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Paper Number: 83
Post
collision magmatism and metallogeny at the southern part of the Balkan
Peninsula, SE-Europe
Serafimovski,
T.1, Boev, B.1 and Tasev, G.1
1Faculty
of Natural and Technical Sciences, University “Goce Delcev”-Stip, str.
Goce Delcev 89, The Republic of Macedonia;
todor.serafimovski@ugd.edu.mk.
___________________________________________________________________________
The Tethyan Eurasian metallogenic belt (TEMB) was formed during
Mesozoic and post-Mesozoic times in the area of the former Tethyan ocean
on the southern margin of Eurasia, with the Afro-Arabian and Indian
plates to the south. It extends from the western Mediterranean via the
Alps and southeastern Europe through the Lesser Caucasus, the Hindu
Kush, and the Tibet Plateau to Burma and SW Indonesia, linking with the
West Pacific metallogenic belt [1]. The Carpatho-Balkan region is one of
the sectors of the TEMB, characterized by specific features. The
emplacement of ore deposits is related to a specific time interval, and
to specific tectonic settings.
After the obduction of the Eastern and Western Vardar Ophiolitic
Units in the latest Jurassic or Early Cretaceous, the post-collisional
convergence across the Sava zone produced thickened crust north to
northeast of the suture, which crops out within the Rhodope Mountains.
The end of the subduction and collision event and related compression
occurred in the Priabonian, latest Eocene. The Late Eocene–Oligocene
magmatic belt evolved from K-rich trachybasalts (34 Ma) via shoshonites,
calc-alkaline and high-K calcalkaline basalts (33 to 31 Ma) to alkaline
basalts (28–26 Ma; [2]). The origin of this very heterogeneous magmatism
has generally been explained to be related to the postcollisional
collapse of the Dinaride orogen (Late Oligocene) followed by the
extension in the Pannonian basin (Miocene) and in the Aegean area,
Pliocene [3]. Post-collision continent-continent setting includes
deposits of Pb-Zn, Sb, As, Au-Cu associated with volcano-plutonic
complexes of calc-alkaline affinity. Several major Alpine metallogenic
units are developed in the Carpatho-Balkanides and adjacent area,
characterized by specific development, mineral associations, and types
of ore deposits.
Some regional metallogenic units such as the Serbo-Macedonian-Central
Anatolian province are associated with the Oligocene-Miocene/Pliocene
calc-alkaline complexes. The origin of these magmatic complexes cannot
be unequivocally related to subduction of an oceanic crust and its
partial melting, although they are situated in the vicinity of a suture
zone, formed after the closure of the Vardar-Izmir-Ankara ocean. It is
more likely, although still a tentative model, that the widespread
calc-alkaline igneous suites resulted from anatectic partial melting of
the lowermost part of continental crust and that locally even some
ophiolites were involved [1]. These processes took place during the late
Paleogene through early Neogene along the suture Vardar-Izmir-Ankara
zone, preceded by uplifting of the central parts of suture zone due to
lateral compression.
The ore deposits were emplaced at hypabyssal and volcanic levels, the
latter often associated with caldera structures. Some deposits were
formed from submarine brines, syngenetic and/or epigenetic with respect
to country rocks; they may represent a specific group of deposits
developed in this tectonic setting (such as hydrothermal-sedimentary
deposits of boron minerals, gold/silver ± lead/zinc, Sb/As/Tl). Some
deposits were formed above ophiolites and contain elements which were
mobilized by hydrothermal solutions passing through ophiolites (Au, PGE,
Cu).
Pb-Zn and Sb are the dominant metals in this tectonic setting.
Porphyry copper deposits occur along the contact between two tectonic
blocks, the Vardar zone and the Serbo-Macedonian massif (SMM).
Molybdenum mineralization as disseminated and/or vein types occurs
sporadically; some of them contain large reserves but at low grade,
Mackatica in Serbia [1], Golden Sunlight Mo–Au, Montana [4] etc.
Hydrothermal-sedimentary magnesite and boron deposits occur in the
Neogene basins.
References:
[1] Janković S (1997) Min Deposita 32 (5): 426-433
[2] Prelević D, Foley SF, Romer RL, Cvetković V and Downes H (2005) J
Petrol 46:1443–1487
[3] van Hinsbergen DJJ and Schmid SM (2012) Tectonics 31, no. 5.
[4] Voudouris P, Melfos V, Spry GP, Bindi L, Moritz R, Ortelli M and
Kartal T (2013) Minerals 3: 165-191
