Geochemistry, mineralogy, and genesis of Darbe Behesht iron-copper deposit, Dehaj-Sardoiye subzone, Kerman Province, Iran

Darbe Behesht Iron-copper deposit is located in the Dehaj-Sardoiye subzone of Uromieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (UDMA) in Kerman region. The area is covered by Eocene volcanic rocks composed mainly of andesite, trachy-andesite, basalt and pyroclastic rocks (various types of tuffs and agglomerate). Based on major, trace and REE elements, these rocks are very similar to calc-alkaline lava with metaluminous-peraluminous nature. Enrichment of LILE (Such as K, U, Sr, Rb, Th, Pb and Ba) and LREE relative to HFSE (Such as Zr, Y, Ti and Nb) and HREE, high ratios of K2O/Rb and FeO/Mg reveal that the rocks under study were originated in an active continental margin subduction-related tectonic setting. Volcanic rocks affected by hydrothermal fluids which lead to the occurrence of epidotization, silicification with skarn alteration. Magnetite and chalcopyrite are the main ore minerals. The ore textures and structures are open space-filling, disseminated, vein-veinlet and replacement. According to geochemical study, the tectonic setting of the deposit is an extensional back-arc basin, which generated together with subduction of the Dehaj-Sardoiye subzone. Two important stages could be separated for mineralization. The first stage is accompanied by the generation of magnetite in volcanic and pyroclastic rocks and second ones related to reduction fluids that caused copper mineralization.