Geochemical properties of the Akbaşlar (Dursunbey, Balıkesir) manganese deposit

The goal of the present study is to determine the geology, mineralogy and geochemical compositions of the manganese deposit exposed within the radiolarian chert associations around AkbaĢlar (Dursunbey, Balıkesir) region. Manganese oxide deposits occur usually in the silicified sedimentary rocks of the ophiolitic mélange assemblages of the Neotethyan Ocean (Ġzmir-Ankara-Erzincan) in northern Turkey. In the AkbaĢlar region (Dursunbey, Balıkesir), manganese deposit outcropped small lenses and interlayers with pelagic sediments. The AkbaĢlar manganese deposit consists mainly of dominantly mineral assemblages of braunite, pyrolusite, cryptomelane and ganque minerals are quartz and rarely calcite. Mn/Fe (42.84), Co/Zn (1.92), Co/Ni (2.34) ratios, low contents of ΣREE (14.59 ppm), Cu+Ni+Co (326.7 ppm), and also negative Ce anomaly (Ce/Ce*PAAS = 0.23), weakly negative Y anomaly (YSN/HoSN = 0.99) with Y/Ho ratio (27.5) suggest that AkbaĢlar manganese occurrences occur in a submarine hydrothermal system. According to redox element ratios (Ni/Co = 0.21-0.99, V/Mo = 2-35), positive Mn*SN (3.23-3.74), Sr contents (390.59 ppm) and Ceanom. (− 0.08) values, the AkbaĢlar manganese occurrences could have formed in low-salinity and oxygenated marine environment. Bedises, negative Eu (0.5) and Ce anomaly (0.23), and ΣREE/Fe ratio (262.2 x10-4 ) highlighted that the deposit were formed via low-temperature hydrothermal fluids of pelagic site of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean.