The exposed metamorphic core complexes in the Cyclades continental back-arc of southeast Greece host a range of base and precious metal deposits. Shallow crustal mineral deposits that formed since the late Miocene to active seafloor hydrothermal systems occur in the footwall and hanging wall of the major detachment systems and within all tectono-stratigraphic units. The carbonate-replacement, vein-type, intermediate-sulfidation epithermal, and skarn deposits tapped different sources of metals and fluids along the major low-angle detachment systems and steep normal faults. This study links the regional metallogenic diversity to fluid and crustal sources, within a framework of the evolving geodynamic context and complex basement structure.
Over 30 mineral occurrences, from Lavrion of Attica on the Greek mainland across the
Cycladic archipelago to Milos and Santorini on the active South Aegean volcanic arc,
were investigated, encompassing ~40,000 km2 of the arc- to backarc system. Petrographic observations are combined with mineralogical, geochemical, and isotopic analyses (Pb, Sr, δ34S and δ18O) of galena (PbS) and ore-associated hydrothermal barite (BaSO4).
New galena Pb isotope data complemented by Pb isotope data of galena from the literature exhibit a range of isotopic ratios, with a resolvable geologic pattern. Galena from deposits in the north-central Cyclades has low 206Pb/204Pb ≤18.84, while galena from the west Cyclades has higher 206Pb/204Pb ≥18.84. This distinct regional pattern is further supported by the Sr isotope signature of hydrothermal barite, with 87Sr/86Sr ≥0.711 in the north-central Cyclades and 87Sr/86Sr ≤0.711 in the west Cyclades. When considered together with compiled Pb and Sr isotope data of potential source rocks, large-scale regional patterns in the isotopic signatures are recognized, suggesting two distinct sources of lead and strontium in the underlying basement of the core complexes. These two sources (Lower Cycladic Blueschist Nappe and Upper Cycladic Blueschist Nappe including the Cycladic Basement) correspond to known tectono-stratigraphic units of different provenance and age and help to correlate the basement over considerable distances, even where exposures are limited.
Sulfur and oxygen isotope data of barite indicate variable contributions of sulfur from
seawater and magmatic fluids among the range of deposit types. This indicates that different fluid generations evolved and tapped the basement, likely along the major detachment faults. The δ34S values of barite indicate that mineral deposits in the Cyclades can be clearly distinguished.
Compiled whole-rock isotopic and geochemical data of the basement lithologies exhibit a broad dispersion. Miocene to recent mineralization in the Cyclades caused homogenization of the crustal sources and indicate regional lithological differences in the architecture of the exposed metamorphic core complexes. This thesis demonstrates that regional studies of the geochemical and isotopic composition of mineral deposits can provide additional constraints for the paleogeographic reconstruction of juxtaposed tectono-stratigraphic units across the Cyclades and other complex continental back-arc systems.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/45587 |
| Date | 26 October 2023 |
| Creators | Wind, Sandra Christin |
| Contributors | Schneider, David |
| Publisher | Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf, application/zip |
| Rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
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