Mineralogy and geochemistry of thorium mineralization in the Chahgaz iron deposit, Bafq district, Central Iran

Abstract

The Chahgaz iron deposit (XIV Anomaly) is located in the Bafq mining district in the Central Iranian geostructural zone in Yazd province. The Chahgaz deposit is hosted by Early Cambrian subvolcanic and volcanic rocks that range compositionally from granite to diorite. The field gamma spectrometry, mineralogical and geochemical studies in this deposit indicate that the thorium mineralization is mainly associated with Na-Ca and Mg- alterations, and in minor amount with the magnetite ore. The mineralogical studies by optical and electron microscope (SEM and EPMA) indicate that the main thorium host mineral in the Chahgaz deposit is thorite associated with minor titanite, allanite and zircon. The average contents of Th and ΣREE in the Th-mineralization zone are 450 and 596 ppm, respectively. Thorite is paragenesis with albite, actinolite, tremolite and augite in the Na-Ca alteration zone, and with talc in the Mg- alteration zone. In the Th-bearing iron ore, thorite is paragenesis with magnetite, calcite and apatite mineral assemblage. The similarity in mantle-normalized REE patterns of host rocks and thorium mineralization zone suggests that Th-mineralization is related to Early Cambrian calc-alkaline magmatism in continental-margin arc setting. The occurrence of paragenetic magnetite with thorite and distinct negative Eu anomaly in the thorium mineralization zone can be inferred probably a reduced condition for thorium mineralizing fluids.

Keywords

• chahgaz deposit
• bafq mining district
• thorium mineralization
• na-ca alteration
• mg- alteration