Geochemical characteristics of Kırka (Sarıkaya) borate deposit, northwestern Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

The Kırka borate deposit was deposited in a Miocene lacustrine basin which is closely associated with volcanic activity which lasted from Paleogene to the beginning of Quaternary. Borate mineralization alternates with claystone, mudstone, tuff and fine-layered limestone and mostly shows a lenticular structure. The mineral paragenesis is composed of borax, tincalconite, ulexite, kurnakovite, probertite, tunellite, colemanite, dolomite, smectite group minerals, illite and some firstly reported minerals for the Kırka deposit including hydrochloroborite, brianroulstonite, hilgardite-4M and searlesite minerals. In comparison to average values of earth crust, concentrations of Cs, Sr, Li, As and Se were significantly enriched with respective rates of 21, 15, 14, 3 and 188 folds. Regarding KY, KS1 and KS2 locations, there are differences in both element abundances and their geochemical tendencies which are attributed to variations in discharge regime and physico-chemical conditions of the depositional environment. Independent behaviour of B 2 O 3 might indicate that boron is not associated with clays and carbonates and, therefore, most part of boron must be derived from volcanic activity (hydrothermal solutions, gases). REE data indicate that the Kırka borate deposit was formed in a sedimentary environment where highly alkaline (high pH) hydrothermal solutions also took part in borate precipitation process.

Thermal and compressional behavior of the natural borate kurnakovite, MgB3O3(OH)5·5H2O

“…Whereas borax, colemanite, ulexite and kernite represent the most diffuse borates of economic importance [9], kurnakovite may also constitute a relevant fraction of the mineralization. For example, kurnakovite is well distributed in the Turkish deposit of Sarıkaya [10][11] and in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau deposits, where a Mgenrichment has been reported [12]. Kurnakovite forms for chemical precipitation processes in saltlake deposits, within brines enriched in magnesium and boron, or for secondary alteration of other Mg-bearing hydrous borates [12][13][14].…”

Post-volcanic activities in the Early Miocene Kırka-Phrigian caldera, western Anatolia – caldera basin filling and borate mineralization processes

“…The borate unit consists of the following layers or intervals, in ascending order (Helvaci and Orti 2004): colemanite; ulexite; laminated borax; interstitial macrocrystalline borax; massive crystalline borax; laminated borax, with lenticular nodules of ulexite; fibrous, columnar ulexite, with Mg-bearing borates (inderite, kurnakovite); nodular to massive colemanite. In addition, hydrochloroborite, brianroulstonite, hilgardite-4M and searlesite were reported by Kocak and Koç (2016). This vertical succession is almost symmetrically zoned as colemaniteulexiteboraxulexitecolemanite (Figure 7), with claystones and tuffs interbedded between the borate layers.…”

Geochemistry of the Igdekoy-Doganlar Na-Ca borate deposit, Emet Province (western Anatolia, Turkey)

“…Pre vi ous stud ies in west ern Anatolia re vealed sim i lar results. Re ported el e ment en rich ments are As, Sb, Se, Mo, Li and Sr (Kocak and Koc, 2012); for the Bigadiç de posit; Li, Se, Mo, Sr, Sb, Cs and As (Koc et al, 2017); for the Kestelek de posit; Cs, Se, Sr, As and Li (Kocak and Koc, 2016); for the KÏrka de - posit; Sb, Se, Li, Pb, As, Sr and Cs (Kocak and Koc, 2018) for the Espey-HisarcÏk (Emet); and As, Cs, Li, Se, Sb and Sr (Kocak, 2017) for Þeyhler (Emet) bo rate de posit. These data show that Se, Sr, Li and As en rich ments are com mon for KÏrka, Bigadiç, Emet (Espey-HisarcÏk), Kestelek, ªeyhler (Emet) and the stud ied Igdekoy-Doganlar de pos its.…”

“…Geo chem i cal data showed the fol low ing el e ment en richments: Ca, As, Li, Sb, Cs, Se and Sr in the Kestelek de posit (Koc et al, 2017); Ca, Se, Sr, As, Li, Mo and Sb in the Bigadiç de posit (Kocak and Koc, 2012); Ca, Na, Mg, Sr, Li, Se, As and Cs in the KÏrka de posit (Kocak and Koc, 2016); Ca, Sr, Li, Se, As, Cs, Sb and Pb in the Emet (HisarcÏk and Espey) de posit (Kocak and Koc, 2018); and Sb, Li, Se, Cs, As and Sr in the ªeyhler (Emet) de posit (Kocak, 2017). There has been no study of the re la tion ship be tween el e ment con tents and the forma tion en vi ron ment of bo rates in the Igdekoy-Doganlar deposit.…”