Investigation of geochemistry of minor and trace elements (rare earths) in the base metal vein mineralization Yaralujeh area (NW Ahar - East Azarbaijan)

The Yaralujeh vein index is located about 40 km NW of Ahar, East Azarbaijan. Based on geochemical studies, the original host rock is microdioritic in composition with calc – alkaline character, situated in an active continental margin volcanic arc. The mineralization is occurred as disseminated, stockwork and veins - veinlets containing quartz, carbonate and sulfide minerals in altered subvolcanic rocks (microdiorite). Pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite are the most important sulfide minerals in this area. The most important alerations in this area are sericitic and carbonatization, and the main alteration minerals are quartz, sericite, illite, albite, kaolinite, leucoxene, pyrite and late carbonates. Bivariate diagrams of Ba Sr vs. Ce Y La and Zr vs. TiO2 and also values less than one for TiO2 indicate a hypogenic origin for altered fluids. The spider diagrams of REEs, normalized to both chondrite and average upper continental crust, show differentiation of LREE from HREE and depletion of LREE relative to average upper continental crust. Based on geochemical indicators such as Hf / Sm, Nb / La and Th / La and LREE enriched relative to the HREE, the most important ion complexes transition metal are Cl- complexes. Ce, Eu and Pr (Eu/Eu*, Ce/Ce*, Pr/Pr*) anomalies in ore-bearing vein and host rock indicates near-neutral pH in a redox environment for the alteration fluids in Yaralujeh Index.