In situ Rb-Sr dating of K-bearing minerals from the orogenic Akçaabat gold deposit in the Menderes Massif, Western Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract

The Akçaabat gold deposit is mainly composed of massive arsenopyrite veins in strongly foliated augen gneisses of the Çine Sub-massif in western Turkey. K-bearing minerals from orogenic gold veins were dated by the in situ Rb-Sr method in order to determine the formation age of the Akçaabat gold deposit. Textural relationships between the vein minerals suggest that arsenopyrite, K-feldspar, quartz, and muscovite formed in one paragenetic stage. Native gold, native bismuth, scorodite, and galena were introduced in a later paragenetic stage. The isochron derived from K-feldspar and muscovite occurring in the veins yielded 31.3 ± 4.7 Ma. In situ Rb-Sr dating of the same assemblage (K-feldspar and muscovite) in the host rock gave an isochron age of 40.8 ± 3.8 Ma, 10 Ma older than the vein ages, and corresponding to peak metamorphism of the regional main Menderes metamorphism during the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic event. Biotite from the host rock gave an isochron age of 28.1 ± 2.2 Ma and probably reflects the cooling age. Homogenization temperatures from fluid inclusions in quartz show that quartz formed at 280–390 ℃ but has a dominant mode in the 350–360 ℃ temperature interval. The age of vein formation was successfully distinguished from the age of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic event associated with main Menderes metamorphism. This study demonstrates that in situ Rb-Sr isotopic study can be applied to resolve absolute dating of orogenic deposits in metamorphic complexes.