Geology, mineralization, mineralogy, structure and texture in the Ghezeljeh Cu, Pb-Zn deposit, NW Zanjan

Subject Areas :

Seyedeh Aliyeh Seyedeh Aliyeh ¹ (University of Zanjan)
Ghasem Nabatian ² (University Of Zanjan)
Afshin Zohdi ³
Armin Salsani ⁴ (Islamic Azad University)

Received: 2023-06-15 Accepted : 2023-06-15 Published : 2023-06-15

Keywords: Upper Red Formation, Redbed type copper deposits, Central Iran, Ghezeljeh, Zanjan,

Abstract :

Ghezeljeh deposit is located in the Central Iranian zone, in the Zanjan province and northeast of the Mahneshan city. The rock units in this area belongs to the Oligo-Miocene, which contain Lower Red, Qom and Upper Red formations. The Upper Red Formation in Ghezeljeh region has about 750 m thickness and mainly consists of brown to green marl intercalations with sandstones. In this area, the alternation of marl and sandstone sequences contain sandstone layers with thickness about 2 to 8 meters, which in two horizons, the copper-lead and zinc mineralization has occurred. Copper mineralization, in addition to being observed inside the sandstone unit. In the Ghezeljeh deposit, the host rocks of the copper ores, are gray sandstones and conglomerates which are intercalated with red and gray marl units. According to field and microscopic studies, the main ore mineral consist of pyrite, chalcocite, chalcopyrite, bornite, galena and sphalerite which associated with the secondary minerals such as serosite, malachite, azurite, covellite, smithzonite and goethite. The ore mineral textures consist of disseminate, framboidal pyrite, solution seams, interparticle cement, replacement and relict. Preliminary fieldwork studies in the Ghezeljeh region also show that organic matter including plant remains and diagenetic pyrite are the effective factors to concentrate and mineralization. It is considerable that the grade of lead, zinc and copper, in Ghezeljeh deposit are 6%, 3% and 1%, respectively. Generally, host rock, tectonic setting, sedimentary environment, mineralogy, texture, mineralization control factors all confirm that the studied mineralization has more similarities with Redbed type copper deposits.

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Geology, mineralization, mineralogy, structure and texture in the Ghezeljeh Cu, Pb-Zn deposit, NW Zanjan