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Geochemistry and origin of the ophiolite hosted magnesite deposit at Derakht-Senjed, NE Iran

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Abstract

The Derakht-Senjed magnesite deposit, hosted by Torbat-e-Heydarieh ophiolite in NE Iran, is developed as veins, veinlets and stockwork type mineralization. While the veins and veinlets only contain magnesite, the stockwork mineralization in addition contains sparry dolomite interlayered with magnesite. Magnesite and dolomite are both poor in FeO and SiO2. The carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of magnesite (δ13CV-PDB = −3.9 ± 0.1 to −5.0 ± 0.1‰; δ18OV-SMOW = +25.2 ± 0.1 to +26.5 ± 0.1 ‰) can be explained by contribution of atmospheric CO2 and/or an involvement by organic carbon. Dolomite typically shows slightly lower values of δ13C V-PDB -5.2 ± 0.1 to −5.5 ± 0.1‰ and δ18OV-SMOW + 23.8 ± 0.1 to +24.8 ± 0.1‰ compared to the magnesite. The formation of magnesite at Derakht-Senjed was structurally controlled by a fracture network in the ultramafic host rocks, which provided suitable fluid pathways for leaching of Mg from the host rocks and subsequent precipitation of magnesite from carbonated solutions. It is likely that dolomite formed due to precipitation from a fluid having lower XCO2 and higher Ca2+/Mg2+ activity ratio, rather than by replacement of magnesite.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks go to Federica Zaccarini and Reinhard Gratzer for help with electron microprobe and stable isotope analyses at Montanuniversität Leoben. We would like to thank the editor in chief, Johann G. Raith, and the two anonymous reviewers for invaluable and constructive comments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Hassan Mirnejad & Mahrokh Aminzadeh

  2. Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Hassan Mirnejad

  3. Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Peter Tunnerstr. 5, A-8700, Leoben, Austria

    Fritz Ebner & Thomas Unterweissacher

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  1. Hassan Mirnejad
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  2. Mahrokh Aminzadeh
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  3. Fritz Ebner
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Correspondence to Hassan Mirnejad.

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Editorial handling: J. G. Raith

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Mirnejad, H., Aminzadeh, M., Ebner, F. et al. Geochemistry and origin of the ophiolite hosted magnesite deposit at Derakht-Senjed, NE Iran. Miner Petrol 109, 693–704 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-015-0408-0

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