Journal of Economic Geology

2010-2011, No. 2 (Vol. 3)

ISSN 2008-7306

Geology, alteration, mineralization and geochemistry

at south of Arghash (Neyshabour)
Karimi, Z., Mazaheri, S.A., Karimpour, M.H.
Research Center for Ore Deposits of Eastern Iran, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

Received: 9/2/2010, in revised form: 26/6/2010

Abstract
The Arghash area is located 45 km to southwest of Neyshabour. The subvolcanic rocks in the area consist of
biotite hornblende quartz monzodiorite porphyry, hornblende biotite quartz monzodiorite porphyry,
hornblende monzonite porphyry, biotite hornblende monzonite porphyry, monzodiorite porphyry and biotite
quartz monzodiorite porphyry units. The volcanic rocks consist of hornblende biotite dacite, biotite
hornblende dacite, and andesite and pillow lava. The plutonic rocks consist of hornblende monzodiorite,
hornblende monzonite, quartz monzonite, hornblende quartz monzodiorite, biotite granodiorite, hornblende
granodiorite, biotite hornblende granodiorite, biotite quartz diorite and pyroxene dolerite units. Five types of
alteration including propylitic, carbonate, argillic, silicification and sericitic were recognized. Those are
subdivided into twelve sub-zones based on the mineral abundances and intensity of alteration. Primary
pyrite, 3-4%, is found mainly as disseminated. Secondary mineralization includes limonite, hematite and
jarosite. Twenty rock chip and 8 stream sediment samples were collected for geochemical exploration. The
samples were analysed for Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag and Sb using Atomic Absorbtion Spectrophotometric (AAS)
method. In stream sediment samples, Cu abundance is 34-58 ppm, Zn 45-422 ppm, Pb 28-42 ppm and Ag 212 ppm; whereas in rock chip samples, Cu abundance is 8-1137 ppm, Zn 13-411 ppm, Pb 15-97 ppm and Ag
3-32 ppm.
Keywords: Arghesh, Porphyry copper, Potasic, Central Iran.

Corresponding author: zks_karimi@yahoo.com

Journal of Economic Geology

1389 ( 2 )3
167 :189

)2010- 2011, No. 2 (Vol. 3

ISSN 2008-7306

()

1388/11/20 : 1389/4/5 :

45 .

.
.

.

12 .
%4-3 .
20 8
. ) (AAS )(Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag and Sb
. 34-58 ppm 45-422 ppm 28-42 ppm 2-
12 ppm 8-1137 ppm 13-411 ppm 15-97
ppm 3-32 ppm.
: .

45

58 33 56 58 35 00
35 51 02 35 51 55 .

1:100000 .

.

25

.


.


.
[.]1
1

zks_karimi@yahoo.com :

868

- (-)
.

[ .]5 -2

-
[ .]6

[.]7

.
:

.

:
)
)
1:10000 4
) 1:10000
4 ) 60

)
50 5 ) 8

4 Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag)
20
.

1:100000 .

.
.


( :)1
- 1

- 2

- 3
.
:







.
:
.

-

.
%15

 1389 23

...

869

.8 .

871

.



.

. .
: .

.

.

.

. .
:
.

.
+ +
.
%5 -2 .
.
.
( )%60
. %10
. .

.
.

. 10 %15
.
+ .

.
. :

.
.

.
.
.
.
.


.
+ .
.
.
: -
.
+ .

. .

.
- .
+
. .

.
. %90
. 1/4 -0/2 .
.

%7 -5 .
0/8 .
+ + .

 1389 23

...

.
.


.


.
.
%15 -10
%12 -10
%7 -5 .%7 -5
.

.
%10-7 .

.
+ + .
.

.

. :
%20 -15
%12-10 %7 -5
.%5 -3 %60 -55
.
.
+ + .

.

.
:
%9 -7 .
%6 -5 .%25 -20

878

%65 -60

.


.

0/2 . -

[ .]8

+ + .

.
.
: %15 -10-
%12 -10 -10
%15 .%5 -3
.
.
+ +
.

.

. :
%20 -15
%4 -3 . %12 -10
-
.
. -
. +
+ .

. .
.



.

871

.
+ + .

.
.
: 12 -10
%10 -8 - .%6 -4
%65 -60 .
.
+ + .

.


.

.
. .
: %12 -10
%10 -8 .%6 -5

. .
+ +
.

.

.
. 1/3 -0/3
. -
. 0/8 -0/2-
. .
.

.

.

.
.

.

[.]9



[ .]10 3 2
.
5
( )4 )1 :
)2 )3
)4 )5 . 5
12
:
+ + +
+ + +
+ + +
+ +
+ +
+ + .
:



.
10 %12 .
.


. .

 1389 23

...

871

.1 .

871

.1 .

 1389 23

...

871

.1

876

+ +

( )
( ) (
)
.
:
.

( )
. 5 %10
. 1 %3
.

.

.

.
-
.
.
+ +

.

.
5 %20 .
.


.
+ +


.

.

.
+ +

.
.
.
+

.

.
+ +


.
.

.
+
.


. %15
.
.
( )
+

.

.

.

. -

 1389 23

...

877

.
.

.


.
.


.



.

.

.
.
( )
.


( )
.
+ +
.

.
.
.

.

. 5

-
.
.





.

.
5
%90
.

.
FS2 FO2

[ .]11

.
.


.

( )5
- 0/5 1/5
.

.

.
( )
.
.
[ ]12
pH 3 2

878

150 .

.

.
.

( .) 6
( )7

.



.


.

 1389 23

...

879

0.25mm

.7

.
.


[ .]13
.

Google Earth .


.
:
)1 20
)2

881

)3 4-3

)4

)5
GPS
- . 8
.

4 Cu, Zn, Ag, Pb

) (AAS .

1 .
:
1
1/5 .

-
34ppm 5 58ppm
2 ( .)8 Cu
2

.

.

.
:
250ppm 300ppm .

44ppm 1
422ppm 2 ( .)9
.
-
-
-

.

:

28ppm 42ppm 1 7

( .)10

.

.
:

.
12ppm 1
2 ppm ( .)11

:


( .)12
:
2

( .)13

.
(chip

) composite

50
.

.

 ...

1389 23

888

.8

)Ag (ppm

)Pb (ppm

)Zn (ppm

)Cu (ppm

12

28

45

40

S-1

34

422

58

S-2

34

54

38

S-3

31

48

43

S-4

39

49

34

S-5

32

51

35

S-6

42

62

48

S-7

33

72

50

S-8

881

Cu & Zn in stream
sediment samples

450
400

400

350

350

300

300

250

)Cu (ppm

200

)Zn (ppm

Zn & Pb in stream sediment

samples

150

250

)Zn (ppm

200

)Pb (ppm

150

100

100

50

50

0
S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8
Sample No.

.81
.

450

0
S-1 S-2 S-3 S-4 S-5 S-6 S-7 S-8
Sample No.

.81
.

 1389 23

...

-


.
2 3 . 20
.

2 .
:
8ppm 1 1137ppm
19
.

- .

.
14
.
:

.
13ppm 411ppm 1 19
.

- .
.
15
.
:
15ppm 12 97ppm 7
. 8 50ppm
.

881

- .
16

.
-
:

.
2ppm 16 32ppm 12

3 20ppm
.


- .
17
.

:

.
.


( .)18
- - :



( .)19
:
.

.
( .)20

881

.1 .

)Ag (ppm

)Pb (ppm

)Zn (ppm

)Cu (ppm

14

58

13

Ch-1

41

39

21

Ch-2

41

52

24

Ch-3

39

60

58

591

Ch-4

27

41

44

86

Ch-5

54

156

419

Ch-6

97

301

507

Ch-7

21

53

29

50

Ch-8

19

53

103

96

Ch-9

13

65

67

29

Ch-10

10

23

53

29

Ch-11

11

32

15

39

30

Ch-12

12

25

51

145

Ch-13

13

23

48

42

Ch-14

14

14

26

62

48

Ch-15

15

19

39

24

Ch-16

16

23

28

269

Ch-17

17

41

34

376

Ch-18

18

26

25

411

1138

Ch-19

19

44

104

784

Ch-20

20

 1389 23

...

881

.81 .

.81 .

886

.86 .

.87 .

 ...

1389 23

887

.88 .

.89 .

120
100
80
)Pb (ppm

60

)Ag (ppm

40
20
0

Sample No.
.11 .

888

-
.

.

- .
.

.
.

.

.
Na+, K+,
Mg2+ Ca2+
.

.
.
.
.





.

-

.
- -
.

.
.-
.

58 ppm
.
1137 ppm
.

.

.
-
.


.

.
(
)

.



.
.

889

...

Fifth
Symposium, Snowbird, Utah, Abstract, No.
88, (1978).

]7[ Cooke et al. Giant Porphyry Deposits:

Characteristics, Distribution, and Tectonic

Economic Geology.(2005) 801-818.
Controls,

- " . . ] 8[

"
.21 81 )1377(

]9[ Lowell,
J. D., and Guilbert, J. M., Lateral

and vertical alteration-mineralization zoning in

porphyry ore deposits: Economic Geology, v. 65,
(1970) 373-408.
]10[ Kirkham, R. V., Intermineral intrusions and
their bearing on the origin of porphyry copper and
molybdenum deposits: Economic Geology, v. 66,
(1971) 1244-1246.
" " . . . ] 11[
.195 -180 )1381(
[12[ Rothestein, Y., Spectroscopy of Jarosite
minarals, mount Haloke college, PHD thesis,
(2006).
]13[ Rose, A. W., and Burt, D. M., Hydrothermal
alteration in Barnes, H. L., ed., Geochestry of
hydrothermal ore deposite, 3rd edition: New York,
USA, Jone wiley and sons, (1979) 173- 235.

3 2 1389

" . ] 1[
.)1385( "
]2[ Berberian, M., King, G. C., Towards a
paleogeography and tectonic evolution of Iran,
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 18, (1981)
210-265.
]3[ Hezarkhani, A.,Hydrothermal evolutions at
the Sar-Cheshmeh porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, Iran:
evidence from fluid inclusions, Journal of Asian
Earth Sciences, England 28,( 2006a) 408-422.
]4[ Hezarkhani, A., Alteration/mineralization and
controls of chalcopyrite
dissolution/deposition in the Raigan porphyry
system, Bam-Kerman, Iran, Journal of
International Geology Review, USA 48, (2006b)
561-572.
]5[ Hezarkhani, A., Petrography of intrusive
rocks within the sungun porphyry copper deposit,
Azarbaijan, Iran, Journal of Asian Earth
Sciences, England 73,( 2006c) 326-340.
]6[ Etminan, H, Fluid inclusion studies of the
porphyry copper ore bodies at Sar-Cheshmeh,
Darreh Zar and Mieduk (Kerman region,
southeastern Iran) and porphyry copper
discoveries at Sar-Cheshmeh, Gozan, and Kighal,
Azarbaijan
region
(northwestern
Iran).
International Association, Genesis of ore deposits