Scholarly record

STRUCTURAL CONTROLLERS OF EPITHERMAL MINERALIZATION AT THE GOLD AND COPPER MINES OF KASHMAR, NORTH-EAST IRAN

H. Hassani

Abstract

The North part of Kashmar is located 250 Km South-west of Mashhad, Northeast of Iran. It is a part of Darouneh Fault zone and contains rhyolitic, andesitic pyroclastic and lava flow. The geometry of Kashmar strike-slip fault has been reviewed and described. From the data obtained it appears that fault geometry (the distribution of shear fractures such as R,R,ЩЋP surfaces, Riedel structures) plays an important role in controlling the location and emplacement of mineralization of gold and copper ore deposits. The Riedel structure which was observed along the Northern border of Darouneh Fault indicates a top-west sense of motion. Similar structures were observed along the Southern border of Tanourcheh fault as well. In alterated regions along R, RЩЋ , P surfaces, intrusion of plutonic rocks into volcanic rocks have caused the development of propylytic, argillic and silisic hydrothermal alteration, hosting gold and copper ore deposits. To show that the observed shear fracture surfaces are indeed not significantly different from classical Riedel shear pattern a fractal analysis has been done to compare field observations and classical Riedel shear pattern. The result shows that the estimated fractal dimension for schematic riedel is about 1.17 which is in agreement with fractal dimension of field measurement.

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