Geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of Mashkan barite deposit, north eastern Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi province

Mashkan deposit is located northern Soltanabad, Sabzevar, Khorasan Razavi province, and tectonically, between Eastern Alborz zone, north Sabzevar ophiolite zone and Binalood zone. Geology of the area includes sedimentary rocks like sandstone, limestone, conglomerate, shale, marl and Eocene volcanic units. Barite mineralization as vein-veinlets with the mainly NW-SE trend has cut off the rock units. Minerals consist of barite, quartz and calcite associated with galena and secondary minerals such as goethite, limonite and malachite. Quartz is the most important waste mineral. According to fluid inclusion studies, formation temperature of mineralization is between 235 to 330 ºC and it is occurred from NaCl-, and CaCl2-bearing fluid with 20.67 to 21.4 wt. % NaCl equivalent salinity. Based on geology, mineralization, and geochemistry, Mashkan barites are hydrothermal type.