Mineralogy, chemistry of magnetite and genesis of Korkora-1 iron deposit, east of Takab, NW Iran

There is an iron mining complex called Shahrak 60 km east of Takab town، NW Iran. The exploration in the Shahrak deposit (general name for all iron deposits of the area) started in 1992 by Foolad Saba Noor Co. and continued in several periods until 2008. The Shahrak deposit comprising 10 ore deposits including Korkora-1، Korkora-2، Shahrak-1، Shahrak-2، Shahrak-3، Cheshmeh، Golezar، Sarab-1، Sarab-2، and Sarab-3 deposits)Sheikhi، 1995) with total 60 million tons of proved ore reserves. The Fe grade ranges from 45 to 65% (average 50%). The ore reserves of these deposits vary and the largest one is Korkora-1 with 15 million tons of 55% Fe and 0. 64% S. The Korkora-1 ore deposit is located in western Azarbaijan and Urumieh-Dokhtar volcanic zone، at the latitude of 36°21. 8´، and longitude of 47°32´. Six thin-polished sections were made on magnetite، garnet، and amphibole for EPMA (Electron Probe Micro Analysis). EPMA was performed using a JEOL JXA-733 electron microprobe at the University of New Brunswick، Canada، with wavelength-dispersive spectrometers. Outcropped units of the area are calc-alkaline volcanics of rhyolite، andesite and dacite and carbonate rocks of Qom Formation in which intrusion of diorite to granodiorite and quartzdoirite caused contact metamorphism، alteration plus skarnization and formation of actinolite، talc، chlorite، phlogopite، quartz، calcite، epidote and marblization in the vicinity of the ore deposit.