Ore-forming fluid source and effective parameters in the gold deposition at the Dashkasan deposit (NE Qorveh): structure, microthermometry and O-H stable isotopic evidences

The Takab-Qorveh magmatic lineament between the Urumieh-Dokhtar and the Sanandaj-Sirjan zones contains important gold mines such as Dashkasan and Zarshuran. The Dashkasan deposit is located in the Kurdistan province and is one of the largest gold deposits in the Middle East domain. The gold is mainly hosted by porphyritic dacite and breccia. In spite of detailed previous studies, there is still debate regarding the genesis of the Dashkasan. Herein, this study present the source and evolution of the mineralizing fluids using the fluid inclusion and stable isotopic investigations. At Dashkasan, the breccia and mineralization are constrained by the steep NNE-SSW-trending faults. Alteration zones on the surface are phyllic, silicification, tourmalinization, argillic and minor propylitic. Sulfide minerals consist of pyrite, marcasite, arseno-pyrite, stibnite, chalcopyrite and to lesser amounts of bornite, sphalerite and galena associated with quartz, tourmaline, sericite, calcite and chalcedony. Result of microthermometry measurements shows a range of homogenization temperatures between 183-260 °C with salinities of 15.97 to 17.06 wt % NaCl equiv. The oxygen isotope composition of fluid in quartz ranges from 6.6 to 9.9 ‰, while, the tourmaline has δ18Ofluid values are in the ranges of 8.5 to 12.3‰. Also, the δDfluid values of the quartz and tourmaline ranges between -51 to -81 and -93 to -111‰, respectively. Integrating with previous studies, all these data, suggest a migration from a porphyry gold system (stage-I) with a magmatic source to a low-sulphidation epithermal (stage-III). Stage-II occurred simultaneously with the collapse and eruption of crater.