http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2015.11.003

Banded iron formations(BIFs) are major rock units having hematite layers intermittent with silica rich layers and formed by sedimentary processes during late Archean to mid Proterozoic time. In terrestrial environment, hematite deposits are mainly found associated with banded iron formations. The BIFs in Lake Superior(Canada) and Carajas(Brazil) have been studied by planetary scientists to trace the evolution of hematite deposits on Mars. Hematite deposits are extensively identified in Meridiani region on Mars. Many hypotheses have been proposed to decipher the mechanism for the formation of these deposits. On the basis of geomorphological and mineralogical studies, aqueous environment of deposition is found to be the most supportive mechanism for its secondary iron rich deposits. In the present study, we examined the spectral characteristics of banded iron formations of Joda and Daitari located in Singhbhum craton in eastern India to check its potentiality as an analog to the aqueous/marine environment on Mars. The prominent banding feature of banded iron formations is in the range of few millimeters to few centimeters in thickness. Fe rich bands are darker(gray) in color compared to the light reddish jaspilitic chert bands. Thin quartz veins(4 mm) are occasionally observed in the handspecimens of banded iron formations. Spectral investigations have been conducted in VIS/NIR region of electromagnetic spectrum in the laboratory conditions. Optimum absorption bands identified include 0.65, 0.86, 1.4 and 1.9 mm, in which 0.56 and 0.86 mm absorption bands are due to ferric iron and 1.4 and1.9 mm bands are due to OH/H_2O. To validate the mineralogical results obtained from VIS/NIR spectral radiometry, laser Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic techniques were utilized and the results were found to be similar. Goethite-hematite association in banded iron formation in Singhbhum craton suggests dehydration activity, which has altered the primary iron oxide phases into the secondary iron oxide phases. The optimum bands identified for the minerals using various spectroscopic techniques can be used as reference for similar mineral deposits on any remote area on Earth or on other hydrated planetary surfaces like Mars.     

澜沧江铁矿带惠民式-疆峰式铁矿床特征与含铁建造

通过对惠民式和疆峰式铁矿的研究,认为它们都是受变质中基性火山岩建造控制的海相火山-沉积型铁矿床,前者兼有条带状含铁建造(BIF)和粒状含铁建造(GIF)的特征,而后者则为条带状含铁建造.它们均具备元古代条带状铁硅建造铁矿的特征,满足形成前寒武纪大型条带状含铁建造的“大型海洋热液供应系统、作为沉积仓储的大陆架体貌及有能力...     

辽宁鞍本地区铁矿床地质特征及找矿标志分析

在区域成矿地质背景分析的基础上,对辽宁鞍山、本溪地区典型条带状铁矿床的矿床地质特征和找矿标志进行了分析总结,研究表明铁矿产于太古宙晚期花岗岩-绿岩带内,主要为条带状含铁建造型铁矿床,鞍山群茨沟岩组、樱桃园岩组是找矿主要层位.矿石具有条带状、块状构造,半自形等粒粒状变晶结构、残留结构等.含铁建造的演化趋势与火山作用密切相关.鞍本凹陷区以及高大磁异常、复杂磁异常、低缓磁异常、深大磁异常和剩余磁异常区是寻找大型、超大型铁矿的最有利部位.     

Germanium in Magnetite: A Preliminary Review

Magnetite is a very common mineral in various types of iron deposits and some sulfide deposits. Recent studies have focused on the use of trace elements in magnetite to discriminate ore types or trace ore-forming process. Germanium is a disperse element in the crust, but sometimes is not rare in magnetite. Germanium in magnetite can be determined by laser ablation ICP-MS due to its low detection limit (0.0X ppm). In this study, we summary the Ge data of magnetite from magmatic deposits, iron formations, skarn deposits, iron oxide copper-gold deposits, and igneous derived hydrothermal deposits. Magnetite from iron formations contains relatively high Ge (up to ~250 ppm), whereas those from all other deposits mostly contains Ge less than 10 ppm, indicating that iron formations can be discriminated from other Fe deposits by Ge contents. Germanium in magmatic/hydrothermal magnetite is controlled by a few factors. Primary magma/fluid composition may be the major control of Ge in magnetite. Higher oxygen fugacity may be beneficial to Ge partition into magnetite. Sulfur fugacity and temperature may have little effect on Ge in magnetite. The enrichment mechanism of Ge in magnetite from iron formations remains unknown due to the complex ore genesis. Germanium along with other elements (Mn, Ni, Ga) and element ratios (Ge/Ga and Ge/Si raios) can distinguish different types of deposits, indicating that Ge can be used as a discriminate factor like Ti and V. Because of the availability of in situ analytical technique like laser ablation ICP-MS, in situ Ge/Si ratio of magnetite can serve as a geochemical tracer and may provide new constraints on the genesis of banded iron formations.     

Banded iron formation to high-grade iron ore: a critical review of supergene enrichment models

All the major worldwide direct-shipping iron ore deposits associated with banded iron formations (BIF) are characteristically deeply weathered. They extend to considerable depths below the water table and show well-preserved primary structures and textures, but characteristically most deposits contain no evidence of chert bands being present prior to weathering. Recent studies have found evidence of hydrothermal and/ or metamorphic influences in the development of certain ore deposits and new genesis models such as the supergene-modified hypogene model have been postulated for major high-grade iron ore deposits. Nevertheless, there are many high-grade deposits that show no evidence of hypogene alteration and for which a hypogene or metamorphic genesis is unreasonable that are automatically ascribed to supergene enrichment, commonly erroneously attributed to lateritic weathering in tropical environments. Laterite (sensu lato) is a soil formation in which primary textures are destroyed and is underlain by a pallid zone showing the preservation of chert and the depletion, not enrichment, of iron oxides and thus is totally incompatible with the formation of the high-grade ore deposits. Various theories and models that purported to explain the conditions under which such a uniquely BIF-related dissolution of quartz and residual accumulation of hematite could occur by supergene processes typically conflict with current understanding of groundwater hydrology, chemistry, weathering processes and soil formation.Supergene enrichment of ore is universal in the leaching of gangue minerals such as iron silicates, carbonates and apatite and supergene enrichment of BIF to low-grade ore is common in near surface environments above the water table such as ferrugenised BIF outcrops, detrital ore deposits, and some shallow ore deposits that have been subjected to prolonged exposure to fresh meteoric water. In all cases of supergene enrichment traces of the chert bands are visible and the dissolution or replacement processes for the removal of quartz are clear, in direct contrast to the most important deep saprolite ore deposits that show no trace of chert bands.The widespread acceptance of an inappropriate and untenable supergene enrichment model inhibits search for the true origin of the ore and our ability to predict and find concealed high-grade ore deposits.     

Feedback Concept in the Ore-forming Systems

Feedback, one of the most fundamental processes existing in nature, is present in almost all dynamic systems. Feedback concepts have been utilized almost exclusively by engineers. Nevertheless, this theory is applicable to formulating and solving problems in geology, particularly in the ore-forming systems. Feedback is distinctly operative in the generation of two groups of mineral deposits: (i) Mineral deposits showing rhythmic structures/textures, such as layered chromite deposits, re-opened veins with banded structure/texture, Mississippi Valley-type deposits with alternate bands/crusts of barite and galena, proximal volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits with mineralized layers of breccia clasts, and banded iron formations with alternate silica and magnetite and/or hematite bands, and (ii) mineral deposits lacking visible rhythmic structures/textures, but showing evidence of rhythmic process(es), such as in porphyry base metal deposits. There is an alternation of positive and negative feedback mechanisms in the ore-forming systems discussed here, which implies the involvement of feedback loops of negative sign.     

辽宁鞍本地区铁质活化再富集成因富铁矿的成矿时代——齐大山铁矿床辉钼矿Re-Os年龄证据

中国与早前寒武纪条带状铁建造有关的磁铁富矿集中分布在辽宁鞍本地区,主要由条带状铁建造经过后期热液改造而成,有去硅富铁和铁质活化再富集2种成因,前者以弓长岭铁矿床二矿区的富铁矿为代表,富铁矿的成矿时代为1.84 Ga左右;后者以齐大山铁矿床樱桃园矿区的富铁矿(樱桃园富铁矿)为代表,但是该富铁矿的成矿时代还不清楚。为了探讨铁质活化再富集型富铁矿的成矿时代,笔者对齐大山铁矿区的辉钼矿进行Re-Os同位素测年。该矿区的辉钼矿有3种产出方式:第一种产于花岗伟晶岩中,呈巨晶辉钼矿集合体;第二种为蚀变岩中石英透镜体边部薄膜状辉钼矿;第三种产于混合花岗岩中的石英脉中,呈浸染状产出。第一种辉钼矿的年龄(2503±33)Ma~(2538±36)Ma,代表了条带状铁建造铁质活化再富集形成富铁矿的主要时期,形成于2.5 Ga左右的华北克拉通发生岩浆、变质作用与克拉通化时期,钼来自地壳,佐证了新太古代末华北克拉通的第一次克拉通化主要是壳内物质的重组;第二种辉钼矿的年龄为(2088±28)Ma,其成矿物质来自地壳,佐证了华北克拉通2.3~1.95 Ga的裂谷-俯冲-增生-碰撞的陆内造山事件也主要是壳内物质的重组;第三种辉钼矿的年龄为(1834±28)Ma~(1853±29)Ma,与弓长岭二矿区"去硅富铁"型富铁矿的成矿时代一致,其成矿物质来自地壳,但混有地幔组分,佐证了1.85~1.65 Ga的华北克拉通基底抬升、镁铁质岩墙群侵入、裂陷槽和裂谷形成有地幔物质的参与。     

Oxygen Isotope Study of Paleoproterozoic Banded Iron Formation, Hamersley Basin, Western Australia

A submillimeter‐scale variation of δ¹⁸O in quartz was identified in chert and Fe‐oxide mesobands of the Brockman Iron Formation, Western Australia, using an in situ CO₂‐laser fluorination technique. The total range of variation is 11.2–23.0‰, with >5‰ variations within a single mesoband of approximately 2 cm thickness. These data contradict most previous works, which have suggested that banded iron formations are isotopically homogeneous. The present sample was obtained outside of the iron mining area, and as such is considered to have been less altered by the hydrothermal event recently shown to be responsible for the formation of the iron ore. The data suggest that the largest Paleoproterozoic banded iron formations may have formed not in a stable, quiescent sea, but instead as a result of increased influx of iron‐ and silica‐rich solutions during periods of increased magmatism and submarine hydrothermal activity in a rift basin environment.     

SIMS analyses of silicon and oxygen isotope ratios for quartz from Archean and Paleoproterozoic banded iron formations

Banded iron formations (BIFs) are chemical marine sediments dominantly composed of alternating iron-rich (oxide, carbonate, sulfide) and silicon-rich (chert, jasper) layers. Isotope ratios of iron, carbon, and sulfur in BIF iron-bearing minerals are biosignatures that reflect microbial cycling for these elements in BIFs. While much attention has focused on iron, banded iron formations are equally banded silica formations. Thus, silicon isotope ratios for quartz can provide insight on the sources and cycling of silicon in BIFs. BIFs are banded by definition, and microlaminae, or sub-mm banding, are characteristic of many BIFs. In situ microanalysis including secondary ion mass spectrometry is well-suited for analyzing such small features. In this study we used a CAMECA IMS-1280 ion microprobe to obtain highly accurate (±0.3‰) and spatially resolved (∼10 μm spot size) analyses of silicon and oxygen isotope ratios for quartz from several well known BIFs: Isua, southwest Greenland (∼3.8 Ga); Hamersley Group, Western Australia (∼2.5 Ga); Transvaal Group, South Africa (∼2.5 Ga); and Biwabik Iron Formation, Minnesota, USA (∼1.9 Ga). Values of δ¹⁸O range from +7.9‰ to +27.5‰ and include the highest reported δ¹⁸O values for BIF quartz. Values of δ³⁰Si have a range of ∼5‰ from −3.7‰ to +1.2‰ and extend to the lowest δ³⁰Si values for Precambrian cherts. Isua BIF samples are homogeneous in δ¹⁸O to ±0.3‰ at mm- to cm-scale, but are heterogeneous in δ³⁰Si up to 3‰, similar to the range in δ³⁰Si found in BIFs that have not experienced high temperature metamorphism (up to 300 °C). Values of δ³⁰Si for quartz are homogeneous to ±0.3‰ in individual sub-mm laminae, but vary by up to 3‰ between multiple laminae over mm-to-cm of vertical banding. The scale of exchange for Si in quartz in BIFs is thus limited to the size of microlaminae, or less than ∼1 mm. We interpret differences in δ³⁰Si between microlaminae as preserved from primary deposition. Silicon in BIF quartz is mostly of marine hydrothermal origin (δ³⁰Si < −0.5‰) but silicon from continental weathering (δ³⁰Si ∼ 1‰) was an important source as early as 3.8 Ga.     

Field and petrographic aspects of the iron ore mineralizations of Gandhamardan hill,Keonjhor, Orissa and their genetic significance

Banded iron formations of the Iron Ore Group (Archean greenstone belts) of Jharkhand-Orissa region, India host a good number of large iron ore deposits (Fe wt %> 62). Iron ore mineralization of Gandhamardan hill is one of them where iron ores occur in two stratigraphic horizons. One is strictly confined within banded iron formation (stratabound mineralization) with irregular geometry, and show fracture filling and replacement vein-type mineralization along the fringes of hard massive ores of the core. This type of mineralization is exposed along the western slope of the hill. Hard massive and laminated ores dominate this mineralization. The other type occurs as low dipping sheet like body above banded iron formation and covered by laterites forming the top of the hill. Flaky ores dominate this mineralization with formation of hard goethitic crust near the top. Both the mineralizations contain mineralized banded iron formation corestones surrounded by hard massive or flaky iron ores. Hard massive ores are entirely represented by martite-microplaty hematite mineralogy. Hard laminated ores contain microplaty hematite and few martite grains representing early magnetites of the banded iron formation. Flaky ores are high porosity ores produced by leaching of silica, martite and microplaty hematite. Hard goethitic ores are developed due to replacement of martite and microplaty hematite or precipitation of goethite in the pore spaces.     

Chemical, Isotopic, and Fluid Inclusion Evidence for the Hydrothermal Alteration of the Footwall Rocks of the BIF-Hosted Iron Ore Deposits in the Hamersley District, Western Australia

Abstract. The petrography, chemical, fluid inclusion and isotope analyses (O, Rb-Sr) were conducted for the shale samples of the Mount McRae Shale collected from the Tom Price, Newman, and Paraburdoo mines in the Hamersley Basin, Western Australia. The Mount McRae Shale at these mines occurs as a footwall unit of the secondary, hematite-rich iron ores derived from the Brockman Iron Formation, one of the largest banded iron formations (BIFs) in the world. Unusually low contents of Na, Ca, and Sr in the shales suggest that these elements were leached away from the shale after deposition. The δ¹⁸O (SMOW) values fall in the range of + 15.0 to +17.9 per mil and show the positive correlation with calculated quartz/sericite ratios of the shale samples. This suggests that the oxygen isotopic compositions of shale samples were homogenized and equilibrated by postdepositional event. The pyrite nodules hosted by shales are often rimmed by thin layers of silica of varying crystallinity. Fluid inclusions in quartz crystals rimming a pyrite nodule show homogenization temperatures ranging from 100 to 240C for 47 inclusions and salinities ranging from 0.4 to 12.3 wt% NaCl equivalent for 18 inclusions. These fluid inclusion data give direct evidence for the hydrothermal activity and are comparable to those of the vein quartz collected from the BIF-derived secondary iron ores (Taylor et al, 2001). The Rb-Sr age for the Mount McRae Shale is 1,952 ± 289 Ma and at least 200 million years younger than the depositional age of the Brockman Iron Formation of ∼ 2.5 Ga in age. All the data obtained in this study are consistent with the suggestion that high temperature hydrothermal fluids were responsible for both the secondary iron ore formation and the alteration of the Mount McRae Shale.     

Boron-polymetallic metallogeny of the north and northeast of the Sino-Korean Craton

Based on published data and original investigations, it has been shown that the combination of widely known Ag, Fe, and Fe-Mn ore deposits, as well as boron and Pb-Zn world-class deposits, is typical for metallogenic zones in the north and northeast of the Sino-Korean Craton. The ore genesis was spatially inherited and lasted from the Archean to Mesozoic. The Archean metallogenic zones are related to the protocontinental margin terranes of the craton basement and they comprise banded iron ore and Cu-Zn sulfide deposits. The proterozoic-Early Paleozoic metallogenic zones are related to rift basins, where the ore-bearing Archean folded basement is overlain by volcanic and sedimentary complexes. The Proterozoic metallogenic zones host quartz veins and schistosity zone-related Au deposits, banded iron and Cu-Zn ore deposits, large sedimentary-metamorphogenic borate and magnesite deposits, Cu-W deposits in tourmalinites, exhalation-sedimentary Pb-Zn ore deposits, and large polygenic REE-Fe-Nb ore deposits. The Riphean-Cambrian terrigenous-carbonate strata are represented by stratiform Pb-Zn and fluorite deposits. Mesozoic metallogenic zones related to volcano-plutonic complexes of intraplate series coincide with zones where the folded basement is made of Precambrian ore-bearing series. Gold deposits are typical of all the metallogenic zones, but most of them are related to Mesozoic volcano-plutonic complexes.     

Banded iron formations of the calciphyre-metabasite-gneiss association in the East European Craton

The paper presents characteristics of the least studied iron formations of the East European Craton (Archean banded iron formations of the calciphyre-metabasite-gneiss association), a typical member of granulite complexes of the Ukrainian Shield, Belarussian-Baltic region, and Voronezh crystalline massif. They are mainly composed of diverse metasedimentary rocks: aluminous gneisses; silicate-magnetite, magnetite, and barren quartzites; eulysites; calciphyres; and marbles associated with metavolcanic rocks. Data on chemical compositions of the metasedimentary rocks are summarized for the first time and their possible primary mineral composition has been reconstructed using the MINLITH software. It is shown that they could be formed from a lithogenetic series of sediments linked by gradual transitions and geochemical commonness of sediments: from fine-grained terrigenous insufficiently mature sediments to chemogenic sediments depleted in terrigenous material (ferruginous-siliceous, ferruginous-siliceous-carbonate, siliceous-carbonate, and carbonate sediments). The inferred primary mineral assemblage indicates sedimentation in the central parts of large paleobasins in a reducing environment characterized by deficit of oxygen and excess of carbon dioxide. Lithological specifics of the banded iron formations in different regions presumably reflect different distances of sedimentation zones from submarine hydrothermal discharge sites and sources of terrigenous material. The banded iron formations at the present-day erosion section of basement represent metamorphosed fragments of the lateral-facies zoning of rocks of the Archean sedimentary basins (or a single basin) of the East European Craton. Unlike other Early Precambrian banded iron formations of the East European Craton, rocks of the calciphyre-metabasite-gneiss association are marked by a high Mn content.     

Iron isotope constraints on the metal source and depositional environment of the Neoproterozoic banded iron- and manganese deposits in Urucum,Brazil

The Urucum area of Brazil hosts a series of Cryogenian ironstones intercalated by oxide-dominated manganese layers. The Urucum iron and manganese formations (IF-MnF) are among the largest sedimentary iron and associated manganese deposits of the Neoproterozoic, however, the depositional model and the source of metals for the IF-MnF in this area are highly controversial. In this study, we performed systematic Fe isotope analysis on fresh and geochemically characterized drill core samples of the Urucum iron and manganese formation deposited in the center of the ancient Urucum graben system. The samples have a large variation in Fe isotope composition, with a δ⁵⁶Fe range of −2.04‰ to +0.75‰, and exhibit a general trend of decreasing δ⁵⁶Fe values with increasing manganese contents. The low δ⁵⁶Fe values of the IF and MnF samples reflect Rayleigh fractionation processes of contineous partial oxidation of aqueous Fe(II) prior to deposition at the sampling site. Using a mixing model and previously published Nd isotope data on the same samples, we estimated that benthic (i.e., porewaters released from submarine sediments in the Urucum basin) Fe fluxes provided 7–50% of total Fe in the Urucum IF-MnF, and the rest of Fe source was from low-temperature hydrothermal vents. Based on combined Fe and Nd isotope data of the Urucum IF-MnF, we propose that low-temperature hydrothermal fluids and benthic fluxes of pore waters were mixed and transported by an upwelling current. The fluid subsequently experienced partial oxidation during the transportation process and became enriched in light Fe isotopes. In the Urucum graben basin, the iron- and manganese-rich oxides deposition occurred progressively under increasingly oxidizing conditions, and such process could have operated repeatedly to produce the alternation of iron and manganese formations. The chemical sediments of the Urucum IF-MnF deposits thus reflect the existence of a sharp redox gradient in the marine environment during the late Cryogenian period.     

山西五台山太古宙绿岩带金矿成矿系统初论

山西五台山太古宙绿岩带同构选初生型金矿床发现三种类型：条带状铁建造型。层控浸染型和含金石英脉型。这些类型的金矿床主要分布在五台山中央韧性剪切带一侧,具有太古宙绿岩带金矿的典型地质特征,可概括为火山喷气-变质热液叠加的层控矿床或再造的层控矿床,它们共同构成五台山太古亩绿岩带Fe-Au－CU矿床成矿系统。     

Mineralogy and chemistry of banded iron formations (BIF) of Tiruvannamalai area,Tamil Nadu

The mineralogy and chemistry of banded iron formations (BIF) of Archaean high grade granulite gneiss belt of Tiruvannamalai area are presented here. The BIF of this area is chemically different from those around the world. The iron formations and associated granulites are of different origin namely metasedimentary and metavolcanic respectively.     

Stratigraphy,type and formation conditions of the late precambrian banded iron ores in south China

Based on research on the “Xinyu-type” Sinian iron deposits in Jiangxi Province and metamorphosed iron deposits in Jiangkou and Qidong of Hunan, Sanjiang and Yingyangguan of Guangxi, Longchuan of Guangdong and some other areas in Fujian, the authors have come to the following conclusions:

1. The metamorphosed late Precambrian iron ores widespread in south China may be roughly assigned to two ore belts, namely the Yiyang-Xinyu (Jiangxi)-Jiangkou(Hunan)-Sanjiang (Guangxi) ore belt or simply the north ore belt, and the Songzheng(Fujian)-Shicheng (Jiangxi)-Bailing (Longchuan of Guangdong)-Yingyangguan (Guangxi) ore belt or the south ore belt. Tectonically, the former lies along the southern margin of the “Jangnan Old Land”, while the latter along the northwestern border of the “Cathaysian Old Land”.
2. Iron deposits of this type occur exclusively in the same interglacial horizon of the Sinian Glaciation in south China. Above and below the ore bed there lie the glacial till-bearing volcanic-sedimentary layers.
3. Based on sedimentary features, the iron formations can be divided into four types: silica-iron-basalt formation, silica-iron-clastic rock formation, silica-iron-tuff formation and silica-iron-carbonate rock formation, which progressively grade into each other.
4. Iron ores were formed at the late stage of late Proterozoic rifting in neritic environments, with their distribution governed by the rift valleys on the margins of the “Jiangnan Old Land” and “Cathaysian Old Land”. Consequently, intense mafic volcanism as well as weathering and denudation of palaeocontinent during rifting provided material sources for the formation of iron deposits. Meanwhile, warm and humid stationary neritic environment during the south China great glacial period constitutes favorable palaeoclimatologic and palaeogeographic conditions for the deposition of iron ores.
5. The iron formations have undergone regional metamorphism of greenschist-amphibolite facies.

To sum up, the late Precambrian banded iron ores should be of metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary type.     

辽宁本溪大台沟铁矿地球化学特征及其地质意义

通过主量元素和稀土元素相结合的方法,对大台沟铁矿成矿物质来源提出了有效制约.研究表明：大台沟铁矿化学成分主要由TFe₂O₃和SiO₂组成,并且具有较低的Al₂O₃和TiO₂含量,这一特征与鞍本地区及山西五台山和冀东迁安地区铁矿一致,表明大台沟铁矿为火山沉积变质铁矿.稀土元素呈现轻稀土亏损、重稀土富集的特征,具有明显的Eu正异常特征,这些特征表明成矿物质来源于火山热液和海水的混合液.     

Geology,alteration, age,and origin of iron oxide–apatite deposits in Upper Eocene quartz monzonite,Zanjan district,NW Iran

Iron oxide–apatite deposits are present in Upper Eocene pyroxene-quartz monzonitic rocks of the Zanjan district, northwestern Iran. Mineralization occurred in five stages: (1) deposition of disseminated magnetite and apatite in the host rock; (2) mineralization of massive and banded magnetite ores in veins and stockwork associated with minor brecciation and calcic alteration of host rocks; (3) deposition of sulfide ores together with potassic alteration; (4) formation of quartz and carbonate veins and sericite, chlorite, epidote, silica, carbonate, and tourmaline alteration; and (5) supergene alteration and weathering. U–Pb dating of monazite inclusions in the apatite indicates an age of 39.99?±?0.24 Ma, which is nearly coeval with the time of emplacement of the host quartz monzonite, supporting the genetic connection. Fluid inclusions in the apatite have homogenization temperatures of about 300 °C and oxygen isotopic compositions of the magnetite support precipitation from magmatic fluids. Late-stage quartz resulted from the introduction of a cooler, less saline, and isotopically depleted fluid. The iron oxide–apatite deposits in the Tarom area of the Zanjan district are typical of a magmatic–hydrothermal origin and are similar to the Kiruna-type deposits with respect to mineral assemblages, fabric and structure of the iron ores, occurrence of the ore bodies, and wall rock alteration.