Mineralography, Structural and Textural Studies and Genesis of Zaker Iron - Apatite Deposit (Northeast of Zanjan)

Zaker iron deposit is located in the northeast of Zanjan city and is a part of Tarom volcano – plutonic belt in Azarbaijan – West alborze structural zone. The main rocks of the area consist of folded volcanic - volcanoclastic rocks including breccia tuff, lapilli-tuff and andezitic – basaltic lava of Amand member of Karaj formation with Eocene age that folded. Plutonic rocks with probably Oligocene age with various lithology changing from quartzmonzodiorite, quartzmonzonite to quartzsyenite with NW-SE trend were intruded into the volcanic – volcanoclastic rocks. Fe-mineralization occurred in interval of plutons and volcanic - volcanoclastic rocks. The main ore mineral is magnetite – apatite with minor amounts of quartz and calcite. As well as magnetite- apatite mineralization, pyritewith minor amounts of chalcopyrite occurred in sulphide veinlets. The mineralization has been seen in five forms: veinlets of magnetite in form of stock- work, massive magnetite- apatite, banded magnetite- apatite, coarse grained magnetite- apatite veins and sulphide veinlets. Intrusion of ore deposit into host volcanic rocks, are associated with skarn metasomatism that form actinolite, talc, chlorite, phlogopite, quartze, calcite and epidote. Geothermobarometry for the skarn part, indicate that XCO2 is about 0.9, pressure of 2 kbar and the temperature is about 400-500 0C for metamorphic reactions. Detailed studies on textures and structures suggest the source of the iron from Zaker granitoid body and volcanic rocks are host rocks for iron deposit. Mineralography investigations areindicative of magmatic origin and show the best correlation with "Kiruna–type" iron ores.