A skarn deposit in the Kazdaglari Region: Saricayir (Yenice/Canakkale -Northwest Turkey) Iron-Copper Skarn Deposit

Abstract

Saricayir skarn deposit is located around the Saricayir village of Yenice County, 70 km southeast of Canakkale and northeast of the Kazdaglari Region in the northwestern Turkey. Triassic to Oligo-Miocene magmatic, metamorphic and volcanic rocks cropp out in the study area. The Karakaya complex is the structural basement of the study area and represented by the Nilufer and Hodul units which are metamorphosed to green schist facies. While Nilufer unit mostly consists of metabasic rocks, Hodul unit dominated by arkosic sandstones was emplaces over the Nilufer unit. Karakaya complex are cut by Oligocene Karadoru granitoid and Saricayir alkali granites and covered unconformably by the Oligocene Can Volcanics, consist of andesitic pyroclastics and lavas. It is aimed that to explain geological, mineralogical and geochemical properties of the skarn zone between the Karadoru Granitoide and the Karakaya Complex's Nilufer and Hodul units in this study. Owing to Nilufer and Hodul units were affected by the intrusion of Karadoru Granitoide and Saricayir alkali granite contact metamorphism and skarn zones have been developed between the Karadoru Granitoide and the Nilufer and Hodul units. Contact metamorphism appears to have extended from albiteepidot hornfels to hornblend hornfels facies. Calc-silicate minerals such as garnet, tremolite and epidote were determined in the skarn zone. In addition, pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, digenite and cinnabar were observed. Chemical data reveal that Fe2O3, Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Ag and Au reach up to 57.54% 8101 ppm, 4656 ppm, 3700 ppm, 2500 ppm, 8.3 ppm and 60.6 ppb respectively.