Identification of Host Rock Source at Sediment-Hosted Copper Type Mineralization in Tabas-Ravar Basin Based on Geochemical and Petrographic Studies

This paper is part of the results of researches carried out on geochemical characteristics of sediment-hosted copper deposits in the Tabas-Ravar block trying to identify the mineralization host rock characteristics and the source rock of the sediments in the area. For this purpose, not only the common geochemical samples but also a number of heavy mineral and rock samples were collected from the stream sediments and outcrops of the mineralization host rock, respectively. The clastic parts of minerals and components of sediments in this area have been determined based on the heavy mineral and thin section studies. After this stage, the spatial distribution map of included feldspar and metamorphic components of collected samples were prepared based on the sample sites, using “Indicator Kriging” estimation method. Through comparison made between the drawn map and the uniform geology of the neighbor blocks, the source rock supplying the clastic sediments was identified in the west margin of the Ravar – Tabas block in the area of Kalmard and Posht- e Badam Structural blocks. Zircon crystals were used in order to find out the range of age for the probable source rock from which the clastic contents of the host rock of sediment-hosted copper deposits were derived. Zircon was extracted from host rock and heavy mineral samples taken from the study area. The results for zircon crystals dating indicated the presence of four distinctive statistical populations while the principal population of dating results were in conformity with the range of age of the known source rock in the west margin of the basin source rocks and the frequency distribution of zircon crystal ages have a good coincidence with known orogenic processes in Central Iran. Another part of dating results with over 1Ga, suggests two orogenic phases: one in 1.7-2Ga and the other in more than 2.7Ga for basement mother rock of Central Iran.