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Field and Petrographic Aspects of the Iron Ore Mineralizations of Gandhamardan Hill, Keonjhor, Orissa and their Genetic Significance


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology and Centre of Advance Studies in Precambrian Geology Presidency College, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata - 700 073, India
2 Jogamaya Devi College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700 026, India
     

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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.

Formation of iron ores within banded iron formation horizon, hydrothermal brecciation and replacement of jaspery blocks by iron ores, presence of mineralized banded iron formation core-stones within the massive hard ores and martitemicroplaty hematite rich mineralogy of the ores strongly advocate in favour of hydrothermal origin for the Gandhamardan iron ore mineralization. Iron bearing reducing and alkaline basinal or deeply circulated meteoric water may be held responsible for the hydrothermal mineralization. The ore fluid became oxidizing with cooling. Such hydrothermal ores recorded further leaching and goethitization under supergene environment.


Keywords

Iron Ore Group, Banded Iron Formation, Iron Ore, Hydrothermal Mineralization.
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  • Field and Petrographic Aspects of the Iron Ore Mineralizations of Gandhamardan Hill, Keonjhor, Orissa and their Genetic Significance

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Authors

H. N. Bhattacharya
Department of Geology and Centre of Advance Studies in Precambrian Geology Presidency College, 86/1 College Street, Kolkata - 700 073, India
Kaushik K. Ghosh
Jogamaya Devi College, 92, S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata - 700 026, India

Abstract


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.

Formation of iron ores within banded iron formation horizon, hydrothermal brecciation and replacement of jaspery blocks by iron ores, presence of mineralized banded iron formation core-stones within the massive hard ores and martitemicroplaty hematite rich mineralogy of the ores strongly advocate in favour of hydrothermal origin for the Gandhamardan iron ore mineralization. Iron bearing reducing and alkaline basinal or deeply circulated meteoric water may be held responsible for the hydrothermal mineralization. The ore fluid became oxidizing with cooling. Such hydrothermal ores recorded further leaching and goethitization under supergene environment.


Keywords


Iron Ore Group, Banded Iron Formation, Iron Ore, Hydrothermal Mineralization.

References