Thermobarometry in the Sarvian Fe-skarn deposit (Central Iran) based on garnet–pyroxene chemistry and fluid inclusion studies

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences 2017-02, Vol.10 (3), p.1-16, Article 54
• Main Authors: Zamanian, H., Sameti, M., Pazoki, A., Barani, N., Ahmadnejad, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acidity; Arc deposition; Calcium ferrous silicates; Calcium magnesium silicates; Carbon dioxide; Carbonates; Chemical composition; Decomposition reactions; Diopside; Diorite; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Fluid inclusions; Fluids; Fugacity; Garnet; Garnets; Groundwater; High temperature; Hydraulic fracturing; Inflow; Iron; Limestone; Low temperature; Magnetite; Metamorphism; Metamorphism (geology); Mineralization; Minerals; Organic chemistry; Original Paper; Oxidation; Oxygen; Permian; Pyroxenes; Ratios; Rock; Rocks; Salinity; Salinity effects; Sodium chloride; Temperature effects; Tertiary; Zoning
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-016-2785-z

The Sarvian Fe skarn deposit is located in the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc, western Iran. The Sarvian quartz diorite intruded the surrounding Permian to Tertiary limy formation, culminated in thermal metamorphism as well as skarnification in which the Sarvian deposit formed. Microthermometry studies in the Sarvian skarn deposit reveal two distinct inclusion groups; group A with medium–high temperature and hypersaline and group B with low–medium temperature and low salinity. Group A inclusions which are entrapped during formation of prograde are thought to be derived from the magmatic source. Fluid boiling and subsequent developing of hydraulic fracturing led to inflow and/or mixing of early magmatic fluids (group A) with circulating groundwater culminated in formation of low salinity and low temperature fluid inclusions (group B) during the formation of retrograde assemblage. Fluid inclusion thermometry reveals the formation temperature and the salinity of 300–370 °C and 31–33 wt% NaCl for the prograde stage and 180–230 °C and 1–15 wt% NaCl for the retrograde stage of skarnification at Sarvian skarn rocks. Fe-mineralization as well as hydrothermal minerals occurred during retrograde metasomatism. The estimated depth and pressure of occurrence for prograde stage are 1000–1200 m and 100–150 bars, and for retrograde stage, these are about 200 m and 50 bars, respectively. Garnet and pyroxene, as the main constituent minerals of prograde stage, are the most informative minerals offering a suitable tool to constrain the skarnification conditions. Garnets in the Sarvian deposit are mainly grossular and andradite, showing both normal and inverse zoning as the result of variation in their chemical composition. Such types of zoning represent alternation of high acidity oxidation and low acidity oxidation conditions that were prevailed on skarnification in the Sarvian prograde assemblage. Also, chemical composition of the Sarvian pyroxenes shows an alternation of high oxygen fugacity and low oxygen fugacity conditions for their formation. This is also supported by fluctuation of the ratios of andradite to grossular and diopside to hedenbergite, denoting to an obvious shifting that was prevailed between oxidizing and redox conditions during formation of prograde assemblage in the Sarvian. Garnet–pyroxene thermometry determines the formation temperature of prograde assemblage between 370 and 550 °C at Sarvian skarn rocks which is verified also by fluid inclusion therm