Scientific article
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Superimposed ore formation and hydrothermal alteration at the Kirazlı porphyry-epithermal deposit, Biga Peninsula, NW Türkiye

Published inOre geology reviews, vol. 186, 106857
Publication date2025-11
Abstract

The Kirazlı deposit, located at the center of the Biga peninsula, is the only well-documented superimposed high-sulfidation (HS) epithermal Au-Ag deposit and porphyry Cu mineralization in Turkey. Ore formation and hydrothermal alteration at the Kirazlı were developed in 3 phases from older to younger: (a) porphyry Cu, (b) late molybdenite event, and (c) epithermal Au-Ag. Superimposition features of hydrothermal alteration are recognized in QEMSCAN mineral maps, suggesting progressive overprinting by epithermal-related alteration on porphyry Cu-style alteration. The δ34S isotopic composition of porphyry Cu and HS epithermal deposit ranges from – 0.31 to + 3.67 ‰, and from -1.94 to 0.1 ‰, respectively. Although magmatic input is observed in the generation of both deposits, the sudden decrease in the δ34S values of the HS epithermal deposit revealed that different hydrothermal fluid sources were superimposed in a later stage. The coexistence of multiphase fluid inclusions with high salinity and vapor-rich inclusions suggests the phase separation (boiling) during the hydrothermal evolution. Low-temperature inclusions with low salinity trapped in a later stage show overprinting hydrothermal activity. The hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions of illite and muscovite separates from phyllic and argillic alteration zones, respectively, indicate that the ore-bearing fluids at the Kirazlı district were mainly formed by the mixing of magmatic and meteoric water. The K/Ar age of the illite within an argillic alteration is ca. 26 Ma, suggesting that the prolonged hydrothermal activity at Kirazlı continued even after the formation of the HS epithermal deposit.

Keywords
  • Superimposition
  • Fluid inclusion
  • S-O-H isotopes
  • K/Ar dating
  • Kirazlı
  • Biga Peninsula
  • Turkey
Citation (ISO format)
ALUC, Ali et al. Superimposed ore formation and hydrothermal alteration at the Kirazlı porphyry-epithermal deposit, Biga Peninsula, NW Türkiye. In: Ore geology reviews, 2025, vol. 186, p. 106857. doi: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106857
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Journal ISSN0169-1368
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