Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Genesis Environment of Khanik Titanium Placer Deposit,Urmia, West Azarbaijan Province, NW Iran

The Khanik titanium deposit is located at 82 km northwest of Urmia city in Sanandaj-Sirjan structural zone.This deposit is a part of Qazan mafic-ultramafic intrusive complex bearing two types of mineralization: 1) magmatic ilmenite and 2) sedimentary type of alluvial placer. The main minerals of placer is consist of ilmenite, titanomagnetite, magnetite, hematite, albite, hornblende and its secondary minerals include augite, clinozoisite, actinolite, goethite, montmorillonite and some forsterite. Microscopic studies of placer samples show the ilmenite as of individual grains and lamella inside the magnetite. The chemical composition of placer samples the diagrams of Al2O3/TiO2 versus SiO2 and (Hf/Yb) × 10 versus La/Th indicates the protolith of source rock as an igneous mafic rock. The REEs distribution, normalized in respect to chondrite shows lower distribution of LREEs in respet to HREEs with low negative anomalyof Eu in the Khanik sediments implying a mafic source rock. Ni/Co, Cu/Zn, U/Th indexes and authigenic U represents oxidizing environment at the time of deposit formation. Chemical weathering index (CIW') also indicates a high degree of weathering processes during the development of this placer.