Geological Evidences and Ore Body Facies of Tangedezan Zn - Pb (Ag) Deposit in a Jurassic-Cretaceous Carbonate Sequence, Booeen Miandasht (Isfahan, Iran)

Tangedezan Zn-Pb deposit is located in 22 km west of Booeen Miandasht city, in western part of Isfahan province and in Malayer–Isfahan Pb-Zn mineralization belt. This deposit is one of the stratabound deposits in a Jurassic Cretaceous carbonate sequence. Two main ore body geometries have been recognized in the deposit: 1-layers and lenses, concordant with layering; and -discordant secondary forms along the fractures. In Tangedezan deposit two mineralized carbonate facies have been distinguished: 1- dolomitic limestone facies (Microsparite) containing three major mineralization horizons with simple ore mineral paragenesis such as galena, sphalerite and pyrite replacing the host rock and filling the porosities and fractures; and 2- crystallized argillaceous limestone facies with very weak Zn-Pb mineralization in disseminated form. The deposit includes two parts of supergene in surface and sulfides in depth. The simple ore paragenesis comprises of hemimorphite, smithsonite, cerussite, galena, sphalerite and pyrite. Ag and Cd elements have noticeable grade and could be contemplated as by product. All accomplished investigations and evidences such as geological characteristics, mineralized facies, supergene and sulfide development, ore body geometry, ore minerals paragenesis, texture and structures in different scale, existing alterations specially dolomitization and lithogeochemical studies all reveal that Tangedezan deposit is a Zn-Pb Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposit.