Types and geological characteristics of iron deposits in China

Li, Houmin; Yang, Xiande; Cheng, Yanbo

doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.11.003

Cited by 34 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…The diagenetic and alteration ages are indistinguishable, e.g., volcanic activity at 348-334Ma and alteration at 335Ma of the Yamansu iron deposit in Eastern Tianshan (Luo Ting et al, 2012;Li Houmin et al, 2014), and volcanic activity at 321-314Ma and alteration at 317Ma at Chagangnuoer iron deposit at Western Tianshan (Wang Bangyao and Jiang Changyi, 2011;Hong Wei et al, 2012;Li et al, 2015a;Zhang et al, 2015). This indicates a close relationship between the volcanic and hydrothermal activities (Feng Jing et al, 2009;Yang Fuquan et al, 2011;Zhang Zuoheng et al, 2012;Hou et al, 2014;Li et al, 2015b;Zhang Zhaochong et al, 2016;Zhu Yongfeng et al, 2016). As a result of strong replacement of hydrothermal fluids, most iron deposits merely show hydrothermal features, and it is difficult to observe magmatic textures in orebodies and ores (Jiang et al, 2017;Ding Jianhua et al, 2017;Zhao Liandang et al, 2017;.…”

Section: Implications For the Origin Of Volcanic Rock-hosted Iron Depmentioning

confidence: 98%

Occurrence of the Iron–rich Melt in the Heijianshan Iron Deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China: Insights into the Origin of Volcanic Rock–hosted Iron Deposits

Ding

et al. 2018

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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Long‐standing controversy persists over the presence and role of iron–rich melts in the formation of volcanic rock‐hosted iron deposits. Conjugate iron–rich and silica–rich melt inclusions observed in thin‐sections are considered as direct evidence for the presence of iron‐rich melt, yet unequivocal outcrop‐scale evidence of iron‐rich melts are still lacking in volcanic rock‐hosted iron deposits. Submarine volcanic rock‐hosted iron deposits, which are mainly distributed in the western and eastern Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, are important resources of iron ores in China, but it remains unclear whether iron‐rich melts have played a role in the mineralization of such iron ores. In this study, we observed abundant iron‐rich agglomerates in the brecciated andesite lava of the Heijianshan submarine volcanic rock–hosted iron deposit, Eastern Tianshan, China. The iron‐rich agglomerates occur as irregular and angular masses filling fractures of the host brecciated andesite lava. They show concentric potassic alteration with silicification or epidotization rims, indicative of their formation after the wall rocks. The iron‐rich agglomerates have porphyritic and hyalopilitic textures, and locally display chilled margins in the contact zone with the host rocks. These features cannot be explained by hydrothermal replacement of wall rocks (brecciated andesite lava) which is free of vesicle and amygdale, rather they indicate direct crystallization of the iron‐rich agglomerates from iron‐rich melts. We propose that the iron‐rich agglomerates were formed by open‐space filling of volatile‐rich iron‐rich melt in fractures of the brecciated andesite lava. The iron‐rich agglomerates are compositionally similar to the wall‐rock brecciated andesite lava, but have much larger variation. Based on mineral assemblages, the iron‐rich agglomerates are subdivided into five types, i.e., albite‐magnetite type, albite‐K‐feldspar‐magnetite type, K‐feldspar–magnetite type, epidote‐magnetite type and quartz‐magnetite type, representing that products formed at different stages during the evolution of a magmatic‐hydrothermal system. The albite‐magnetite type represents the earliest crystallization product from a residual iron‐rich melt; the albite‐K‐feldspar‐magnetite and K‐feldspar‐magnetite types show features of magmatic‐hydrothermal transition, whereas the epidote‐magnetite and quartz‐magnetite types represent products of hydrothermal alteration. The occurrence of iron‐rich agglomerates provides macroscopic evidence for the presence of iron‐rich melts in the mineralization of the Heijianshan iron deposit. It also indicates that iron mineralization of submarine volcanic rock‐hosted iron deposits is genetically related to hydrothermal fluids derived from iron‐rich melts.

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Section: Implications For the Origin Of Volcanic Rock-hosted Iron Depmentioning

confidence: 98%

Occurrence of the Iron–rich Melt in the Heijianshan Iron Deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China: Insights into the Origin of Volcanic Rock–hosted Iron Deposits

Ding

et al. 2018

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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“…Western Tianshan is a significant metallogenic province in the southwestern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and hosts precious Cu–Mo bearing porphyry‐, epithermal Au, and submarine volcanic‐hosted iron deposits (Duan et al, ; Günther, Klemd, Zhang, Horn, & Weyer, ; H. M. Li, Li, Yang, & Chen, ; Pirajno, ; Z. H. Zhang, Hong, et al, ; Z. C. Zhang, Hou, et al, ). The Awulale Iron Metallogenic Belt (AIMB) hosts the majority of high‐grade iron ores in the Tianshan Orogen.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Western Tianshan is a significant metallogenic province in the southwestern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and hosts precious Cu-Mo bearing porphyry-, epithermal Au, and submarine volcanic-hosted iron deposits (Duan et al, 2017;Günther, Klemd, Zhang, Horn, & Weyer, 2017;H. M. Li, Li, Yang, & Chen, 2015;Pirajno, 2013;Z.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mineralogy and stable isotope constraints on the genesis of submarine volcanic‐hosted Beizhan iron deposit in the Western Tianshan, NW China

Yang

Liang

Guo³

et al. 2018

Geological Journal

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The Carboniferous Beizhan iron deposit is the largest submarine volcanic‐hosted iron deposit in the Awulale Iron Metallogenic Belt of the Western Tianshan. The magnetite‐dominated orebodies occur as lensoid, veined, and stratiform shape in the Dahalajunshan Formation which was intruded by basic‐acid intrusions. Skarn and carbonatization alteration are well developed around the orebody. The genesis of iron mineralization in Beizhan remains controversial. The calculated δ18O values of magnetite using the fractionation factor correspond to (or higher than) the range of common magmatic waters, as well as the δ18O values of alteration minerals (4.0–7.6‰) and intrusions (3.1–8.3‰), indicating magnetite and alteration minerals precipitation from magmatic hydrothermal fluids. The δ34S values of sulphides (pyrite and pyrrhotite) range from 1.0‰ to 6.4‰, supporting a magmatic hydrothermal origin for sulphur. Meanwhile, the Pb isotope compositions of iron ores overlap that of altered rock and intrusions, and the 187Os/188Os ratio of iron ores range from 1.5835 to 2.8452, in accordance with that of intermediate‐acid intrusions (e.g., K‐feldspar granite porphyry and syenodiorite), suggestive of magmatic hydrothermal fluids involved in the mineralization process. Furthermore, the magnetite from the ores shows higher MgO and MnO contents and lower content of TiO2. Pyrite samples from the ores show >570 ppm Co and Co/Ni ratios between 2.53 and 4.23. These features strongly point to a magmatic hydrothermal origin. Combined with previous studies, we propose that the submarine volcanic‐hosted Beizhan iron deposit is analogous to a skarn origin, driven by late‐stage hydrothermal fluids which originated from intermediate‐acid intrusions in the immediate vicinity.

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“…Precambrian iron deposits are mainly of three types, including BIF-hosted iron deposits, magmatic Fe-Ti-(V) deposits and apatite-iron oxide deposits, with the first type constituting the most important iron resources all over the world (Dill, 2010). BIF-hosted iron deposits are formed by metamorphic or hydrothermal enrichment of BIF (banded iron formation) protore (e.g., Thorne et al, 2004;Beukes et al, 2008;Li et al, , 2015aLi et al, , 2015b. Iron ores of this type are commonly composed of alternating bands of iron oxide and quartz, with typical mineral assemblages of hematite, low-Ti magnetite, goethite, quartz, amphibole and carbonate minerals.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Petrological and Geochemical Constraints on the Protoliths of Serpentine‐Magnetite Ores in the Zhaoanzhuang Iron Deposit, Southern North China Craton

Meng

Santosh

et al. 2018

Acta Geologica Sinica (Eng)

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The uncommon Mg-rich and Ti-poor Zhaoanzhuang serpentine-magnetite ores within Taihua Group of the North China Craton (NCC) remain unclear whether the protolith was sourced from ultramafic rocks or chemical sedimentary sequences. Here we present integrated petrographic and geochemical studies to characterize the protoliths and to gain insights on the ore-forming processes. Iron ores mainly contain low-Ti magnetite (TiO 2 ~0.1wt%) and serpentine (Mg # =92.42-96.55), as well as residual olivine (Fo=89-90), orthopyroxene (En=89-90) and hornblende. Magnetite in the iron ores shows lower Al, Sc, Ti, Cr, Zn relative to that from ultramafic Fe-Ti-V iron ores, but similar to that from metamorphic chemical sedimentary iron deposit. In addition, interstitial minerals of dolomite, calcite, apatite and anhydrite are intergrown with magnetite and serpentine, revealing they were metamorphic, but not magmatic or late hydrothermal minerals. Wall rocks principally contain magnesian silicates of olivine (Fo=83-87), orthopyroxene (En=82-86), humite (Mg # =82-84) and hornblende [X Mg =0.87-0.96]. Dolomite, apatite and anhydrite together with minor magnetite, thorianite (Th-rich oxide) and monazite (LREE-rich phosphate) are often seen as relicts or inclusions within magnesian silicates in the wall rocks, revealing that they were primary or earlier metamorphic minerals than magnesian silicates. And olivine exists as subhedral interstitial texture between hornblende, which shows later formation of olivine than hornblende and does not conform with sequence of magmatic crystallization. All these mineralogical features thus bias towards their metamorphic, rather than magmatic origin. The dominant chemical components of the iron ores are SiO 2 (4.77-25.23wt%), Fe 2 O 3 T (32.9-80.39wt%) and MgO (5.72-27.17wt%) and uniformly, those of the wall rocks are also SiO 2 (16.34-48.72wt%), MgO (16.71-33.97wt%) and Fe 2 O 3 T (6.98-30.92wt%). The striking high Fe-Mg-Si contents reveal that protolith of the Zhaoanzhuang iron deposit was more likely to be chemical sedimentary rocks. The distinct high-Mg feature and presence of abundant anhydrite possibly indicate it primarily precipitated in a confined seawater basin under an evaporitic environment. Besides, higher contents of Al, Ti, P, Th, U, Pb, REE relative to other Precambrian iron-rich chemical precipitates (BIF) suggest some clastic terrestrial materials were probably input. As a result, we think the Zhaoanzhuang iron deposit had experienced the initial Fe-Mg-Si marine precipitation, followed by further Mg enrichment through marine evaporated process, subsequent high-grade metamorphism and late-stage hydrothermal fluid modification.diorite veins or dykes. OresThrough drill core observation, four ore types can be recognized: (1) serpentine-magnetite, (2) apatite-magnetite, (3) carbonate-magnetite, and (4) hornblende-magnetite ores. The first ore type in the Zhaoanzhuang mine is predominant, and the second and third ones are secondary, while the fourth one is less developed. One ore type could co...

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Types and geological characteristics of iron deposits in China

Cited by 34 publications

References 69 publications

Occurrence of the Iron–rich Melt in the Heijianshan Iron Deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China: Insights into the Origin of Volcanic Rock–hosted Iron Deposits

Occurrence of the Iron–rich Melt in the Heijianshan Iron Deposit, Eastern Tianshan, NW China: Insights into the Origin of Volcanic Rock–hosted Iron Deposits

Mineralogy and stable isotope constraints on the genesis of submarine volcanic‐hosted Beizhan iron deposit in the Western Tianshan, NW China

Petrological and Geochemical Constraints on the Protoliths of Serpentine‐Magnetite Ores in the Zhaoanzhuang Iron Deposit, Southern North China Craton

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