Geology, Mineralogy and Analysis of Tectonic Fracturing of Barite Mineralization’s in Bateun Jeudari Paleozoic basement, Eastern High Atlas, Morocco

Abstract

Bateun Jeudari barite and iron deposit located in the eastern High Atlas Shales; It occupied the Hercynian fault system trending N70 to N90. It corresponds to large hydrothermal vein associated with micro-fracturing rocks type in stockwork form, hosted in the Paleozoic schists and perlite. The petrographic, geochemical analysis and belayed scanning electron microscopy results shows the presence of the barite associated with iron minerals. The petrographic indicates the structures composed by ferruginous and white barite associate locally to quartz. The established model of the barite and iron deposit gives the presence intravenous sedimentary tissues formed from a low salinity solution. Moreover, the structures and morphology of the mineralization reflect the tectonic control responsible for the establishment of the mineralization by faulting movements. Thus, it corresponds to barium-rich occurrences related to a compression period ENE-WSW, probably of Visean- Namurian age.