hematite, spicularite, magnetite, goethite, and iron hydroxides. Magnetite-hematite-oligist layers (red soil) are the most iron mineralization in the Zendan salt dome, which are usually broken and scattered with gypsum layers (mostly anhydrite), respectively. Another form of iron mineralization is a mixture of hematite and magnetite (about 10 to 15%) in diabase rocks. Copper mineralization consists of pyrite and chalcopyrite minerals that are mostly in tuff and shale units. The presence of low immobile trace elements in the Zendan salt dome and type of alteration shows that maybe the origin of this iron is deposited from brine fluid. Therefore, this deposit can be classified into VMS deposits.
Materials and methods
We have taken 60 samples rocks from the Zendan salt dome, and then prepared 20 thin and polished sections. Petrographic studies were done and 9 samples were selected for analysis. These samples were sent to the Zarzma laboratory and the amount of FeO was determined by the wet chemical method and other amounts of oxides were determined by XRF. Six samples were analyzed for determining the major elements with the XRF method in the Binalood laboratory. Nine samples from vines mineralization were sent to the Zarzma laboratory and were analyzed with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP-OES). Two samples of igneous rocks were analyzed for determining major, minor and trace elements with ICP in Zarzma laboratory.

Discussion
Magmatic and evaporate fluids are sources of hydrothermal iron mineralization (Barton and Johnson, 2004). Sodic-calcic, semi sub deep pottasic, low silicific and sericitic alterations are related to magmatic fluids (Barton and Johnson, 2004). In the Zendan salt dome it seems that plutonic rocks prepared the source of temperature and made brine liquids evaporate and then moved the metals. Sodic alteration is one of the frequency alterations in the hydrothermal iron deposits related to high brain liquids (Arencibia and Clark, 1996). Immobile elements such as Ni, P and V show a high amount of magmatic iron deposit (Nystrom and Henriquiz, 1994). There is a significant relationship between the amount of Fe and the frequency elements. With an increase in the Fe content, the amount of TiO2, K2O, SiO2 and Al2O3 oxides decrease and the amounts of Ni and Cr2O3 increase. Low immobile elements’ contents and alteration type in the Zendan salt dome show the iron mineralization effect of brines fluids. On the other hand, this deposit can be classified into VMS deposits.

Results
Iron mineralization in Zendan salt dome is often magnetite, hematite, pyrite and chalcopyrite. Iron mineralization in the Zendan salt dome consists mostly of hematite, limonite and oligist (red soil) layers. They are usually found as scattered discontinuous layers and are alternated with gypsum layers. Hematite is the most abundant and dominant. There is a significant relationship between the amount of Fe and frequency elements. With increasing the Fe content, the amounts of TiO2, K2O, SiO2 and Al2O3 oxides decrease and the amounts of Ni and Cr2O3 increase . Low immobile elements' contents and alteration type in the Zendan salt dome shows the iron mineralization effect on brines fluids. On the other hand, this deposit can be classified into the VMS deposits.

Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the Ashrafpour, Hagheghe and all miners.

References
Ahmadzadeh Heravi, M., Houshmandzadeh, A. and Nabavi, M.H., 1991. New concepts of Hormuz formations, stratigraphy and the problem of salt diapirism in south of Iran. International Journal of Geosciences, 3(7):1–22.
Alian, F. and Bazamad, M., 2014. Petrography of Zendan salt dome (Hara), Bandar Lengeh. 6th Symposium of Iranian society of Economic Geology, Sistan and Baluchestan University, Zahedan, Iran.
Arencibia, O.N. and Clark, A.H., 1996. Early magnetite-amphibole-plagioclase alteration-mineralization in the Island copper porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit, British Columbia. Economic Geology, 93(2): 402–438.
Barton, M.D. and Johnson, D.A., 2004. Footprints of Fe oxide (Cu-Au) systems. Geological Survey of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, Report 33, 116 pp.
Nystrom, J.O. and Henriquiz, F., 1994. Magmatic features of iron ore of Kiruna type in Chile and Sweden. Economic Geology, 89(4): 820–839.
Stocklin, J., 1968. Structural history and tectonic of Iran: a review. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 52(7): 1229-1258.

Keywords

Zendan salt dome; Hormuz Formation; Iron and copper mineralization; Bandar-lengeh

References

Ahmadzadeh Heravi, M., Houshmandzadeh, A. and Nabavi, M.H., 1991. New concepts of Hormuz formations, stratigraphy and the problem of salt diapirism in south of Iran. International Journal of Geosciences, 3(7):1–22.

Aghanabati, A., 2007. Geology of Iran. Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, 586 pp.

Alavi, M., 1991. Tectonic map of the Middle East, scale 1:5,000,000. Geological Survey of Iran.

Alian, F. and Bazamad, M., 2014. Petrography of Zendan salt dome (Hara), Bandar Lengeh. 6th Symposium of Iranian society of Economic Geology, Sistan and Baluchestan University, Zahedan, Iran.

Arencibia, O.N. and Clark, A.H., 1996. Early magnetite-amphibole-plagioclase alteration-mineralization in the Island copper porphyry copper-gold-molybdenum deposit, British Columbia. Economic Geology, 93(2): 402–438.

Ashrafpour, A. and Asadzade, A., 2002. Geology and interpretation of ASTER and ATEM satellite within the Zandan salt dome. 33th national geosciences symposium, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Attapour, H. and Aftabi, A., 2011. New mode Rapitan banded Iron for Hormoz Iron deposit, Bandar Abbas. 33th national geosciences symposium, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Barton, M.D. and Johnson, D.A., 2004. Footprints of Fe oxide (Cu-Au) systems. Geological Survey of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, Report 33, 116 pp.

Gross, G.A., 1996. Iron ranges of the Labrador geosyncline, Iron deposits in Canada. Geological Survey of Canada, Toronto, Report 22, 179 pp.

Hitzman, M.W., Oreskes, N. and Einaudi, M.T., 1992. Geological Characteristics and tectonic setting of Proterozoic iron-oxide (Cu-U-Au-REE) deposits. Precambrian Research, 58(1–4): 241–287.

Klein, C., 2005. Some Precambrian banded iron-formations (BIFs) from around the world: Their age, geologic setting, mineralogy, metamorphism, geochemistry, and origins. American Mineralogist, 90(10):1473–1499.

Maynard, J.B., 1985. Geochemistry of oolitic iron ores, an electron microprobe study. Economic Geology, 81(6): 1473–1483.

Nadari, N., Mortazave, M. and Masoudi, M., 2002. Detecting basic lithological units in Zendan salt dome by use of spectral angle mapping. 33th national geosciences symposium, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

Nokhbatolfoghahai, A., 2014. Investigation of Karmostaj, Paskhand, and Tang-e-Zagh Salt Domes within Larestan and Bastak, Southern Iran. Ph.D. Thesis, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran, 324 pp.

Nystrom, J.O. and Henriquiz, F., 1994. Magmatic features of iron ore of Kiruna type in Chile and Sweden. Economic Geology, 89(4): 820–839.

Parker, L.T., 1985. Geological map of Bandar Lengeh, scale 1:100,000. National Iranian Oil Company.

Ramezani, J. and Tucker, R.D., 2003. The Saghand region, central Iran: U-Pb geochronology, petrogenesis and implications for Gondwana tectonics. American Journal of Science, 7(303): 622–665.

Robb, L., 2005. Introduction to Ore-Forming Processes. Black Well Publishing Company, UK, 373 pp.

Sabzei, M., 1986. The end of the legend's subduction, subduction specific examples of potential fracture zone of the Zagros. 4th Meeting of Earth Sciences, State Geological Survey, Tehran, Iran.

Stocklin, J., 1968. Structural history and tectonic of Iran: a review. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, 52(7): 1229-1258.

Whitney, D.L. and Evans, B.W., 2010. Abbreviations for names of rock-forming minerals. American Mineralogist, 88(95): 185–187.

Winchester, J.A. and Floyd, P.A., 1977. Geochemical discrimination of different magma series and their differentiation products using immobile elements. Chemical Geology, 20(4): 325–343.