Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-13T02:34:41.554Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Mineralogical and textural evolution of the economic manganese mineralisation in western Rhodope massif, N. Greece

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

M. K. Nimfopoulos  and
R. A. D. Pattrick
M. K. Nimfopoulos
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, The University, Manchester M13 9PL
R. A. D. Pattrick
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, The University, Manchester M13 9PL
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The western Rhodope massif contains a significant number of ‘battery grade’ Mn-oxide deposits which are best developed in the area near Kato Nevrokopi, Drama district, N. Greece. Economic Mn-oxide ore concentrations are confined to fault zones and related karsts in marbles. The mineralisation has formed by weathering of hydrothermal veins that were genetically related to Oligocene magmatism.

At Kato Nevrokopi, progressive and continuous weathering of primary, hydrothermal veins of rhodochrosite, mixed sulphide, quartz and ‘black calcite’ (calcite and todorokite) has resulted in the formation of the assemblage MnO-gel-(amorphous Mn-oxide)-todorokite-azurite-goethite-cerussite in the veins and the assemblage MnO-gel-nsutite-chalcophanite-birnessite-cryptomelane-pyrolusite and malachite and amorphous Fe-oxides in karstic cavities.

The fs2 and fO2 of the hydrothermal fluids increased with time. The breakdown of the hypogene Mn-carbonate was aided by the production of an acidic fluid due to the oxidation of sulphides. Precipitation of the supergene ores was caused by neutralisation of the fluids due to reaction with the host marble and to mixing of relatively reduced fluids with oxygenated surface water in a fluctuation water table regime. Zinc was also mobile during weathering and became concentrated in the intermediate Mn-oxides, effectively stabilising their structures. The mineral paragenesis records the progressive oxidation of the ore and the appearance of less hydrated Mn-oxides, low in alkalis and alkaline earths.

Keywords

manganese oxidessupergene oxidationRhodope massifGreece
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 55 , Issue 380 , September 1991 , pp. 423 - 434
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Present address: IGME, Xanthi Branch, 30 Brocoumi Road, Xanthi 671 00, Greece.

References

Anderson, G. M. (1975) Precipitation of Mississippi Valley-type ores. Econ. Geol., 70, 937-42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brimhall, G. H. Jr., (1980) Deep hypogene oxidation of porphyry copper potassium-silicate protore at Butte, Montana: a theoretical evaluation of the copper remobilization hypothesis. Ibid., 75, 384–409.Google Scholar
Burns, R. G., Burns, V. M., and Stockman, H. W. (1983) A review of the todorokite-buserite problem: implications to the mineralogy of marine manganese nodules. Am. Mineral., 68, 927-80.Google Scholar
Dimadis, E. and Zachos, S. (1986) Geological map of Rhodope massif (1:200000). Unpubl., I.G.M.E., Xanthi.Google Scholar
Faulring, G. M., Zwicker, W. K., and Forgong, W. D. (1960) Thermal transformations and properties of cryptomelane. Am. Mineral., 45, 946-59.Google Scholar
Fournier, R. O. (1985) The behaviour of silica in hydrothermal solutions. In Geology and Geo-chemistry of Epithermal Systems (Berger, B. R., and Bethke, P. M., eds) Reviews in Econ. Geol. 2, 45–61.Google Scholar
Fransolet, A. M. (1979) Occurrences of lithiophorite, nsutite and cryptomelane in Stavelot massif, Belgium. Annal. Soc. Geol. Belg., 102, 303-12.Google Scholar
Giovanoli, R. and Brutsch, R. (1979) Uber oxidhydrox-ide des Mn (IV) mit schichtgengihter, 5 Mitteilung: Stoichiometric auschverhalten und die rolle bei derbildung von tiefsee-mangankonkretionen. Chimia, 33, 372-76.Google Scholar
Gronvold, F. and Westrum, E. F. Jr., (1976) Heat capacities of iron disulphides, thermodynamics of marcasite from 5-700K, pyrite from 350-770K, and the transformation of marcasite to pyrite. J. Chem. Therm., 8, 1039-48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewett, D. F. (1964) Veins of hypogene manganese oxide minerals in the South-Western United States. Econ. Geol., 59, 1429-72.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hewett, D. F. and Olivares, R. S. (1968) High-potassium cryptomelane from Tarapaca province, Chile. Am. Mineral., Si, 1551–7.Google Scholar
Jordan, H. (1969) Geology and petrography of the Bos-Dag area (Drama, Greek-Macedonia). Geotekt. Forsch., 31, 50–85.Google Scholar
Mann, A. W. and Deutscher, R. L. (1980) Solution geochemistry of lead and zinc in water containing carbonate, sulphate, and chloride ions. Chem. Geol., 29, 293–311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maratos, G. and Andronopoulos, B. (1964) Contribution to the geochronology of the crystalline schist of the Rhodope massif. Bull. Geol. Soc. Greece, 6, 26–31.Google Scholar
Marinos, G. (1982) Greece In Mineral Deposits of Europe, Volume 2 (Dunning, E. W., Mykura, W., and Slater, D., eds) IMM London, 233-53.Google Scholar
Nimfopoulos, M. K. (1988) Manganese mineralisation near Kato Nevrokopi, Drama, Greece. Ph.D. thesis, University of Manchester, U.K., 259pp.Google Scholar
Nimfopoulos, M. K., Rex, D., and Pattrick, R. A. D. (1989) Age of hydrothermal manganese mineralization near to Kato Nevrokopi, Drama, northern Greece. Trans. Inst. Min. Met., 97(B), 193–5.Google Scholar
Ortlepp, R. J. (1964) Nsutite (battery grade manganese dioxide) from the Western Transvaal. Trans. Geol. Soc. S. Africa, 67, 149-61.Google Scholar
Ostwald, J. (1985) Some observations on the chemical composition of chalcophanite. Mineral. Mag., 49, 752–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ostwald, J. (1986) Some observations on the chemical composition of todorokite. Ibid., 50, 336-40.Google Scholar
Papastamatiou, I. (1952) Ore mineralogical studies on the manganese deposits of the Drama area. I.G.M.E., 21 A,28 pp (in Greek).Google Scholar
Perseil, E. A. and Pinet, M. (1976) Contribution a la connaissance des romanechites et des cryptomelanes-coronadites-hollandites. Traits essential et paragen-esis. Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., 55, 191–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Podufal, P. (1971) Zur geologie und lagerstattenkunde der manganvorkommen bei Drama (Griechisch-Makedonien) clausthaler. Geol. Abh., 10, 82 pp.Google Scholar
Roy, S. (1981) Manganese deposits. 458 pp. Academic Press, London.Google Scholar
Spathi, C. (1964) The mineralogical composition of the Greek manganese ores. Ph.D. thesis, University of Thessaloniki (in Greek with English abstract).Google Scholar
Turner, S. and Buseck, P. R. (1981) Todorokites: a new family of naturally occurring manganese oxides. Science, 212, 1024-27.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turner, S. and Buseck, P. R. (1983) Defects in nsutite (v-MnO2) and dry cell battery efficiency. Nature, 304, 143-46.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vacondios, I. (1982) Preliminary geological and metallogenic study of Falakron region (Drama district). D.A. study, France, 43pp. (in French).Google Scholar
Zachos, S. and Dimadis, E. (1983) The geotectonic position of the Skaloti-Echinos granite and its relation to the metamorphic formations of the Greek western and central Rhodope. Geol. Balcan., 13, 17–24.Google Scholar
Zwicker, W. K., Meijer, W. O. J. G., and Jaffer, H. W. (1962). Nsutite-widespread manganese oxide mineral. Am. Mineral., 47, 246-66.Google Scholar