Geochemical and isotopic associations between secondary gypsums and the sulphide mineralizations they originated from

Secondary gypsums are quite common in the oxidation zone of sulphide mineralization and waste and rejects of sulphide deposit minings. In these environments the chain reaction; oxidization of sulphur, sulphric acide formation and acid-wall rock reaction results with the formation of secondary gypsum. Similar secondary formations also occur along the pathway of acidic mine water drainage. In theory, the secondary gypsum should have the geochemical signature of the mineralizations they derived from and, from this reason they could be an effective prospecting tool what is cheap to collect and analyze and represent buried mineralizations. The gypsum samples were collected from voluminous gypsum formation and fluorite mines of Keban West Fırat Sector, Pb-Zn mine gallery entrance and waste of East Keban Sector and mine wastes of Maden Anayatak Cu mine. Mineralogy, geochemistry of the secondary gypsums formations are studied using microscopic, XRD, XRF, ICP-MS and ICP-ES techniques and methods. This research study proves that there are close geochemical correlations between secondary gypsums and the mineralization they originated. From Pb, Zn, Ag and Cd contents of the Pb-Zn mineralizations may reach up to Pb: 739, Zn: 2573, Ag: 1.3, Cd: 18 respectively. Cu contents can be as high as 275 ppm in the secondary gypsums of the Maden Cu mines. Present studies on secondary gypsum investigates environmental impacts of these formations. This will be the first study which investigates secondary gypsums as a geochemical prospection tool and method.