EVALUATING GEOCHEMISTRY OF RARE EARTH ELEMENTS IN COPPER DEPOSIT OF AGHBOLAGH, NORTH OF OSHNAVIEH, WEST AZARBAIJAN PROVINCE, IRAN

Abstract

AghBolagh region is located in southwest of West Azarbaijan Province that is 10 km far from north of Oshnavieh. Most of the rocky outcrops in the region include Cambrian deposits (carbonate deposits and clastic deposits (sandstone and shale)). These deposits were later influenced and altered by granite Intrusion. The Intrusion is made of granite and in term of nature, it is magmatic with High-potassium calc-alkaline and peralumin. Also the penetration of intrusion and Ore maker solvent in further distances from the contact point and inside the sequences of sandstone has formed quartzite rocks and ore bearing veins of cooper. The REE pattern normalized to Chondrite for granite, skarn, and marble intrusion and vein deposits shows the fact that, although the REEs pattern is a little smooth and unified, LREEs have more enrichment compared to HREEs in different lithology. The range of normalized numbers to Chondrite in AghBolagh deposit is clearly variable (2.58 to 141.93 for La and 0.14 to 27.27 for Yb). This indicates that there have been clear differences in increase and decrease of LREEs and HREEs during the   formation of AghBolagh deposit stones and rocks. The La / Y ratio shows the pH condition of the environment for formation of deposit. This ratio in AghBolagh deposit ranges from 0.09 to 2.26. The granite intrusion shows the most amount of La/Y which is equal to 2. Skarn Zone (Endoskarn and Exoskarn and Ore in Exoskarn) shows two different conditions. The first condition: the part in which LA/Y>1, and this can be observed in samples near the intrusion and Skarn ore is also found in this range. The second condition: the part that La/Y<1, which is near to marble lithology. Also, about vein deposit, the sample is ore making in alkaline conditions, and other samples show acidic conditions. To evaluate the segregation coefficient between REEs, different ratios of REEs including (La/Yb) n ', (La/Sm) n, and (Gd/Yb) n are used. The values of these ratios range from (0.42 to 50.56) for (La/Yb) n; and from (0.25 to 80.125) for (La/Sm) n’; (from 0.006 to 48.8) for (Gd/Yb) n. The highest segregation was between LREEs and HREEs (more than 125) and the least segregation was between MREEs and HREEs during the Skarn process.