Studies of remote sensing, geology, mineralization, geochemistry, and geophysics in the Kuh-Baba iron deposit, south of Hashtroud, NW Iran

The Kuh-Baba iron ore deposit is located in ~70 km south of Hashtroud, East-Azarbaidjan province, NW Iran. The lithologic units cropped out around this deposit include Oligo-Miocene volcanic-sedimentary rocks, Pliocene intrusive rocks, and Pliocene dacitic domes. The principal host rocks for the Fe mineralization include units of gabbro-norite, pyroxene hornblende gabbro-norite, and monzo-diorite. Remote sensing investigations (using Sentinel satellite images) display the presence of lineaments, NE-SW trending fault structures, and various alteration zones. The dominant hydrothermal alteration in inner parts of the deposit is mainly propylitic (epidote, chlorite, sericite) which gradually changes to argillic outward toward the peripheral parts. Based upon field relations and microscopic examinations, the ores show massive, vein/veinlet, brecciated, and disseminated textures. In the propylitic zone, magnetite is accompanied by epidote and actinolite. The geochemical studies revealed that the FeT content in the diamond drill core samples varies from 3.85 wt% to 63.2 wt%. Ground magnetic survey was conducted in the area and also, the maps of total magnetic field, reduced to pole magnetic, analytic signal, first vertical derivative, and upward continuation were prepared in an attempt to identify the potential deep and shallow subsurface mineralized zones. The obtained results show that two anomalies, one in the north and the other in the central parts of the study area, were recognized which almost correspond with the location of the intrusive bodies.