• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.335-349
• /
• 2014

The Pocheon skarn deposit, located at the northwestern part of the Precambrian Gyeonggi massif in South Korea, occurs at the contact between the Cretaceous Myeongseongsan granite and the Precambrian carbonate rocks, and is also controlled by N-S-trending shear zone. The skarn distribution and mineralogy reflects both structural and lithological controls. Three types of skarn formations based on mineral assemblages in the Pocheon skarn exist; a sodiccalcic skarn and a magnesian skarn mainly developed in the dolostone, and a calcic skarn developed in the limestone. Iron mineralization occurs in the sodic-calcic and magnesian skarn zone, locally superimposed by copper mineralization during retrograde skarn stage. The sodic-calcic skarn is composed of acmite, diopside, albite, garnet, magnetite, maghemite, anhydrite, apatite, and sphene. Retrograde alteration consists of tremolite, phlogopite, epidote, sericite, gypum, chlorite, quartz, calcite, and sulfides. Magnesian skarn mainly consists of diopside and forsterite. Pyroxene and olivine are mainly altered to tremolite, with minor phlogopite, talc, and serpentine. The calcic skarn during prograde stage mainly consists of garnet, pyroxene and wollastonite. Retrograde alteration consists of epidote, vesuvianite, amphibole, biotite, magnetite, chlorite, quartz, calcite, and sulfides. Microprobe analyses indicate that the majority of the Pocheon skarn minerals are enriched by Na-Mg composition and have high $Fe^{3+}/Fe^{2+}$, $Mg^{2+}/Fe^{2+}$, and $Al^{3+}/Fe^{2+}$ ratios. Clinopyroxene is acmitic and diopsidic composition, whereas garnet is relatively grossular-rich. Amphiboles are largely of tremolite, pargasite, and magnesian hastingsite composition. The prograde anhydrous skarn assemblages formed at about $400^{\circ}{\sim}500^{\circ}C$ in a highly oxidized environment ($fO_2=10^{-23}{\sim}10^{-26}$) under a condition of about 0.5 kbar pressure and $X(CO_2)=0.10$. With increasing fluid/rock interaction during retrograde skarn, epidote, amphibole, sulfides and calcite formed as temperature decreased to approximately $250^{\circ}{\sim}400^{\circ}C$ at $X(CO_2)=0.10$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.47 no.4
• /
• pp.317-333
• /
• 2014

The Pocheon iron (-copper) deposit, located at the northwestern part of the Precambrian Gyeonggi massif in South Korea, genetically remains controversial. Previous researchers advocated a metamorphosed (-exhalative) sedimentary origin for iron enrichment. In this study, we present strong evidences for skarnification and Fe mineralization, spatially associated with the Myeongseongsan granite. The Pocheon deposit is composed of diverse carbonate rocks such as dolostone and limestone which are partially overprinted by various hydrothermal skarns such as sodic-calcic, calcic and magnesian skarn. Iron (-copper) mineralization occurs mainly in the sodic-calcic skarn zone, locally superimposed by copper mineralization during retrograde stage of skarn. Age data determined on phlogopites from retrograde skarn stage by Ar-Ar and K-Ar methods range from $110.3{\pm}1.0Ma$ to $108.3{\pm}2.8Ma$, showing that skarn iron mineralization in the Pocheon is closely related to the shallow-depth Myeongseongsan granite (ca. 112 Ma). Carbon-oxygen isotopic depletions of carbonates in marbles, diverse skarns, and veins can be explained by decarbonation and interaction with an infiltrating hydrothermal fluids in open system ($XCO_2=0.1$). The results of sulfur isotope analyses indicate that both of sulfide (chalcopyrite-pyrite composite) and anhydrites in skarn have very high sulfur isotope values, suggesting the $^{34}S$ enrichment of the Pocheon sulfide and sulfate sulfur was derived from sulfate in the carbonate protolith. Shear zones with fractures in the Pocheon area channeled the saline, high $fO_2$ hydrothermal fluids, resulting in locally developed intense skarn alteration at temperature range of about $500^{\circ}$ to $400^{\circ}C$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
• /
• v.27 no.4
• /
• pp.375-385
• /
• 1994

The studied area is composed of Precambrian gneiss complex, middle Jurassic biotite granite, late Cretaceour sediments, volcanics and pink feldspar granite. Characteristic minerals of the biotite granite is plagioclase and hornblende whereas the pink feldspar granite is pink feldspar (perthite) and quartz. Plagioclase compositions of the biotite granite and the pink feldspar granite are oligoclase to calcic andesine ($An_{18-44}$) and sodic albite ($An_{0.5-5.0}$), respectively. In the variation diagrams of the Harker and normative Q-Or-Pl diagram, the biotite granite belongs to the category from granodiorite to granite, the pink feldspar granite from nomal to late granite. The values of D.I. L.I. and alkalinity of the pink feldspar granite are higher than those of the biotite granite. While CaO is enriched in the biotite granite, $K_2O$ is enriched in the pink feldspar granite. The ratio of $K_2O/Na_2O$ which indicates the relative ratio of alkali is 1.06 in the pink feldspar granite, and 0.86 in the biotite granite. In A-M-F and N-C-K diagrams both these granites are plotted in peraluminus granite ($Al_2O_3$>$Na_2O+K_2O+CaO$) region, assigned to calc alkaline series and alkaline series respectively. Put into the form of A-C-F diagram, the biotite granite falls under I-type, and the pink feldspar granite S-type. On the base of whole rock ratios of $Fe^{+3}/Fe^{+2}+Fe^{+3}$ and $^{87}Sr/^{86}Sr$ for the granites in studied area, the biotite granite indicates ilmenite series (0.26) and S-type and/or contaminated I-type ($0.72020{\pm}0.00050$), the pink feldspar granite magnetite series (0.44) and I-type ($0.70826{\pm}0.00020$).