Mineralogical characterization of Pb-Zn-Cu mineralizations atKaragöl (Çelikhan, Adıyaman)

The study area is located in the southwest of Adıyaman province. The oldest unit outcropping is the Pütürge Metamorphics (Cambrian-Carboniferous) which is outcropping in Karagöl regions, forming gneiss, quartzite, amphibolite schist, micaschist, and chlorite schists. The rocks of the Maden Group (Middle Eocene) and some volcanic-plutonic intrusions form the other lithological units of the study area. Karagöl mineralizations consist of Cu, Pb, Zn and Ag minerals. The intrusive and tectonic/structural contacts are mineralization settles that source of mineralizations can be considered as volcanic and plutonic rocks with different characterizations in the study area. Metabasic, metagranitoid, and metacarbonates associated with structural units consisting of both dip-slip reverse and strike-slip faults in the Pütürge Metamorphites indicate the preference of the mineralizations to settle within weak zones. It can be said that the ore-bearing zones generally form sulfide compounds within the north-south oriented fractures. In most mineralizations, metal aggregations can occur at different stages and eventually reflect multiple paragenesis and successions. Hereby, it is necessary to distinguish between the deep origin and the superficial origin phase of the characteristic of ore-mineral formations. For example, in Pb-Zn mineralizations; sphalerite forms before galena. The presence of pyrite in this paragenesis indicates that solutions containing iron are effective in the formation of pyrite. It can be said that the compounds of zinc with sulfur and the formation of sphalerite may have occurred later. Like pyrite, pyrrhotite is one of the first minerals to form. Silver and its compound antimonite are the last minerals to form. When determining the succession, first of all, the formation of the mineralization should be defined by the host rock petrography. Because, the paragenesis mentioned above and succession features may change for each mineralization formation. For example, pyromethasomatic formation successions may be different, hydrothermal ore formation successions may be different. The more a mineralization is formed at a higher temperature, the better the succession can be defined. This scope of work; The mineralogy of the ore was revealed with the help of SEM-EDX (Scanning Electron Microscope- Energy Distribution X-ray) and polarizing microscope on samples taken from altered ore zones outcropping around Karagöl. Within the scope of mineralogical studies, both the data obtained from the polarizing microscope and the SEM images and EDX findings indicate that the metal contents in the carbonate host rocks can be divided into two groups. The first group, Karagöl mineralizations are represented by chalcopyrite, sphalerite, lead and silver sulfo salts or native silver formed by high Cu>Zn>Pb>Ag and sulphur compounds. Second group, Korucak mineralizatios are represented by galena, silver, sphalerite cahalcopyrite and Barite high Pb> Ag>Zn>Cu> Ba>As Considering that mineralization follows weak zones in the host rocks and the hydrothermal solution in these zones may have been shaped according to pH and redox conditions, it is possible to say that the hydrothermal cycle is effective on paragenesis and succession. It can be said that the gold enrichments, which attract attention with their high pyrite content, occurred before the silver enrichments. Sphalerite formations due to low Fe content and high Zn content indicate medium sulfidation conditions, while the association of high Cu content with pyrite shows that medium sulphidation conditions are transitional with high sulphidation conditions. It is considered in the SEM-EDX data in Korucak vicinity that the high sulphidation redox conditions, accompanied by Ba, allow barite formations due to the oxidation of Cu compounds, therefore barite is formed together with copper minerals.