Mineralization and alteration in the Roshtkhar Iron deposit and related host rocks

Roshtkhar Iron deposit is located in southeast of Khorasan Razavi Province about 48 Km east of Roshtkhar. This deposit is geologically located in the northeast of the Lut block in the Khaf-Bardaskan volcanic- plutonic belt. Intermediate igneous rocks such as stock, dyke, lava and pyroclastic deposits are host rock. Igneous rocks are dioritic porphyry, monzosyenitic porphyry, andesite, basalt and lithic tuff that are granular, porphyry, microlitic porphyry and hyalomicrolitic in texture and consist of plagioclase, K-feldspar, amphibole and pyroxene. The sedimentary units are sandstone, shale and conglomerate. The Fe mineralization in this deposit occurs as east-west veins in the intrusive rocks. These veins are varied in thickness (from a few centimeters to two meters) and length (up to 20 meters?) that are mainly layered and brecciated. The main Iron mineralizations are spicularite and magnetite, whereas primary copper mineral is chalcopyrite that was altered to Cu carbonates (malachite and azurite) and iron hydroxide (goethite and limonite) by supergene processes. The main gangue minerals are calcite and quartz. Propylitic, sericitic-propylitic, silicic and argillic are major alterations, due to alteration of some minerals such as plagioclase, K- feldspar and amphibole to sericite, chlorite and clay mineral.