繁昌桃冲铁矿成因探讨

An investigation into the Genesis of Taochong iron deposit in Fanchang County, Anhui Province

The problems of the formation conditions for stratiform skarns and the genesis of the Taochong iron deposits are dealt with in this paper. Following is a summary of this discussion: 1. Stratiform skarns in this area occur in carbonate rocks of the Upper and Middle Carboniferous Period and the lower part of the Permian Qixia Group. No outcropping or concealed igneous bodies have ever been found, let alone any indications of an igneous contact zone or a corresponding zonality from "dry" skarn to "wet" skarn. The mineral facies and zonation of the skarns depend predominantly on the properties of the initial host rocks, and the development of skarns seems to have had much to do with chemical potential of silicon in these host rocks. As a result of the reaction of iron-bearing carbonates with siliceous materials in the rocks, iron-bearing silicates were formed, which in turn were transformed by pneumato-hydrothermal processes of the later stage. The stratiform skarns of this area, therefore, probably fall into the category of stratabound skarns subjected to transformation of thermometamorphism. 2. The iron deposits bear undisputable stratabound characteristics. The positions of ore-bearing beds and the petrological features as well as the mineral associations all point to a sedimentary ore-forming process of iron-carbonate (siderite). The presumption of siderite ore source is supported by the following facts: (l) Remnants of sedimentary siderite which survived the metamorphism have recently been observed in magnetite ore from neighbouring Xinqiao mining area. Siderite can have as many as 12.07% Fe⁺⁺ and, after corrosion, shows oolitic texture. (2) The ore is mainly of calcite/ dolomite- magnetite type. Mineral associations are quite simple and sulfides are rarely seen. (3) A comparison of the analytical data suggests that the content of organic carbon in iron ore decreases due to oxidation caused by metamorphism but is still higher than that in magnetite of contact- metasomatic skarn. (4) The paleogeographic reconstruction shows that this area was once an ancient underwater uplift favorable for the precipitation of iron carbonates. After its formation, the siderate bed underwent thermodynamic metamorphism and was hence decomposed into magnetite, which was then subjected to the superimposed transformation by subsequent hydrothermal fluids, leading to the partial activation and migration of iron matter and thus the formation of such ore as hematite (specularite) at shallow depth of the Changlongshan mining area. In brief, this deposit has a complex genesis: it experienced sedimentation, thermal metamorphism and transformation by hydrothermal fluids.