Spatial distribution of porphyry copper deposits in Dehaj terrain: Implications for exploration

Magmatism is triggered and controlled by tectonic systems, and thus these processes play an irrefutable role in the deposition and emplacement of hydrothermal mineral systems. It is, therefore, paramount to recognize the tectonic processes that are genetically associated with hydrothermal mineral systems. This study seeks to address this caveat by recognizing the main tectonic processes that have controlled the distribution of porphyry copper deposits in Dehaj terrain, Central Iran. For this purpose, the spatial association of 31 known porphyry copper deposits, faults, and fractures were evaluated by fry, fractal, and distance-distribution analyses. The results of fry analysis revealed that mineralization has distributed through three different trends, namely NE, NW, and NS, which shows a clear association with the fault systems presented in the area. Also, the fractal method applied demonstrated that structural controls on mineralization have operated on two different scales, regional and local scales. Distance-Distribution analysis was further used to assess the spatial correlation between known porphyry Cu deposits and fault traces, supplementing the results of fry and fractal analyses by quantitative measurements. The synthesis of the results of these three methods shows that the NW-trending faults have plausibly controlled the magmatism at a regional scale; nevertheless, NE- and N-trending faults have probably operated at local scales controlling the channeling and emplacement of mineral-bearing fluids.