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The Arapucan Pb–Zn–Cu–Ag deposit occurs as hydrothermal veins in diabase and altered Triassic metasandstones adjacent to calc-alkaline intrusive igneous rocks. The deposit is an important commercial source of base metal in northwestern Turkey. Potential by-products are silver and gold. The geology of the area includes a Paleozoic metamorphic basement, Triassic sedimentary rocks with carbonate blocks, Tertiary granitoids and Neogene volcanics. The mineral assemblage includes galena, quartz, calcite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and pyrite as well as minor bismuthinite, tetrahedrite, pyrolusite, hematite, scheelite, malachite, magnetite, limonite and rutile. Silver is associated with tetrahedrite. Early hydrothermal activity was responsible for the formation of three hypogene alteration types of decreasing intensity: silicification, sericitization and argillic alteration. These alteration styles show a rough spatial zonation. The ore stage clearly postdates hydrothermal alteration, as indicated by the occurrence of ore minerals in vuggy cavities and fractures in silica bodies. The deposit contains evidence of at least two periods of hypogene mineralization separated by a period of faulting. In addition to Pb, Zn, Cu, Ag and Au, the ores contain substantial quantities of W, Bi, Sb and Te. Average δ34S values for galena and pyrite are −3.95 and −2.24‰, respectively, suggesting an igneous source for both the sulphur and metals. However, geological and geochemical interpretations suggest that at least some of the metals were leached from the metasandstones and diabases. Fluid inclusions in main-stage sphalerite homogenize at 229–384 °C with salinities ranging from 1.7 to 18.5 eq.wt% NaCl. The deposits formed as the result of the interaction of two aqueous fluids: a higher-salinity fluid (probably magmatic) and a dilute meteoric fluid. The narrow range of δ34S (galena and pyrite) values (−5.2 to −1.2‰ CDT) suggests that the sulphur source of the hydrothermal fluids was the same during deposition of the metals. |
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