Mineralogy of Garnet in Khuni Skarn, Northeast of Anarak, Isfahan Province: Evidences for a Hydrothermal System Evolution

The Khuni skarn has been developed in the contact between small tongues of the Late Eocene-Oligocene I-type Kal-e kafi granitoidic intrusive body and the Precambrian Lakh marble-dolomite unit، Located 220 km northeast of Esfahan in the Central Iran structural zone. Skarnification could be divided into two subzones: endoskarn and exoskarn. There is no significant mineralization in relation to this skarn system. The extent of the endoskarn subzone is very limited (often from 2 mm to 2 cm)، but the exoskarn has the most extension across the contact. The endoskarn subzone can be recognized by formation of euhedral garnets adjacent to the carbonate part. In the immediate vicinity of the endoskarn، the exoskarn subzone initiates with formation of garnet and clinopyroxene in the carbonates and is extended far away from the contact as represented by vesuvianite and phlogopite minerals. Garnet is one of the most abundant minerals in this skarn system and is found in different sizes and forms. In this paper، the zonation pattern of garnet crystals in the exoskarn subzone in the immediate vicinity of intrusive body is investigated. These garnets are mainly euhedral and isotropic and in some cases anhedral and anisotropic. They are commonly cored by a grossular-rich inner part، and a sharp considerable increase in their andradite content is found toward the rim in most cases. Most studies on skarn systems consider boiling to be the most important cause for this phenomenon. This means that boiling increases the Fe content and oxygen fugacity in the final stages of the system evolution، which consequently increases the andradite content of garnet in its solid solution