Geology, geochemistry, fluid inclusion microthermometry and depositional environment of the Early Cretaceous Meymeh sub-seafloor replacement sideritic-ankeritic iron deposit, Malayer-Esfahan Metallogenic Belt, Iran

Meymeh sideritic-ankeritic iron deposit in the eastern part of Malayer-Esfahan Metallogenic Belt (MEMB) is formed in the sedimentary-volcanic rocks of the Early Cretaceous sequence. Ore mineralization in the study area based on stratigraphic location and type of host rocks divided in two ore horizons. Lower ore horizon located in the dolomitic-sandy limestone (Kc₃) unit, which upper ore horizon is formed in thin-bedded limestone (Km) rocks. Petrographic studies indicates that mineralization comprises three ore facies: stockwork, bedded and massive ore facies. The most important primary minerals are siderite, ankerite, ferroan-dolomite, pyrite, pyrolusite, barite and minor chalcopyrite. The most frequent textures in the ore zones include laminae, replacement, vein-veinlet, massive and banded. Dolomitization and silicification are the main wall rock alteration styles; alteration intensity increases towards the ore zones. Based on relationships between ore minerals and rock forming minerals, ore mineralization (hypogene and supergene) in the Meymeh deposit formed during three main stages: fine-grained Fe-carbonate bands are intricately interlayered with dolomite beds. Sideritic-ankeritic bands exhibit classic sedimentary textures, such as laminations and bedding, indicative of a syn-sedimentary to early diagenesis origin. Coarser-grained stage two siderites and ankerites show breccia and vein-veinlet textures, and are considered to have formed by replacement during burial diagenetic sub-seafloor fluid flow. In stage three, siderite and ankerite were converted to secondary iron oxides such as oxide/hydroxide Fe minerals during meteoric water flow through the inverted normal and thrust faults and uplift. The primary two-phase fluid inclusions in the quartz-2 and ankerite-2 minerals that have been investigated from the ore mineralization section of the Meymeh deposit are homogenized at temperatures between 110.3 to 226.9 °C. Salinities of the primary fluid inclusions range from 3.39 wt.% to 14.77 % NaCl eq. This finding suggests that hydrothermal brine fluid mixing with seawater could be the primary mechanism that prompted ore formation. The similarity of REE patterns between siderite and ankerite in different ore facies and host rock carbonates indicates their derivation from the same ore fluids. The Meymeh deposit is considered a typical case of sedimentary hydrothermal diagenetic sideritic-ankeritic mineralization, in which minerals deposited when hydrothermal fluid was released from anoxic to suboxic water columns.