Genesis and tectono-magmatic setting of Sadrabad iron Skarn (west of Yazd)

The Sadrabad iron deposit is located 28 km west of Sadrabad village (west of Yazd) at the Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc. The Upper Triassic-lower Jurassic sedimentary rocks (dolomitic limestone, sandstone, shale and marl), the Cenozoic granite to dioritic intrusive bodies and the Quaternary unconsolidated deposits outcrop in the study area. The intrusive bodies are of I-type calc-alkaline series formed in syn-collision to post collision settings of continental margin subduction zone. The later quartz monzodiorite intrusions played a significant role in iron mineralization. The location of mineralization controlled by NW-SE and NE-SW fault systems. Olivine, clinopyroxene, garnet, tremolite-actinolite, epidote, serpentine, talc, phlogopite, calcite, dolomite, brucite and hydromagnesite are the main skarn minerals. The ore bodies consist mainly of magnetite with minor pyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrhotite which occur as massive, vein-veinlets, brecciate and disseminated magnetite. Skarn formation occurs in two prograde and retrograde stages. Olivine, clinopyroxene and garnet formed in prograde and the remaining minerals in retrograde stages. The temperature and salinity of fluid inclusions in quartz veins associated with serpentine (in retrograde stage) range from 217 to 280˚c and 8 to 16 (wt %) NaCl respectively, indicating the mixing of magmatic and meteoric water in retrograde stage. The Mg-bearing silicates such as serpentine, phlogopite, diopside and talc in the Sadrabad skarn, point to the mineralization of magnesian type.