Tectonic framework driving fluorite-barite and iron-manganese mineralization at Jbel Tirremi mine, Eastern Morocco
摘要
The Jbel Tirremi Jurassic carbonate-hosted Mississippi Valley-Type (MVT) ore deposit consists of stratabound deposits and fault-hosted veins, primarily along NNE-SSW and NNW-SSE trending faults. The mineral paragenesis predominantly includes fluorite, barite, and calcite from the two main ore stages, with iron and manganese forming during the late ore stage. This study identifies seven tectonic periods that have affected the Pliensbachian carbonates at Jbel Tirremi based on the structural mapping and paleostress inversion. These analyses also helped identify the specific tectonic periods responsible for the formation of the two ore stages: fluorite-barite stage and ferruginous-fanganese stage. The ENE-WSW and NW-SE-trending faults, closely associated with the ore, play a crucial role in ore genesis. They were active during the Jurassic, structuring the area into horst and graben, and served as pathways for the infiltration of evaporated seawater. The Late Cretaceous-Paleocene basin inversion reactivated these structures, leading to the main fluorite-barite mineralization. Afterwards, subsequent Eocene-Oligocene tectonic compression facilitated Fe-Mn mineralization along newly formed strike-slip faults. Post-orogenic tectonic events during the Neogene to Quaternary triggered the decline of the hydrothermal system, with the circulation of unmineralized fluids leading to late-stage calcite deposition. This study underscores the critical role of polyphase tectonic activity in controlling ore formation at Jbel Tirremi. The findings offer valuable insights on similar ore systems globally, emphasizing the role of tectonic processes that drive ore genesis.