GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF SULPHITE MINERALIZATION IN THE ISPENDERE REGION (MALATYA)

Indexed In

Volume 121 / 1999

Authors:

Halide DUMANLILAR, Doğan AYDAL, Özcan DUMANLILAR

Keywords:

Granitoid, porphyry, alteration, dacite, Kızmehmet Site (Malatya).

Abstract:

In this study, the geology, mineralogy, petrography, geochemistry, wall-rock alteration, ore-wall-rock relations, micro structural and textural relations in the copper-pyrite mineralization in Kızmehmet site (Ispendere-Malatya) and its vicinity were investigated. Ispendere Ophiolite (Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous), Yüksekova complex (Upper Cretaceous) and Kırkgeçit formation (Middle Eocene) crop out in the study area, which is located in Malatya-Elazığ region of the Eastern Taurus orogenic belt. Yüksekova complex is formed by Kuluşağı magmatites, Kapıkaya volcanics, Şişman magmatites and Harabe hill magmatites. Harabe hill magmatites cut all of the mentioned rocks in the complex and caused to form all of alteration types and different mineralizations in the study area. When the mineralogical, petrological and geochemical data are taken into consideration, the ore minerals bearing Harabe hill magmatites and the other type magmatites in Yüksekova complex were determined as the product of I-type calcalcaline magmatism.The copper-pyrite mineralization is generally located in the Harabe hill magmatites and its contacts with the surrounding rocks. Four types of alterations related to the mineralization processes were determined in the study area, namely; weak potassic, phyllic, argillic and prophylitic. The ore mineralization is generally surrounded by phyliic-prophylitic alteration and/or phyllic alteration halos. The ore minerals are found within quartz-carbonate veins, as coatings in joints and faults and as well as disseminated ore minerals in the host rock. The main ore minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, and magnetite, while sphalerite, galenite, pyrotite. bornite. rutile-anatase and ilmenite is less amount. Limonite, hematite, marcasite. chalcocite and covellite are found as secondary ore minerals. Prophyry copper-pyrite and/or stockwork type mineralization were detected in the study area according to the studies based on geotectonic environment, ore mineralogy, ore type host rock-ore relation and host rock alteration.