Geochemistry and GIS Analysis of Cu-Zn Mineralization Observed in Eocene Tuffs in the Kuzuluk (Sakarya) District

EasyChair Preprint no. 6920

Abstract

There are rocks of various origins in the Kuzuluk (Sakarya) district, situated in the western part of the Pontides. Sultaniye Metamorphites (Permian-Triassic), Abant formation (Upper Cretaceous), Çaycuma and Yığılca formation (Middle Eocene), Örencik formation (Pliocene), and Quaternary alluviums observed in the region from old to young. The most important tectonic structure that contributes to these units side by side is right-lateral strike-slip faults and dip-slip faults. In this tectonically active region, dipslip fault zones were established in the tuffs of the Yığılca formation. In the fault zone located southwest of Acısu Hill, there is a vein-type epigenetic Cu-Zn mineralization. As a proceeding of field and laboratory studies, ore paragenesis consists of pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, sphalerite, goethite, quartz, and calcite respectively. Major oxide and trace element analysis of the samples selected from this greatly altered zone were carried out. As a result of the analyzes, Fe₂O₃ content in the ore zone ranges between 14.08-24.10%, CaO content ranges between 2.63-10.7%, SO₃ content ranges between 6.52-35.96%, SiO₂ content ranges between 5.16-28.25%, and Al₂O₃ content ranges between 2.08-7.39%. The Zn value of these samples is 150-980 ppm (average 470 ppm), and the Cu value is 155-1700 ppm (average 1014 ppm). In order to explain the spatial geochemical variations of the samples collected along the ore zone, thematic maps were constructed in the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment by using the Adobe Illustrator 2020 program. According to these maps, it was determined that the Cu concentration increased as the fault zone was approached, and changed into altered zones as it moved away from the fault zones.

Keyphrases: Fault, GIS, mineralization, tuff, Yığılca formation

@Booklet{EasyChair:6920,
  author = {Cihan Yalçın and Mustafa Kumral and Zübeyde Buket Aydın and Ceren Korkmaz and Alişan Gürsoy and Onur Aksoy},
  title = {Geochemistry and GIS Analysis of Cu-Zn Mineralization Observed in Eocene Tuffs in the Kuzuluk (Sakarya) District},
  howpublished = {EasyChair Preprint no. 6920},

  year = {EasyChair, 2021}}