Evolution of Ore-Forming Fluids at Azegour Mo-Cu-W Skarn Deposit, Western High Atlas, Morocco: Evidence from Mineral Chemistry and Fluid Inclusions

Abstract

The Azegour Mo-Cu-W skarn deposit, located on the northern side of the Western High Atlas, occurs in lower Cambrian volcanic and sedimentary rocks. The mineralizations are linked to the hydrothermal alterations that affected carbonated layers of the lower Cambrian age during the intrusion of the calc-alkaline hyperaluminous Azegour granite. Four stages of the skarn and ore mineral deposition have been identified as follows. Firstly, (i) the early prograde stage and (ii) the late prograde stage. These prograde stages are characterized by anhydrous minerals (wollastonite, garnets, and pyroxenes) associated with scheelite mineralization. Based on mineral chemistry studies, the early prograde stage is dominated by andradite (Ad72.81–97.07) and diopside (Di61.80–50.08) indicating an oxidized skarn; on the other hand, the late prograde stage is characterized by a high portion of grossular (Gr66.88–93.72) and hedenbergite (Hd50.49–86.73) with a small ratio of almandine (Alm2.84–34.99), indicating “strongly reduced” or “moderately reduced” conditions with low f(O2). The next two stages are (iii) the early retrograde stage and (iv) the late retrograde stage, which contain hydrous minerals (vesuvianite, epidote, chlorite, muscovite, and amphibole) associated with sulfide. Fluid inclusions from pyroxene and quartz (prograde skarn stage) display high homogenization temperatures and high to low salinities (468.3 to >600 °C; 2.1 to >73.9 wt% NaCl equiv.). The boiling process formed major scheelite mineralization during prograde skarn development from dominated hydrothermal magmatic fluid solutions. By contrast, fluid inclusions associated with calcite–quartz–sulfide (retrograde skarn stage) record lower homogenization temperatures and low salinities (160 to 358 °C; 2.0 to 11.9 wt% NaCl equiv.). The distribution of the major inclusions types from the two paragenetic stages are along the trend line of fluids mixing in the salinity–homogenization temperature (magmatic water), illustrating the genesis of ore-forming fluid by mixing with fluids of low temperatures and salinities (metamorphic and meteoric waters).