1887
Volume 45, Issue 4
  • ISSN: 0812-3985
  • E-ISSN: 1834-7533

Abstract

[

This paper introduces exploration clues for orogenic gold prospecting in the north-west of the Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic zone, north-west Iran. These are derived based on processing and interpreting airborne magnetic and radiometric data in order to identify favourable host rocks, and surface and subsurface structures.

,

The Piranshahr-Sardasht-Saqqez Zone (PSSZ) in the north-west of the Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic zone (SSZ) hosts some major Iranian gold deposits. In the south-east of PSSZ, there is a north-east trending orogenic gold belt which contains three gold deposits/occurrences (Qolqoleh, Kervian and Ghabaghloujeh). In this research, studies are focused on processing and analysing airborne magnetic and radiometric data in order to find applicable indicators for prospecting gold in this area.

Former studies on the gold deposits/occurrences in the study area suggest three essential factors in local orogenic gold mineralisation: (1) intersecting deep bending structures/shear zones, (2) Fe-rich mafic meta-volcanic lithologies (primary source and host rocks) and (3) altered mylonitic granites (secondary host rock). Geological structures and lithological contacts can be mapped based on locating edges in the magnetic field at different depths.

In this study, we extracted the structure from aeromagnetic data by reduction to the pole, upward continuation and applying a tilt derivative filter to the horizontal derivative of the upward continued data. Upward continuation was to several levels from 500 to 4000 m. Afterwards, a 3D architecture was built based on extracted subsurface lineaments in different levels. This 3D model can assist in the visualisation of the underground shape of structures that may influence gold mineralisation.

Moreover, mafic meta-volcanic rocks in the study area, which contain magnetic minerals such as magnetite, titanomagnetite and ilmenite, can be mapped using aeromagnetic data. Mylonitic granites, which are the other host rock in the deposits, were mapped using airborne radiometric data.

]
© 2014 ASEG
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1071/EG13053
2014-12-01
2026-01-24

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1071/EG13053
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Alavi M. 1994 Tectonics of the Zagros orogenic belt of Iran: new data and interpretations: Tectonophysics 229 211 238 10.1016/0040‑1951(94)90030‑2
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0040-1951(94)90030-2 [Google Scholar]
  2. Aliyari, F., 2006, Mineralogy, geochemistry and fabrics of gold mineralization in ductile to brittle shear zones of Qolqoleh deposit, southwest of Saqez, Iran: M.Sc. thesis, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
  3. Aliyari F. Rastad E. Zengqian H. 2007 Orogenic gold mineralization in the Qolqoleh deposit, northwestern Iran: Resource Geology 57 269 282 10.1111/j.1751‑3928.2007.00022.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2007.00022.x [Google Scholar]
  4. Aliyari F. Rastad E. Mohajjel M. Arehart G. B. 2009 Geology and geochemistry of D-O-C isotope systematics of the Qolqoleh Gold Deposit, Northwestern Iran: implications for ore genesis: Ore Geology Reviews 36 306 314 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2009.06.003
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2009.06.003 [Google Scholar]
  5. Aliyari F. Rastad E. Mohajjel M. 2012 Gold deposits in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone: orogenic gold deposits or intrusion-related gold systems?: Resource Geology 62 296 315 10.1111/j.1751‑3928.2012.00196.x
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-3928.2012.00196.x [Google Scholar]
  6. Archibald N. Gow P. Boschetti F. 1999 Multiscale edge analysis of potential field data: Exploration Geophysics 30 38 44 10.1071/EG999038
    https://doi.org/10.1071/EG999038 [Google Scholar]
  7. Austin J. R. Blenkinsop T. G. 2008 The Cloncurry Lineament: geophysical and geological evidence for a deep crustal structure in the Eastern Succession of the Mount Isa Inlier: Precambrian Research 163 50 68 10.1016/j.precamres.2007.08.012
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2007.08.012 [Google Scholar]
  8. Austin J. R. Blenkinsop T. G. 2009 Local to regional scale structural controls on mineralisation and the importance of a major lineament in the eastern Mount Isa Inlier, Australia: review and analysis with autocorrelation and weights of evidence: Ore Geology Reviews 35 298 316 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2009.03.004
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2009.03.004 [Google Scholar]
  9. Baranov V. 1957 A new method for interpretation of aeromagnetic maps: pseudo-gravimetric anomalies: Geophysics 22 359 382 10.1190/1.1438369
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1438369 [Google Scholar]
  10. Betts P. G. Lister G. S. 2002 Geodynamically indicated targeting strategy for shale-hosted massive sulfide Pb–Zn–Ag mineralisation in the Western Fold Belt, Mt. Isa terrane: Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 49 985 1010 10.1046/j.1440‑0952.2002.00965.x
    https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-0952.2002.00965.x [Google Scholar]
  11. Bierlein F. P. Murphy F. C. Weinberg R. F. Lees T. 2006 Distribution of orogenic gold deposits in relation to fault zones and gravity gradients: targeting tools applied to the Eastern Goldfields, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: Mineralium Deposita 41 107 126 10.1007/s00126‑005‑0044‑4
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-005-0044-4 [Google Scholar]
  12. Cooper G. R. J. Cowan D. R. 2006 Enhancing potential field data using filters based on the local phase: Computers & Geosciences 32 1585 1591 10.1016/j.cageo.2006.02.016
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2006.02.016 [Google Scholar]
  13. Cooper G. R. J. Cowan D. R. 2008 Edge enhancement of potential-field data using normalized statistics: Geophysics 73 H1 H4 10.1190/1.2837309
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.2837309 [Google Scholar]
  14. de Souza Filho C. R. Nunes A. R. Leite E. P. Monteiro L. V. S. Xavier R. B. 2007 Spatial analysis of airborne geophysical data applied to geological mapping and mineral prospecting in the Serra Leste region, Carajás mineral province, Brazil: Surveys in Geophysics 28 377 405 10.1007/s10712‑008‑9031‑5
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-008-9031-5 [Google Scholar]
  15. Eftekharnejad, J., 1973, The Mahabad Quadrangle map (scale 1 : 250,000): Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration of Iran, Tehran.
  16. Ferreira, F., de Castro, L., Bongiolo, A., de Souza, J., and Romeiro, M., 2011, Enhancement of the total horizontal gradient of magnetic anomalies using tilt derivatives: part II — application to real data: SEG Technical Program Expanded Abstracts, 887–891.
  17. Garrie, D. G., 2006, DIGHEM survey for Geological Survey of Iran (GSI), Alut area, Kordestan, Islamic Republic of Iran: Fugro Airborne Surveys, Report # 03070.
  18. Ghasemi A. Talbot C. J. 2006 A new tectonic scenario for the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (Iran): Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 26 683 693 10.1016/j.jseaes.2005.01.003
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2005.01.003 [Google Scholar]
  19. Groves D. I. Goldfarb R. J. Gebre-Mariam M. Hagemann S. G. Robert F. 1998 Orogenic gold deposits: a proposed classification in the context of their crustal distribution and relationship to other gold deposit types: Ore Geology Reviews 13 7 27 10.1016/S0169‑1368(97)00012‑7
    https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-1368(97)00012-7 [Google Scholar]
  20. Groves D. I. Goldfarb R. J. Robert F. Hart C. J. R. 2003 Gold deposits in metamorphic belts: overview of current understanding, outstanding problems, future research, and exploration significance: Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists 98 1 29
    [Google Scholar]
  21. Heidari, S. M., 2004, Mineralogy, geochemistry and fabric of gold mineralization in shear zones of the Kervian area (southwest Saghez, Kourdestan province): M.Sc. thesis, University of Tarbiat Modarres, Tehran, Iran.
  22. Heidari S. M. Rastad E. Mohajjel M. Shamsa M. J. 2006 Gold mineralization in ductile shear zone of Kervian (southwest of Saqez-Kordestan province): Geosciences 58 18 37
    [Google Scholar]
  23. Henson P. A. Blewett R. S. Roy I. G. Miller J. McL. Czarnota K. 2010 4D architecture and tectonic evolution of the Laverton region, eastern Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: Precambrian Research 183 338 355 10.1016/j.precamres.2010.08.003
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2010.08.003 [Google Scholar]
  24. Holden D. Archibald N. J. Boschetti F. Jessell M. W. 2000 Inferring geological structures using wavelet-based multiscale edge analysis and forward models: Exploration Geophysics 31 617 621 10.1071/EG00617
    https://doi.org/10.1071/EG00617 [Google Scholar]
  25. Hornby P. Boschetti F. Horowitz F. G. 1999 Analysis of potential field data in the wavelet domain: Geophysical Journal International 137 175 196 10.1046/j.1365‑246x.1999.00788.x
    https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-246x.1999.00788.x [Google Scholar]
  26. Jacobsen B. H. 1987 A case for upward continuation as a standard separation filter for potential-field maps: Geophysics 52 1138 1148 10.1190/1.1442378
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1442378 [Google Scholar]
  27. Li L. 2013 Improved edge detection tools in the interpretation of potential field data: Exploration Geophysics 44 128 132 10.1071/EG12058
    https://doi.org/10.1071/EG12058 [Google Scholar]
  28. Ma G. Li L. 2012 Edge detection in potential fields with the normalized total horizontal derivative: Computers & Geosciences 41 83 87 10.1016/j.cageo.2011.08.016
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2011.08.016 [Google Scholar]
  29. Magalhães L. A. Souza Filho C. R. 2012 Targeting of gold deposits in Amazonian exploration frontiers using knowledge- and data-driven spatial modeling of geophysical, geochemical, and geological data: Surveys in Geophysics 33 211 241 10.1007/s10712‑011‑9151‑1
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-011-9151-1 [Google Scholar]
  30. Miller H. G. Singh V. 1994 Potential field tilt - a new concept for location of potential field sources: Journal of Applied Geophysics 32 213 217 10.1016/0926‑9851(94)90022‑1
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0926-9851(94)90022-1 [Google Scholar]
  31. Mohajjel, M., 2004, Geological map of Kervian area (1 : 20 000 scale): Geological Survey and Mineral Exploration of Iran (GSI).
  32. Neawsuparp K. Charusiri P. Meyers J. 2005 New processing of airborne magnetic and electromagnetic data and interpretation for subsurface structures in the Loei area, Northeastern Thailand: ScienceAsia 31 283 298 10.2306/scienceasia1513‑1874.2005.31.283
    https://doi.org/10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.2005.31.283 [Google Scholar]
  33. Niroomand S. Goldfarb R. J. Moore F. Mohajjel M. Marsh E. E. 2011 The Kharapeh orogenic gold deposit: geological, structural, and geochemical controls on epizonal ore formation in West Azerbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran: Mineralium Deposita 46 409 428 10.1007/s00126‑011‑0335‑x
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-011-0335-x [Google Scholar]
  34. Nosratpoor, H., 2008, A study of gold mineralization in Ghabaghlojeh shear zone (southwest Saqqez, Kurdestanprovince): M.Sc. thesis, Tehran University, Iran.
  35. Robert, F., Brommecker, R., Bourne, B. T., Dobak, P. J., McEwan, C. J., Rowe, R. R., and Zhou, X., 2007, Models and exploration methods for major gold deposit types, in B. Milkereit, ed., Proceedings of Exploration 07: Fifth Decennial International Conference on Mineral Exploration, 691–711.
  36. Salem A. Williams S. Fairhead J. D. Ravat D. Smith R. 2007 Tilt-depth method: a simple depth estimation method using first-order magnetic derivatives: The Leading Edge 26 1502 1505 10.1190/1.2821934
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.2821934 [Google Scholar]
  37. Shamsa, M. J., 1998, The regional geochemical exploration for gold in the Saqez area: Geological Survey of Iran.
  38. Shamsa, M. J., and Mohajjel, M., 2001, The fabrics of gold-bearing rocks at Kervian area: 19th Geoscience Symposium abstracts, Geological Survey of Iran, 124.
  39. Sillitoe, R. H., 2000, Role of gold-rich porphyry models in exploration, in S. G. Hagerman, and P. H. Brown, eds., Gold in 2000: Reviews in Economic Geology 13, 311–346.
  40. Silva A. M. Pires A. C. B. Mccafferty A. Moraes R. A. V. Xia H. 2003 Application of airborne geophysical data to mineral exploration in the uneven exposed terrains of the Rio Das Velhas greenstone belt: Brazilian Journal of Geology 33 17 28
    [Google Scholar]
  41. Tajeddin, H., 2011, Gold ore controlling factors in metamorphic rocks of Saqez-Sardasht, NW of Sananda-Sirjan metamorphic zone: Ph.D. dissertation, Tarbiat Modarres University, Tehran, Iran.
  42. Verduzco B. Fairhead J. D. Green C. M. MacKenzie C. 2004 New insights into magnetic derivatives for structural mapping: The Leading Edge 23 116 119 10.1190/1.1651454
    https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1651454 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1071/EG13053
Loading
Evaluation of structural and geological factors in orogenic gold type mineralisation in the Kervian area, north-west Iran, using airborne geophysical data
Exploration Geophysics 45, 261 (2014); https://doi.org/10.1071/EG13053
/content/journals/10.1071/EG13053
/content/journals/10.1071/EG13053
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): 3D modelling, airborne geophysics, filtering, mineral exploration.

Most Cited This Month Most Cited RSS feed

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was a Success
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error