4983 Rabayrol Et Al

©2023 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.
Economic Geology, v. XXX, no. XX, pp. X–X
District-Scale VMS to Porphyry-Epithermal Transitions in Subduction to

Postcollisional Tectonic Environments: The Artvin Au-Cu District and the
Hod Gold Corridor, Eastern Pontides Belt, Turkey
Fabien Rabayrol,1,2,† Alan J. Wainwright,2 Robert G. Lee,2 Craig J.R. Hart,2 Robert A. Creaser,3 and Alfredo Camacho4
1 Equity Exploration Consultants Ltd., 1238-200 Granville St, Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 1S4, Canada.
2 Mineral Deposit Research Unit (MDRU), The University of British Columbia 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver,
British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
3 Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada.
4 Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 125 Dysart Rd, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
Abstract
Porphyry, epithermal, and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits can form together in the same min-
eral district in convergent margin environments. Their spatial association and superposition indicate evolving
tectonic settings. The Artvin Au-Cu district is one of the major clusters of VMS bimodal-felsic, porphyry, and
epithermal deposits in the Eastern Pontides belt in northeast Turkey. Whereas ore-forming processes, tim-
ing, and tectonic setting of VMS mineralization are well defined in Artvin, those for porphyry and epithermal
mineralization remain less constrained. Our district-scale field study focused on the Hod gold corridor in the
Artvin district, which is defined by the NE-trending alignment of the recent Au-Cu mineral discoveries (~205
t Au; ~0.33 Mt Cu; e.g., Hod Maden, Ardala-Salinbaş, and Taç-Çorak) that include Au-rich porphyry, high-
and intermediate-sulfidation epithermal, carbonate-replacement, and hybrid VMS-epithermal mineralization
styles. Our new U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and Re-Os geochronological results interpreted with previously compiled data
show that magmatism in the Artvin district formed in the Carboniferous (358–325 Ma), Jurassic (182–174 Ma),
Late Cretaceous (92–78 Ma), Eocene (51–40 Ma), and Oligocene (30 Ma). Porphyry and epithermal mineral-
ization along the Hod gold corridor peaked in the Early (~113 Ma; Berta prospect) and Late Cretaceous (~86.5-
82 Ma; e.g., Taç and Çorak deposits) and Eocene (~50 Ma; e.g., Ardala deposit), whereas VMS bimodal-felsic
mineralization only formed in the Late Cretaceous (~91–85 Ma). Therefore, we interpret that the Hod gold
corridor was a long-lived, deep crustal-scale structural feature along which the successive magmatic and min-
eralization events were emplaced. In addition, the timing of porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization can significantly
(>20 Ma) postdate the crystallization age of the intrusive host rocks in the Artvin district, such as at Berta and
Balcılı camp, which emphasizes the importance of dating mineralization directly to correctly attribute the tec-
tonic setting. The distribution of Late Cretaceous mineral occurrences suggests a possible eastward temporal
evolution from VMS (~91–85 Ma) to epithermal-porphyry systems (~86.5–82 Ma), transitioning from back-arc
to arc settings at the onset of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab rollback and accompanied by increasingly
elevated gold content eastwards across the Artvin district.
Introduction The Artvin mineral district defines one of the major clus-
Porphyry, epithermal, and volcanogenic massive sulfide ters of VMS, porphyry, and epithermal deposits in the eastern
(VMS) mineral systems can form in the same tectonic setting, part of the Eastern Pontides belt along the Turkey-Georgia
namely the arc environment, as observed in ancient (e.g., Sil- border. The region has historically been characterized by base
litoe et al., 1996; Mercier-Langevin et al., 2015; Arribas and metal production from VMS bimodal felsic-style massive sul-
Mizuta, 2018) and active magmatic-hydrothermal systems fide and epithermal-style vein orebodies such as at Murgul,
(De Ronde et al., 2019). The Eastern Pontides magmatic belt Tunca, and Dereiçi (Revan et al., 2017; Kuşcu et al., 2019).
in northeast Turkey is a well-endowed segment of the West- More recent exploration activity has resulted in discoveries
ern Tethyan orogenic belt that hosts precious- and base-metal of gold-dominant porphyry, carbonate-replacement, and epi-
VMS-, porphyry-, epithermal-, and skarn-style deposits (Fig. thermal mineralization (e.g., Ardala, Hod Maden, Salinbaş,
1; Yiğit, 2009; Richards, 2015; Kuşcu et al., 2019). Most of and Taç; Baker, 2019). The NE-trending alignment of those
the gold and copper mineralization formed during several epi- gold deposits defines the ~110-km-long Hod gold corridor.
sodes during the Cretaceous and Eocene, (e.g., Revan et al., Preliminary studies indicated that magmatic-hydrothermal
2017; Delibaş et al., 2019; Kuşcu et al., 2019). The VMS- and mineralization in the Artvin district was hosted within Late
porphyry-style deposits formed in the Late Cretaceous but Cretaceous and Eocene igneous rocks (Soylu and Erler, 1999;
are spatially distinct as a result of their formation in different Coates et al., 2015; Kuşcu et al., 2019). However, the under-
but complementary tectonic settings, namely back- or fore- standing of the newly recognized metallogenic associations in
arc and arc settings, respectively (Yiğit, 2009; Eyüboğlu et al., the Artvin district is unclear, largely because of a lack of time
2014; Delibaş et al., 2016). constraints on the age(s) of mineralization and their relation-
ship to the regional tectono-magmatic framework.
In this study, we review and classify the mineral deposits
†Corresponding author: e-mail, fabienr@equityexploration.com and occurrences of the Artvin Au-Cu district in the Eastern
ISSN 0361-0128; doi:10.5382/econgeo.4983; 22 p.

Digital appendices are available in the online Supplements section. 1 Submitted: June 6, 2021/Accepted: August 25, 2022
Downloaded from http://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-pdf/doi/10.5382/econgeo.4983/5737731/4983_rabayrol_et_al.pdf

by Demir Export A S, Ismail Cihan
2 RABAYROL ET AL.
20°0'E # BULGARIA 30°0'E 40°0'E

Beregovo
! # MOLDOVA
Recsk
Baia Mare Igneous rocks Magmatic belts Mineral deposits
UKRAINE
HUNGARY Copper Copper-gold Gold
Rosia Montana Neogene Neogene
# ! Porphyry ! Porphyry ! Porphyry
! Paleogene Paleogene VMS # Epithermal
" VMS "
Rovia Valley Cretaceous Sediment-
Cretaceous # Epithermal #
hosted
45°0'N
SERBIA Underlying Underlying # Suture zone/

Eocene belt Cretaceous belt thrust front
#
Majdanpek ! ROMANIA #
!
Cukaru Peki #
Rudnica RUSSIA
! Black Sea
#
Elatsite
#
#
KOSOVO !
# Chelopech #
Hod GEORGIA
#
#
#
NORTH " Maden

Ardala
#
MACEDONIA Çayeli
# #
Küre Madneuli
#
! #
Figure 2 #
Bucim ! " #!
# #
Skouries ! Rhodope-Pontide Sisorta Mastra #

ALBANIA Perama Hill
#
Ilovitsa ! # Taç-Çorak ARMENIA
#
Block
#
#
40°0'N
Halilağa
#
South Armenian
! #
# # IAESZ #
#
S A SZ Block
GREECE Çöpler # # #
Ovacık #
# CACC !
TURKEY
#
#
#
#
Cevizlidere # Mollakara IRAN
#
! Anatolide-Tauride
# " #
# Kışladağ #
#
Efemçukuru Block # Ergani
Öksüt #
B SZ
# #
#
Arabian Platform
#
#
IRAQ
0 500 Mediterranean Sea SYRIA
km
35°0'N
WGS 84 #
CYPRUS
#
#
Fig. 1. Tectono-magmatic map of the Western Tethyan orogenic belt (1:16,000,000) showing the distribution of major copper
and gold deposits. The Eastern Pontides magmatic belt (marked by the black rectangle) is one of the well-endowed segments
of the Western Tethyan orogenic belt. Abbreviations: BSZ = Bitlis Suture Zone; CACC = Central Anatolian Crystalline Com-
plex; IAESZ = İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Zone; SASZ = Sevan-Akera Suture Zone; VMS = volcanogenic massive sulfide.
Pontides magmatic belt. To determine their connection to 2013). These rock units formed during the closure of the Pa-
regional magmatic and tectonic events, we provide new la- leotethys oceanic basin that took place along an either north-
ser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry ward- (Adamia et al., 1981; Ustaömer and Robertson, 1993)
(LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb zircon, 40Ar/39Ar muscovite, and Re-Os or southward-dipping subduction zone from the late Paleo-
molybdenite ages from mineralized intrusive rocks, hydro- zoic to either Permian (Okay et al., 2006) or Middle Jurassic
thermal alteration, and sulfide mineralization, respectively. (Şengör and Yılmaz, 1981). The formation of Carboniferous
The resulting dates constrain the timing of magmatism and granitoids likely resulted from delamination and slab breakoff
mineralization and provide a foundation for a regional tecto- (Ustaömer et al., 2013; Kaygusuz et al., 2016) or back-arc rift-
no-magmatic metallogenic framework. ing during the subduction of the Paleotethyan oceanic slab
(Karsli et al., 2016). However, Paleotethys oceanic crustal
Geologic and Tectonic Framework of the remnants are absent in the Eastern Pontides (Ustaömer and
Artvin District Robertson, 1993). Following continental uplift and erosion in
The Artvin mineral district is part of the Eastern Pontides the Permian, the Early to Middle Jurassic volcano-sedimenta-
magmatic belt that is built upon the Gondwana-derived, rib- ry sequence of the Artvin district was unconformably depos-
bon-shaped, Rhodope-Pontide block (Figs. 1, 2). This block ited upon the Paleozoic basement and then intruded by Mid-
is separated from the southerly Anatolide-Tauride and South dle Jurassic granitoids and sheeted dikes (Dokuz et al., 2010;
Armenian blocks by the Northern Neotethys Ocean, which Ustaömer and Robertson, 2010; Eyüboğlu et al., 2016a). This
is now represented by the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan and Sevan- sequence was emplaced in a rifted marginal basin that opened
Akera suture zones, respectively (Şengör and Yılmaz, 1981; above an active subduction zone, which produced arc mag-
Yılmaz et al., 1997; Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; Okay and matism in the Middle Jurassic (Dokuz et al., 2006; Şen, 2007;
Tüysüz, 1999). The formation of the Eastern Pontides belt Ustaömer and Robertson, 2010; Eyüboğlu et al., 2016a). The
results from the successive late Paleozoic Variscan (~345–310 “Neo-Cimmerian” compressional episode inverted the exten-
Ma; Rolland et al., 2016; Okay and Topuz, 2017) and Late sional faults of this basin in the Late Jurassic (Ustaömer and
Cretaceous-Paleogene Alpine orogenies, and the Oligocene Robertson, 2010). Although the Late Jurassic to Early Cre-
to present Arabian continental collision (e.g., Okay and Sahin- taceous period was dominated by carbonate sedimentation
turk, 1997; Yılmaz et al., 1997). (Koch et al., 2008; Ustaömer and Robertson, 2010; Okay and
The basement geology of the Artvin district consists of Ear- Nikishin, 2015), evidence for Early Cretaceous calc-alkaline
ly Carboniferous plutons, amphibolites, schists, and gneisses magmatism in the Eastern Pontides suggests that subduction
(Figs. 3, 4; Ustaömer and Robertson, 2010; Ustaömer et al., of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab was active at this

VMS TO PORPHYRY-EPITHERMAL TRANSITIONS IN THE ARTVIN DISTRICT AND THE HOD GOLD CORRIDOR, TURKEY 3
# #
42°0'E GEORGIA
# #
38°0'E 40°0'E
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Figure 3
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#
~ ~ ~ ~ ~#~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~#~ ~ ~ ~ # 0 50
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~#~ ~ ~ ~ km
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# ~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ WGS 84
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##
Legend Plutonic rocks Volcano-sedimentary Structure Mineral occurrence # IS epithermal Ag-Pb-(Au)
Cretaceous- sequence Fault ! Calc-alk Cu porphyry # LS epithermal Au-Ag-(Cu)
Metamorphic basement ! Calc-alk Cu-Au porphyry Epithermal unclassified
Cenozoic Quaternary Dextral strike-slip fault #
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ Eastern Pontides ! Calc-alk Cu-Mo porphyry Skarn Fe
Jurassic Neogene Sinistral strike-slip fault ! Porphyry unclassified
$
~ ~ ~
~ ~ ~ Tokat Massif Paleogene " Bimodal felsic VMS Cu-Pb-Zn
Paleozoic Thrust fault # HS epithermal Au-Ag-Cu
#
Carbonate-replacement Au-Ag
Ophiolites Cretaceous
Jurassic Sevan-Akera suture zone
Arc boundary
« City/town Artvin district
Fig. 2. Geologic map of the Eastern Pontides magmatic belt (1:2,500,000 scale; lithological and structural features modi-
fied from MTA [2002]) showing the distribution of major magmatic-hydrothermal mineral occurrences. The Artvin district
(study area—outlined by the black polygon) is one of the major clusters of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), porphyry,
epithermal, and carbonate replacement-style mineral occurrences. Arc boundary after Kandemir et al. (2019). Location of
figure shown in Figure 1. Abbreviations: HS = high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation; LS = low-sulfidation; VMS =
volcanogenic massive sulfide.
time (Boztuğ et al., 2006; Boztuğ and Harlavan, 2008; Delibaş Eyüboğlu, 2010). In this model, the Black Sea is interpreted
et al., 2016; Karsli et al., 2021). to be a remnant of the Paleotethys (Eyüboğlu, 2010).
The main episode of arc magmatism in the Eastern Pon- The continental collision between the Rhodope-Pontide
tides occurred in the Late Cretaceous (e.g., Yılmaz and and Anatolide-Tauride/South Armenian blocks initiated be-
Boztuğ, 1996; Yılmaz et al., 1997; Boztuğ et al., 2006; Alan tween the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene based on geochro-
et al., 2019). The ~5.5-km-thick submarine arc volcano-sed- nological, paleontological, paleomagnetism, metamorphic,
imentary sequence emplaced from Turonian to late Cam- paleogeographic, tectonic, and stratigraphic studies (e.g.,
panian (~94–75 Ma) in the Artvin district and includes two Adamia et al., 1981; Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; Sosson et al.,
successive episodes of mafic-intermediate and felsic volca- 2010; Hässig et al., 2013). Assessment of detailed stratigraphy
nism (Kandemir et al., 2019; Aydin et al., 2020). This volcano- suggests that this continental collision occurred between 60
sedimentary sequence was intruded by several calc-alkaline and 57 Ma in the Artvin area (Kandemir et al., 2019). Post-
to alkaline plutons, such as Pirnalli and Hemşin, as well as collisional volcanic and sedimentary rocks were deposited in
the Kaçkar composite batholith, which consists of Late Creta- extensional basins during the Eocene (Aydınçakır and Şen,
ceous and Eocene intrusive phases (Fig. 3; Sahin et al., 2004; 2013; Aydınçakır, 2014; Kandemir et al., 2019). The Mesozoic
Boztuğ et al., 2006; Karsli et al., 2012; Dokuz et al., 2019). to Eocene stratigraphic sequence underwent south-vergent
The direction of subduction polarity beneath the Eastern thrusting, imbrication, and folding deformation since the Oli-
Pontides during the Cretaceous is controversial. Most of the gocene (Fig. 3) in response to the far-field stress during the
previous and widely accepted models suggest northward Arabian-Anatolia continental collision in the south (Figs. 1, 4;
subduction of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab along Westaway, 1990; Nikishin et al., 2003; Cavazza et al., 2019).
the current İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan and Sevan-Akera suture
zones (e.g., Şengör and Yılmaz, 1981; Okay and Sahinturk, Precious and base metal mineralization of the
1997; Rice et al., 2006). The Black Sea is interpreted to be a Artvin district
Late Cretaceous back-arc basin (e.g., Zonenshain and Pichon, The magmatic-hydrothermal mineral deposits and occurrenc-
1986; Okay et al., 1994; Nikishin et al., 2003) that formed in es of the Artvin district contain an estimated total endowment
response to the southward rollback of the Northern Neo- (reserve plus resource) of ~268 t Au and 2.5 Mt Cu and are
tethyan oceanic slab beneath the Eastern Pontides magmatic clustered into several mining camps that are herein named
arc (Stephenson and Schellart, 2010). An alternative model Balcılı, Şavşat, Salinbaş-Hod, Yusufeli, Cerattepe, Murgul,
proposes that the southward subduction of the Paleotethys Tunca, Çayeli Yolgeçen, and Hopa, as well as the isolated
continued until the Cenozoic and is responsible for the forma- Berta porphyry Cu-Mo prospect (Table 1; Fig. 3). Table 1
tion of the Late Cretaceous magmatic arc (Bektaş et al., 1999; synthesizes the main geologic features of each mining camp

4 RABAYROL ET AL.
41°0'E 41°30'E 42°0'E

GEORGIA
Madenköy
Black Sea
F
X
#
M
#
M
#
#
#
#
Hopa Yanıklı
[ F
F
#
Peronit Borçka
#
Sivrikaya
M
" " Hopa [ Pirnalli
Konaklı pluton Dereiçi #
M
" camp
M E E E E E Şavşat
M
#
"" E E
Cerattepe
E E E E camp
M M M
Kutonit
" E E E
camp
M
Güneşli
;
E EM E
M
Kuvarshan E E E E E E
M
E E E E "
M
#
'N
Yolgeçen E E EMurgul Murgul Sinkot
#
#
! $E Mağara
E E E E E E E E E E E E
M 5
! Seyitler
camp " M
°1
E E E E E E " E E E E E E E E E E
41
Akarşen
M
E E E E E E E E E E E!E
#
E E E E E E E E E
M
" Fıstıklı "
E E E
Yolgeçen Kartiba E E E E E E E E E
Berta
E E E E
M
# E!E E" E E E E E E
M
E E E E E E E E E
camp MM
E E EF
Ardesen
#
Artvin M M MM F M
$
[
#
E E$ E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
[ M M M
#
$ Cerattepe
E" E E E E E E E# Ardala
#
Ardanuç M M F
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
M
#
#
M
F M M
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E# E E E
## #
!
E Artvin
#
E E E E E E E E
Tunca
E E E E E E E E E ESalikvan
E E E E E E
# #
E E E E E E E E
pluton
# #
[
M
"
#
E E E E " E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
E E E
#
# Salinbaş #
#
Tunca " !
M
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E Yüksekoba
Çayeli Avupdağ E E camp E E E E E E E E E E E E
M
#
[ camp M
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
Y
#
#
Çayeli E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E! E E E E E E E E E E E
# 0 20
#
E E E E E E E E E# E E Derinköy
" E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EBalcılı
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
Salinbaş- #
# # km
! Hod camp ED50
E E EKaçkar
E E Ebatholith
#
Hızarlı
#
E E E "E E" E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E #
'N
#
#
#
E E E E E ÇayeliE E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
Balcılı #
°0
#
#
#
#
M
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Ecamp
41
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EHod Maden
E E #
Ayderyayla Mining camp
M
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
MF
Hemşin
#
!
# #
rc
E E E E E E E E E# M
# #
#
pluton E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Taşkıran
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E
Hod Gold Corridor
#
Sebzeciler M
-A
M
#
#
E E E E E
!
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Epluton E E E E E
ck
#
E Structure E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E EEsendal M F
#
c
Mineral occurrence
#
Ba
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
Ar
#
Bostancı
M
##
Börekli
#
E E E EFault ! Calc-alkalic Cu-Au porphyry
M
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
#
M
E E E EDextral strike-slip ##
#
#
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
M ## Calc-alkalic Cu-Mo porphyry
#
!
#
#
# #
#
M
E E E E Efault E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E # ###
#
#
! Porphyry unclassified
M
#
E E E E ESinistral
E Estrike-slip E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Yusufeli # HS epithermal Au-Cu-(Ag)
#
E E E E Efault E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E # #
#
# IS epithermal
E E Au-Cu-(Pb-Zn)
##
#
#
ThrustEfault
E E E E E E E E E E [
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
E E E E E E E
#
# #
F
Antiform E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E# E Çeltik E E E E E E E E E E # Epithermal E unclassified
E E E E E E E E
#
#
#
M
Çevreli
Carbonate-replacement
E E E E E E E Au-Ag
'N F
#
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E# E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
F
M # #
Synform Yusufeli
#
#
#
M
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
camp # E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
! °45 $ Skarn Fe/Zn-Cu
E E E E E E E E E
F
#
#
E E E ErcE E
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E Taç Kılıçkaya
E E E North " Bimodal felsic VMS Cu-Zn E
#
E E#E E E E E E E E E E E
Late Cretaceous arc boundary -A
40
E E E E E E E E#E E E E E E E E E E E E E
#
re E E E
M
E E Muhurkut E E E E E E E E E
Intrusion-related unclassified
M
c E E E E E E Fo
#
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Çorak E E E E E E E r E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
A Kılıçkaya South
#
E E E E E E E E E E E # E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
M
#
Lithology
M F
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E M E E E E E E E E E E
## #
Quarternary E E Neogene
E E E E E E E E E E E E Paleocene E E E E E E E E E Upper Cretaceous
E E E E E volcano- E E E E E
F EEocene
E E E E Jurassic
sedimentary cover E E volcanic
E E E Erocks
E E E E E E E E sedimentary E E E E E E E E Kızılkaya Formation E
E E E E E Esequence
# E E E E Eintrusion
E E E E intrusion
Neogene E E Eocene
E E E E E E E E E E E E Cretaceous
E E E E E E volcano-
E E E E E E E E Jurassic E E E E E ELate
E E Cretaceous
E E Carboniferous
sedimentary rocks E E sedimentary
E E E E E Erocks
E E E E E E sedimentary E E E E E E E E volcanic rocks
E E E E E Esequence Eintrusion intrusion
#
E E E E E E E E E
E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E
X E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Cerattepe Y
2,000 E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E E Ardala
0 4 Murgul
km
1,000
0 (m)
-1,000
Conformable contact Unconformity Formation bedding Thrust fault Dextral strike-slip fault Mineral deposit
Fig. 3. Geologic map of the Artvin district (1:800,000 scale; modified from MTA [2002]) showing the distribution of mag-
matic-hydrothermal mineral occurrences, the camps, and the Hod gold corridor (bold dashed line). The NE-SW cross section
through the Artvin district shows the post-Eocene compressional deformation of the stratigraphy and location of major vol-
canogenic massive sulfide (VMS) and porphyry mineralization (modified from Kandemir et al. [2019]); exaggerated vertical
scale. Late Cretaceous arc boundary after Kandemir et al. (2019). Location of figure shown in Figure 2. Abbreviations: HS =
high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation; VMS = volcanogenic massive sulfide.
separated into three main groups: Hod gold corridor, Kaçkar volcano-sedimentary sequence, to the west by the intruding
batholith, and VMS bimodal-felsic Cu-Zn belt. Appendix 1, composite Late Cretaceous to Eocene Kaçkar batholith, and
Table A1 provides a comprehensive documentation of 39 de- to the east by the thrusted Mesozoic fore-arc volcano-sedi-
posits or occurrences in ten camps. mentary sequence (Figs. 2, 3). Our field observations show
that the intermediate to felsic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks
Hod gold corridor and interbedded clastic sedimentary rocks of the Late Creta-
The NE-trending alignment of the Şavşat, Salinbaş-Hod, and ceous Eastern Pontides arc sequence (i.e., Çatak, Kızılkaya,
Yusufeli porphyry-epithermal camps defines the ~110-km- and Sümbüllü formations; Fig. 4) are the main hosts to eco-
long, NE-trending, S-shaped Hod gold corridor (total known nomic epithermal mineralization along the Hod gold corridor
mineral endowment of ~205 t Au; ~0.33 Mt Cu; Table 1; Fig. including the Şavşat, the southern part of the Salinbaş-Hod
3). This corridor mimics the surface exposures of the invert- (i.e., Derinköy, Hızarlı, and Hod Maden prospects and depos-
ed Jurassic volcano-sedimentary basin rocks and is bound to its), and Yusufeli camps. Mineralization in the northern part
the north by the unconformity of the postcollisional Eocene of the Salinbaş-Hod camp (i.e., Ardala and Salinbaş deposits)

Ma Plc, 2020). The Berta and Dereiçi prospects consist of NW-

0
Quater. trending silica-sericite-pyrite alteration and quartz-pyrite ±
Postcollision (volcanic rocks molybdenite vein zones (Fig. 5A-B; Soylu and Erler, 1999;
10 and sedimentary cover)
Neogene
Nuinsco Resources Ltd., 2012; this study).

Miocene
Those porphyry occurrences are either surrounded or over-

20 printed by low-temperature hydrothermal mineralization.
For instance, the Dereiçi quartz-sulfide vein stockwork in the
40 Postcollision (clastic and Şavşat camp is cut by swarms of NE- to NW-trending, >5-cm-
Paleocene Eocene
volcanic rocks, intrusions)

Porphyry/Epithermal
thick quartz-pyrite-sphalerite-galena-chalcopyrite veins (Fig.
Paleogene
50 Cu-Au-Mo-Ag 5C; Soylu and Erler, 1999). In the Salinbaş-Hod camp, the
75
Pontides-Anatolia collision
carbonate-replacement-style Salinbaş Au-Ag deposit (8.4
60 Çayırbağ (or Tirebolu)
Mt grading at 2.21 g/t Au and 16.9 g/t Ag; Fig. 5D) is ~2 km
Formation (~83–75 Ma; southwest of the Ardala porphyry deposit (Ariana Resources
Carbonate units rhyolitic and trachytic Plc, 2020). The Hızarlı and Derinköy prospects consist of
70 Eastern Pontide arc 80 volcanic rocks and
(volcano-sedimentary limestone) widespread silica-muscovite-illite-pyrite and kaolinite-dick-
Cretaceous
rocks and granitoids) ite-pyrophyllite alteration zones and a quartz-pyrite-Fe oxy-

Upper
80
Epithermal/Porphyry Sümbüllü (or Çağlayan) hydroxide vein stockwork (Fig. 5E). The Hod Maden Au-Cu
Au-Cu Formation (~85–83 Ma; deposit (12.5 Mt at 7.89 g/t Au and 1.46% Cu) is a N-trend-
basaltic rocks)
90
VMS/Epithermal
Cu-Zn-Au
85 ing massive pyrite and quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-hematite/
Kızılkaya Formation jasper-anhydrite vein stockwork zone with proximal silica,
Porphyry (~91–85 Ma; dacitic to muscovite-kaolinite-illite, and distal chlorite-smectite-phen-
Cu-Mo rhyolitic volcanic and
120 Active subduction? pyroclastic rocks) gite-calcite-epidote alteration (Fig. 5F; Webster et al., 2018
(granitoids) 90 and references therein). The southern part of the Hod Maden
Cretaceous
Çatak Formation alteration footprint has quartz-sphalerite veins and rhodo-

Lower
130 (~94–91 Ma; basaltic to

andesitic volcanic and chrosite veinlets (Coates et al., 2015). Minor stratabound
Passive margin
(carbonate platform) clastic rocks) Zn-rich massive sulfide lenses were observed at Hod Maden
140 (Webster et al., 2018). Our short-wave infrared spectroscopy
(SWIR) data indicate the presence of acidic alteration miner-
150
als such as dickite and pyrophyllite throughout the Salinbaş-
Hod camp that includes Ardala, Derinköy, Hızarlı, and Hod
Malm
Maden (App. 1, Table A2).

160
The Yusufeli camp is defined by the ~17-km-long, NE-
trending alignment of magmatic-hydrothermal prospects and
Jurassic
170 Rift (volcaniclastic and deposits south of the town of Yusufeli. It includes the high-
Dogger
andesitic rocks, clastic

sedimentary rocks, sulfidation epithermal-style Taç, Çevreli, and Çeltik deposits
180
granitoids) and prospects, the Çorak intermediate-sulfidation epithermal
deposit, and the Kılıçkaya Au-Cu hydrothermal prospect.
Liass
The Taç and Çorak Au-Cu deposits (~58 t Au and 33,480 t

170 Cu) are hosted within massive andesitic lavas and intermedi-
300 ate pyroclastic deposits of the Çatak formation, whereas the
Variscan basement Çeltik and Kılıçkaya prospects are within dacitic porphyry to
Carboni-
(granitoids,
ferous
amphibolites, schists, rhyolitic domes that intruded the Çatak formation (Barnett
gneisses)
et al., 2011; this study). Acidic alteration mineral phases such
350
as dickite ± pyrophyllite are present throughout the Yusufeli
Fig. 4: Simplified stratigraphy of the Artvin district (modified from Alan et al. district, except Çorak, based on our SWIR data (App. 1, Table
[2019], Aydin et al. [2020], Kandemir et al. [2019], Okay and Sahinturk [1997], A2). Sulfide mineralization is dominated by pyrite and chal-
and Ustaömer and Robertson [2010]). VMS = volcanogenic massive sulfide. copyrite at Taç, and pyrite, sphalerite, and galena at Çorak
(Fig. 6A-B; Barnett et al., 2011; this study). In addition, Taç
is also hosted by the upper Maastrichtian to Eocene (~70–41 is characterized by grainy-textured quartz ± calcite veins and
Ma) volcanic and clastic to carbonate sedimentary units (i.e., kaolinite-dickite ± pyrophyllite alteration, whereas Çorak
Ağillar, Erenler, and Kabaköy formations). has drusy and crystalline quartz-calcite veins with illite, re-
Porphyry-style mineralization is predominantly located in algar, and barite in the eastern side of its alteration footprint.
the northern part of the corridor such as at Ardala, Berta, and Hydrothermal mineralization of the Kılıçkaya prospect in-
Dereiçi and is hosted within intrusive rocks that include gran- cludes (1) E-NE–trending, epithermal-style silica-pyrite and
ite, granodiorite, and (quartz-)monzonite. The Ardala porphy- tourmaline-cemented breccias; (2) E-trending, subvertical,
ry Cu-Au-Mo deposit is centered on a quartz-pyrite-chalco- 1- to 10-m-wide semimassive pyrite veins; and (3) porphyry-
pyrite-bornite vein stockwork and quartz-sericite-pyrite over style disseminated pyrite ± chalcopyrite and quartz-pyrite ±
secondary potassium feldspar-biotite-magnetite alteration chalcopyrite-carbonate vein stockwork (Fig. 6C-D). Hydro-
(66.4 Mt grading 0.44 g/t Au, 1.55 Ag, 0.17% Cu, and 0.006% thermal alteration at Kılıçkaya consists of widespread illite-
Mo; Soylu, 1999; Akçay and Gündüz, 2004; Ariana Resources muscovite-kaolinite, with local evidence of dickite and pyro-

Table 1. Characteristics of the Mineral Gold-Copper Porphyry-, VMS- and Epithermal-Style Camps from the Artvin District 6
Hold Gold Corridor Kaçkar batholith

Berta porphyry

Şavşat camp Cu-Mo prospect Salinbaş-Hod camp Yusufeli camp Balcılı camp Yolgeçen camp
Basement1 Upper Slice Complex Upper Slice Complex Upper Slice Complex Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide
Autochthon
Formation Sümbüllü Artvin pluton Çatak, Kızılkaya, Sümbüllü, Çatak, Kızılkaya Kaçkar batholith Yolgeçen pluton
Ağillar, Erenler, Kabaköy,
Ardala and Hızarlı plutons
Tectonic setting Continental arc Continental arc (?) Continental arc (?) to Continental arc Continental arc to Back-arc (?)
post-collisional post-collisional
Rock type Andesite, Granite Andesite to (rhyo)dacite lavas, Andesite lavas, intermediate to Granodiorite, granite, Diorite,
quartz-monzonite? intermediate to felsic pyro- felsic pyroclastic deposits monzonite, quartz-syenite, granodiorite,
clastic deposits, granodiorite, diorite, tonalite quartz-diorite
monzonite
Magma association2 Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline
Host rock age (Ma) 79.2 ± 1.0 334.2 ± 2.3 79.5 ± 1.0 to 48.0 ± 0.5 84.9 ± 1.1 80.7 ± 1.3 to 78.8 ± 0.9 Late Cretaceous
Kinematic Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension

association
Deposit type Porphyry, IS epithermal Porphyry Porphyry, HS epithermal, CRD, HS/IS epithermal, porphyry Porphyry, intrusion-related, Porphyry, skarn
HS/IS epithermal, VMS? HS epithermal
Commodity Cu, Au, Zn, Pb Cu, Mo Au, Cu, Ag, Zn Au, Cu Cu, Mo Cu, Mo, Zn
RABAYROL ET AL.
Alteration Sericite, chlorite, argil- Quartz-sericite-pyrite3 Potassic, phyllic, propylitic, Argillic, advanced argillic, silici- Potassic, phyllic, propylitic, Skarn/hornfelds
assemblage lic, silicification, cal- silicification, advanced argillic, fication, sericite-chlorite, tour- vuggy silica, argillic, chlorite,
cite, siderite, dickite3 chlorite, illite-kaolinite3 maline, carbonate, jarosite3 illite3
Mineralization Sp, cpy, py, gn Py, cpy, mo Py, cpy, bn, mo, sp, gn Py, cpy, sp, gn, ttr, eng, luz Py, mo, cpy Py, cpy
Gangue Qz, cb Qz Qz, hm, anh, jasper, clay, Qz, cb, brt, gp, tur Qz, tur Garnet,

Fe-Mn oxides magnetite
Orebody style Stockwork, dissemina- Stockwork, dissemination Vein, stockwork, dissemination, Vein, stockwork, semi-massive Stockwork, dissemination, Unknown
tion, vein lens sulfides vein
Alteration age (Ma) < 79.2 ± 1 112.7 ± 0.5 < 79.5 ± 1.0 86.5 ± 1.9 to 82.2 ± 2.0 49.5 ± 0.2 to 48.8 ± 0.2 Unknown
RSV+RSC 146.5/293,000 58/33,480

(t Au/t Cu)
Deposits/ Dereici, Yanıklı, Salinbaş, Ardala, Hızarlı, Der- Taç, Çorak, Çevreli, Çeltik, Bacılı, Esendal, Börekli, Taşkıran, Yolgeçen,
Prospects Madenköy inköy, Hod Maden Kılıçkaya North/South Yüksekoba, Bostancı, Salikvan Mağara
References Soylu and Erler, 1999; Nuinsco Resources Ltd., Soylu, 1999; Akçay and Gündüz, Barnett et al., 2011; this study Soylu, 1999; Yavuz, 1999; Kuşcu Koprivica, 1976;
this study 2007; this study 2004; Ariana Resources Plc., et al., 2019; this study Kuşcu et al.,
2020; Webster et al., 2018; 2019
Kuşcu et al., 2019; this study
Table 1. Continued
VMS bimodal-felsic Cu-Zn belt

Cerattepe camp Murgul camp Hopa camp Tunca camp Çayeli camp
Basement1 Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide Autochthon Eastern Pontide Autochthon
Formation Kızılkaya Kızılkaya Sümbüllü, Kızılkaya? Kızılkaya Kızılkaya
Tectonic setting Emergent volcanic arc Back-arc Back-arc Back-arc Back-arc
Rock type Dacitic tuff Dacitic tuff Rhyodacite, felsic tuff, basalt, Dacitic tuff, dacite Rhyolite, intercalated pyro-
sandstone clastic and basalt layers
Magma association2 Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline
Host rock age (Ma) 86.51 ± 0.35 Late Cretaceous Late Cretaceous 88.1 ± 1.2 Late Cretaceous
Kinematic Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension

association
Deposit type VMS bimodal-felsic (sub-seafloor VMS bimodal felsic (sub-seafloor VMS bimodal felsic VMS bimodal felsic (sub-seafloor VMS bimodal felsic (seafloor)
replacement), transition to por- replacement)to epithermal replacement)
phyry, HS/LS epithermal
Commodity Cu, Au, Ag Cu Cu, Zn Cu, Zn Cu, Zn, Au, Ag
Alteration Phyllic, argillic, propylitic, Illite, smectite, chlorite, silicifica- Silicification, limonite, kaolinite Silicification, sericitic, argillic Sericite, kaolinite, silica
assemblage3 silicification tion, kaolinite
Mineralization Py, cpy, bn Py, cpy, bn, sp Py, cpy, sp, gn Py, cpy, sp Py, cpy, sp
Gangue Qz, brt, cb Qz Qz, cb Qz, brt Brt, cb, qz
Orebody style Massive sulfides, vein Stockwork, vein Breccia/stockwork, vein, Vein, dissemination Lens, stockwork
dissemination

Alteration age (Ma) Late Cretaceous 73.3 ± 1.9 to 62.0 ± 1.6 Late Cretaceous Late Cretaceous Late Cretaceous
RSV+RSC (t Au/t 37/261,600 9.2/895,800 - - 16.5/1,029,888

Cu)
Deposits/ Prospects Cerattepe, Sinkot, Fıstıklı, Kuvar- Murgul, Akarşen Peronit, Sivrikaya, Kutonit, Tunca, Muşkale, Senyuva Çayeli, Sirtköy, Beyazsu
shan, Seyitler Güneşli, Konaklı, Pınarlı
References O’Brien, 2000; Aydin et al., 2020 Cagatay, 1993; Abdioglu et al., Koprivica, 1976 Revan et al., 2017 Yumlu, 2001; Clow et al.,
2015 2006; First Quantum Ltd.,
2018
Abbreviations: - = no data; anh = anhydrite; bn = bornite; brt = barite; cb = carbonate; cpy = chalcopyrite; CRD = carbonate-replacement deposit; eng = enargite; gn = galena; gp = gypsum; hm =
VMS TO PORPHYRY-EPITHERMAL TRANSITIONS IN THE ARTVIN DISTRICT AND THE HOD GOLD CORRIDOR, TURKEY
hematite; HS = high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation; luz = luzonite; mo = molybdenite; py = pyrite; RSC = resources; RSV = reserves; sp = sphalerite; ttr = tetrahedrite; tur = tourmaline;
VMS = volcanogenic massive sulfide
References: 1Ustaomer and Robertson, 2010; 2Eyuboğlu et al., 2014; 3alteration phases determined in this study by petrography and short wave infrared spectroscopy data (more details in App.
1, Table A2)
7
8 RABAYROL ET AL.
A B C
Qz-py-sp-gn
veins
D E F
N
Anh
Hem/Jas
Qz
Py
Fig. 5. Field photographs from the Şavşat and Salinbaş-Hod camps: A) quartz-pyrite-molybdenite vein stockwork and silica-
illite-pyrite alteration, Berta prospect; B) quartz-sulfide vein stockwork and potassic alteration with a phyllic overprint (see
text), Ardala porphyry Cu-Au deposit; C) base metal-rich, quartz (Qz)-pyrite (Py)-sphalerite (Sp)-galena (Gn) vein, Dereiçi
prospect; D) carbonate replacement-style, Au-rich, Fe-Mn-oxide breccia, Salinbaş deposit; E) west-looking view of the min-
eralized kaolinite-dickite-pyrophyllite alteration zone at the Hızarlı Au prospect; F) Quartz (Qz)-pyrite (Py)-hematite (Hem)/
jasper (Jas)-anhydrite (Anh) veining, Hod Maden Au-Cu deposit.
phyllite, and chlorite that affected a rhyolite and intermediate local pyrite-infilled vuggy silica. Bostancı hydrothermal al-
pyroclastic rocks. teration affects Late Cretaceous intermediate volcaniclastic
rocks along their contacts with quartz-syenite of the Kaçkar
Kaçkar batholith batholith.
Several subeconomic Cu-Mo(-Au) mineral occurrences are
clustered in the Balcılı camp in the eastern part of the Kaçkar VMS bimodal-felsic Cu-Zn belt
batholith and include Börekli, Esendal, Taşkıran, Bostancı, The Artvin district has several clusters of VMS bimodal-fel-
Balcılı, and Yüksekoba (Fig. 3), which were previously clas- sic Cu-Zn-Pb mineralization that compose the Tunca, Hopa,
sified as porphyry-style (Kuşcu et al., 2019 and references Cerattepe, Çayeli, and Murgul camps (Çağatay, 1993; Yiğit,
herein). The Yolgeçen camp, adjacent to the Kaçkar batholith, 2009; Revan et al., 2013; Eyüboğlu et al., 2014). Most of
consists of porphyry and skarn occurrences within and around those VMS camps are preferentially located in the western
the Late Cretaceous Yolgeçen pluton (Koprivica, 1976; Kuşcu and northern areas of the Artvin district, along the present-
et al., 2019). The Börekli, Balcılı, Taşkıran, and Yüksekoba oc- day Black Sea shoreline, and hosted by the dacitic to rhyo-
currences form a N-NE–striking trend and are characterized litic lavas and domes and pyroclastic deposits of the Kızılkaya
by porphyry-style quartz-pyrite ± molybdenite vein stockwork formation (~91–85 Ma; Fig. 4; Eyüboğlu et al., 2014); those
and potassic and sericite alteration (Fig. 6E-F; Soylu, 1999; mineralized volcanic products are interpreted to have formed
Yavuz et al., 1999). in submarine caldera depressions and are overlain by unal-
Our field observations and SWIR data indicate that the tered dacites (Koprivica, 1976; Revan et al., 2013; Eyüboğlu
Yüksekoba Cu-Mo mineralized zone is overlain by pervasive et al., 2014). The Tunca, Cerattepe, and Murgul deposits are
illite-kaolinite and vuggy, microcrystalline silica alteration. subseafloor replacement-style VMS (Schneider et al., 1988;
The Esendal occurrence is composed of silica-pyrite veins O'Brien, 1997; Revan et al., 2017), whereas the Çayeli and
and structurally controlled, N-trending subvertical semimas- Akarşen deposits have sea-floor features such as vent chim-
sive pyrite veins surrounded by local, pervasive illite-kaolinite neys and exhalative layers (Revan et al., 2013). Sulfide min-
± dickite halo. Host rocks in the Balcılı camp include fine- eralization consists of pyrite, chalcopyrite, bornite, sphalerite,
grained to porphyritic granodiorite at Balcılı, Börekli, and and galena that was primarily emplaced as massive sulfide
Yüksekoba, granite at Taşkıran, and monzodiorite at Esen- lenses, disseminations, and/or stockwork zones and subse-
dal. The Bostancı occurrence is located between the Börekli quently reworked to form fragmental sulfide bodies at some
and Esendal occurrences along an E-NE–striking trend and localities (Schneider et al., 1988; O'Brien, 1997; Yumlu, 2001;
consists of an E-trending, silica-sericite alteration zone with Revan et al., 2013).

A B C
D E F
W E
Sv
Semi-massive
pyrite
Fig. 6. Field photographs from the Yusufeli and Balcılı camps: A) quartz-pyrite ± chalcopyrite vein from Taç Au-Cu deposit;
B) quartz-calcite-sphalerite-pyrite-galena vein from Çorak Au deposit; C) quartz-sulfide vein stockwork and sericite altera-
tion, Kılıçkaya North prospect; D) steeply-dipping semimassive pyrite body cutting the moderately eastward-dipping volca-
niclastic layering (Sv) in the background, Kılıçkaya South prospect; E) quartz-pyrite ± molybdenite vein in the Yüksekoba
sericite zone; F) quartz-pyrite ± molybdenite vein cutting a granodiorite at the Balcılı prospect.
Some VMS deposits such as Cerattepe and perhaps Murgul The crystallization age of mineralized igneous rocks pro-
are overprinted by a late mineralization event (O'Brien, 1997; vides the maximum age of hydrothermal activity; the timing
Schneider et al., 1988). This late mineralization stage consists of porphyry-related sulfide mineralization was constrained by
of subeconomic quartz-pyrite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite veins at Re-Os model ages on molybdenite from Balcılı, Yüksekoba,
Murgul (Schneider et al., 1988). The Cerattepe Cu-Au de- Berta, and Ardala. Re-Os geochronology was performed at the
posit has evidence for temporal evolution of mineralization University of Alberta, Canada; the detailed analytical protocol
style during a change from submarine to subaerial paleoen- is provided by Baker et al. (2016). Additionally, two hydrother-
vironment (O'Brien, 1997). The early mineralization stage mal fine-grained muscovite samples related to ore deposition
is characterized by VMS-style polymetallic massive sulfide from the Taç and Çorak deposits were dated by the 40Ar/39Ar
lenses that were overprinted by low- and high-sulfidation ep- technique to constrain the timing of hydrothermal alteration
ithermal-style crustiform, comb-textured quartz veins, pyrite- in the Yusufeli camp. 40Ar/39Ar analyses were conducted at
covellite breccias, and advanced argillic to vuggy silica altera- the University of Manitoba; analytical protocol and results are
tion, and porphyry-style phyllic alteration and subeconomic given in Appendices 2 and 4 (Table A1), respectively.
Cu-Au mineralization (O'Brien, 1997). The U-Pb zircon ages acquired in this study are interpreted
together with previously published crystallization ages of ig-
Geochronology Methodology neous rocks along the Eastern Pontides magmatic belt. The
A suite of ten igneous rocks was selected from the Şavşat, compilation of age data includes U-Pb ages from plutonic
Salinbaş-Hod, Yusufeli, and Balcılı camps, and the Berta por- rocks and U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and K-Ar ages from volcanic rocks
phyry Cu-Mo prospect, and analyzed for U-Pb zircon geo- in the Eastern Pontides belt (App. 5, Table A1) and the Artvin
chronology by the laser LA-ICP-MS technique at the Pacific district (App. 5, Table A2).
Center for Isotope and Geochemical Research (PCIGR) at
The University of British Columbia, Canada. Although the Geochronology Results
igneous rocks that host hydrothermal alteration were pref-
erentially sampled, some unmineralized Carboniferous, Ju- LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon geochronology
rassic, and Cretaceous plutons such as at Artvin, Sebzeciler, The Berta porphyry Cu-Mo prospect is hosted by a granitic
and Hemşin were also dated to better constrain the magmatic pluton that yields an interpreted 206Pb/238U weighted mean
episodes represented in the Artvin district. The analytical pro- age of 334.2 ± 2.3 Ma (18 concordant zircon spot analyses;
tocol of U-Pb geochronology is detailed in Appendix 2 (modi- mean square of weighted deviates [MSWD] = 1.2; FR-19-43;
fied from Lee et al., 2021); the isotopic zircon analyses are Fig. 7A-B). This sample has two outlying younger ages at 303
given in Appendix 3. and 310 Ma because of possible lead loss; six discordant zir-

10 RABAYROL ET AL.
360 Berta porphyry prospect

A 360 Berta porphyry prospect B
0.057 Granodiorite Granodiorite
FR-19-43 FR-19-43
350
350
0.055
340
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
0.053
206
330
0.051 320 Rejected 320

(discordant)
Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age
334.2 ± 2.3 Ma 100 μm 100 μm
310 207
Pb/ U
235
MSWD = 1.2; n = 18
0.049 310
0.28 0.36 0.44 0.52
0.062
C 380 Artvin pluton Artvin pluton - Granodiorite - FR-18-04 D
Granodiorite
360
FR-18-04
0.058
0.054 340
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
206
0.050
Rejected 320
(discordant)
0.046 Wtd. Mean

280
206
Pb/238U Age
327.3 ± 3.3 Ma
207
Pb/235U 300 200 μm 100 μm
MSWD = 1.18; n = 21
0.042
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
0.033 E Sebzeciler pluton Sebzeciler pluton - Granodiorite - FR-18-10 F

Granodiorite
FR-18-10 200
Rejected 200
(outlier)
0.031
Pb/238U
Age (Ma)
0.029
180
206
0.027
100 μm
Rejected (discordant)
0.025 160
175.4 ± 1.9 Ma 100 μm
140 207
Pb/ U
235
MSWD = 1.3; n = 28
0.023
0.05 0.15 0.25 0.35 0.45
0.030 G Kılıçkaya porphyry prospect H

Kılıçkaya porphyry 180 105 Granodiorite
prospect FR-18-15
0.026 Granodiorite
FR-18-15
Rejected 95
0.022 140 (xenocryst)
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
Rejected
(discordant)
0.018 85
206
100
0.014
75
0.010 60 Rejected (outlier) Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age
84.9 ± 1.1 Ma
Pb/235U
207 100 μm 100 μm
0.006 MSWD = 1.07; n = 31
65
0.00 0.08 0.16 0.24
Fig. 7. Concordia (left), 206Pb/238U weighted mean histogram diagrams (center) and cathodoluminescence images (right) from
the Berta porphyry Cu-Mo prospect (A-B), Artvin pluton (C-D), Sebzecilier pluton (E-F), Kılıçkaya North porphyry prospect
(G-H), Hemşin intrusion-related occurrence (I-J), Dereiçi intermediate-sulfidation epithermal polymetallic prospect (K-L),
Balcılı (M-N) and Yüksekoba porphyry Cu-Mo prospects (O-P), Hızarlı high-sulfidation epithermal Au prospect (Q-R), and
Ardala porphyry Cu-Au deposit (S-T). Ages are in Ma; all errors are reported at the 2σ level. The rejected analyses are plot-
ted in blue. The cathodoluminescence images display the internal structure of representative igneous zircon grains for each
sample. Abbreviations: HS = high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation; MSWD = mean square of weighted deviates.

120 Hemşin pluton - Granodiorite - FR-18-01

0.018 I Rejected
(xenocryst)
Hemşin pluton J
Granodiorite 100
110 FR-18-01 Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age
82.7 ± 1.6 Ma
100 MSWD = 1.5; n = 16
92
Age (Ma)
0.014
Pb/238U
206
84
70
0.010 Rejected (discordant)
60 76
Pb/235U
207 100 μm 100 μm
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4
0.017
K Dereiçi IS epithermal prospect Dereiçi IS epithermal prospect L
Granodiorite 87 Granodiorite
FR-19-42 FR-19-42
100
0.015
83
90
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
0.013
79
206
Rejected
(discordant)
0.011 70
75

60 79.2 ± 1.0 Ma 100 μm 100 μm
207
Pb/235U MSWD = 1.06; n = 15
0.009 71
0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3
120
M Balcılı porphyry prospect
Granodiorite
Balcılı porphyry prospect
Granodiorite
N
0.018
FR-19-16 FR-19-16
110
Rejected 86
(xenocrystic)
100
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
0.014
206
Rejected 78
(discordant)

70 79.9 ± 0.9 Ma
207
Pb/235U MSWD = 1.4; n = 22 100 μm 100 μm
0.010 70
0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
92 Yüksekoba porphyry prospect
O Granodiorite P
0.014
88 FR-19-19
85
81
Pb/238U
Age (Ma)
0.012
206
Rejected 77
(discordant)
72
Yüksekoba
porphyry prospect
68 Granodiorite 73 Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age
FR-19-19 78.8± 0.9 Ma
207
Pb/235U MSWD = 1.4; n = 19 100 μm 100 μm
0.010
0.0 0.08 0.16 0.24
Fig. 7. (Cont.)

12 RABAYROL ET AL.
94 Hızarlı HS epithermal prospect

Q Hızarlı HS epithermal prospect R
92 Monzonite Monzonite
FR-19-02 FR-19-02
0.014
88
86
Age (Ma)
Pb/238U
80
78
206
0.012
Rejected
(discordant)
72

68 70
79.5 ± 1.0 Ma
Pb/235U
207 MSWD = 1.3; n = 24 100 μm 100 μm
0.010
0.0 0.08 0.16 0.24
S 70 Ardala porphyry deposit

Granodiorite
55
Ardala porphyry deposit
Granodiorite
T
FR-18-16 FR-18-16
0.010
60
50
Pb/238U
Age (Ma)
0.008 Rejected
206
(discordant)
45

40 Rejected (outlier) 48.0 ± 0.5 Ma
0.006 MSWD = 1.5; n = 29
207
Pb/235U 40 100 μm 100 μm
0.00 0.08 0.16 0.24
Fig. 7. (Cont.)
con spot analyses are discarded. The zircon grains from Berta The altered Hemşin pluton is dated at 82.7 ± 1.6 Ma (FR-
are stubby to elongate, ~50 to 200 μm long, and have poorly 18-01) based on the analysis of 16 concordant zircon spot
to well-developed oscillatory zoning. Some zircon grains analyses (MSWD = 1.5; Fig. 7I-J). Three discordant zircon
have apatite inclusions that can be identified based on their spot analyses are discarded; this sample also yields a xenocrys-
morphology and analytical trace element composition; those tic age of 99.4 ± 8.6 Ma. The zircon grains from the Hemşin
grains are discarded. pluton are stubby to elongate, ~50 to 120 μm long, and have
The unaltered Artvin dioritic pluton from the crystalline poorly to mildly developed to irregular oscillatory and rare
basement is dated at 327.3 ± 3.3 Ma (FR-18-04; Fig. 7C-D) tabular zoning.
based on the analysis of 21 concordant zircon spot analyses In the northerly Şavşat camp, a porphyritic quartz-monzo-
(MSWD = 1.2); three discordant zircon spot analyses are dis- nite (FR-19-42) from the Dereiçi intermediate-sulfidation ep-
carded. Those zircon grains are elongate, ~50 to 200 μm long, ithermal prospect crystallized at 79.2 ± 1.0 Ma (15 concordant
and have poorly to well-developed oscillatory zoning and rare zircon spot analyses; MSWD = 1.1; Fig. 7K-L). Seven discor-
mineral inclusions. dant zircon spot analyses are rejected. The analyzed zircon
Sample FR-18-10 from the Sebzeciler granitic pluton yields grains are stubby to elongate, ~50 to 200 μm long, and have
an interpreted 206Pb/238U weighted mean age of 175.4 ± 1.9 irregular and poorly to well-developed oscillatory zoning.
Ma (28 concordant zircon spot analyses; MSWD = 1.3; Fig. The mineralized granodiorite at the Balcılı porphyry Cu-
7E-F). This sample also includes a xenocrystic age of 193 ± 11 Mo prospect has an interpreted crystallization age of 79.9 ±
Ma; two discordant zircon spot analyses are rejected. These 0.9 Ma (FR-19-16; n = 22; MSWD = 1.4; Fig. 7M-N). This
zircon grains are elongate, ~50 to 250 μm long, and have rock sample also has a xenocrystic zircon grain with an age
weakly developed oscillatory and rare tabular zoning. of 95.6 ± 4.2 Ma; three discordant zircon spot analyses are
The mineralized rhyolite (FR-18-15) from the Kılıçkaya rejected. The zircon grains from this mineralized granodiorite
North porphyry prospect crystallized at 84.9 ± 1.1 Ma based are stubby to elongate, ~50 to 200 μm long, and have irregular,
on the interpretation of 31 concordant zircon spot analyses mildly developed oscillatory zoning and mineral inclusions.
(MSWD = 1.1; Fig. 7G-H). This sample also yields a xeno- The Yüksekoba porphyry occurrence is hosted by a grano-
crystic age of 166.5 ± 8.9 Ma. Two discordant analyses and one diorite that has an interpreted crystallization age of 78.8 ± 0.9
outlying zircon spot analysis are discarded. The analyzed zir- Ma (FR-19-19) based on the analysis of 19 concordant zircon
con grains are elongate, ~100 to 150 μm long, and have poorly spots (MSWD = 1.4; Fig. 7O-P). Three discordant zircon spot
developed oscillatory zoning and a few mineral inclusions. analyses are rejected. The zircon grains from this mineralized

granodiorite are stubby to elongate, ~50 to 170 μm long, and are elongated, ~100 to 200 μm long, and have well-developed
have irregular, mildly developed oscillatory zoning and min- irregular oscillatory zoning and mineral inclusions.
eral inclusions. 40Ar/39Ar
The biotite monzonite that hosts the Hızarlı high-sulfida- geochronology
tion epithermal prospect yields an interpreted crystallization Widespread pervasive and pseudomorphic (after plagioclase),
age of 79.5 ± 1.0 Ma (FR-19-02) based on 24 concordant zir- fine-grained muscovite alteration overprinted the andesitic
con spot analyses (MSWD = 1.3; Fig.7Q-R). Two discordant lavas and volcaniclastic rocks in the Yusufeli camp. 40Ar/39Ar
zircon spot analyses are rejected. The zircon grains from this analyses of two fine-grained muscovite samples (grain size
mineralized monzonite are stubby to elongated, ~100 to 250 <50 μm) from the Taç high-sulfidation and Çorak intermedi-
μm long, and have mildly developed irregular zoning; rare ate-sulfidation epithermal deposits yield discordant age spec-
grains are characterized by tabular zoning rimmed by poorly tra with integrated ages of 86.3 ± 0.2 (FR-18-11) and 81.4 ±
developed oscillatory zoning. 0.2 Ma (FR-19-30), respectively (Table 2). Nevertheless, the
The mineralized granodiorite (FR-18-16) from the Ardala steps in the mid-portion of the age spectrum, representing
porphyry Cu-Mo prospect yields an interpreted crystalliza- >80% 39Ar released, are used to retrieve average ages and
tion age of 48.0 ± 0.5 Ma (n = 29; MSWD = 1.5; Fig. 7S-T). standard deviations of 86.5 ± 1.9 Ma (2σ; Fig. 8A) and 82.2
Sample FR-18-16 also has two xenocrystic zircons dated at 75 ± 2.0 Ma (2σ; Fig. 8B). In addition, the inverse isochron ages
± 11 and 180 ± 42 Ma, respectively. Two discordant and one overlap each other in both instances (Fig. 8C-D), which pro-
outlying zircon spot analyses are rejected. Those zircon grains vides a level of confidence for the determined ages.
1000 8
K/Ca
K/Ca
0 0
A Taç HS epithermal deposit
100 B Çorak IS epithermal deposit
Muscovite Muscovite
105
FR-18-11 FR-19-30
80
Apparent age (Ma)
Apparent age (Ma)
95
82.2 ± 2.0 Ma (MSWD = 12.1)
86.5 ± 1.9 Ma (MSWD = 14.6)
60
85
75 40
Integrated age = 86.3 ± 0.2 Ma Integrated age = 81.4 ± 0.2 Ma
0 20 40 60 80 100 0 20 40 60 80 100
Cumulative % 39ArK Cumulative % 39ArK
Data error: ± 1σ 0.004 Data error: ± 1σ
Taç HS epithermal deposit Çorak IS epithermal deposit
Isochron error: ± 2σ Muscovite Isochron error: ± 2σ Muscovite
0.0035
C FR-18-11 D FR-19-30
0.003
0.0025
Ar/40Ar
Ar/40Ar
0.002
36
36
0.0015
0.001
40
Ar/36Ar = 285.8 ± 5.8
0.0005
40
Ar/36Ar = 277.6 ± 8.3
Inverse isochron age = 82.9 ± 0.5 Ma
Inverse isochron age = 87.3 ± 0.7 Ma
n = 8; MSWD = 10.1
n = 7; MSWD = 6.7
0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20 0 0.05 0.10 0.15 0.20
39
Ar/40Ar
39
Ar/40Ar
Fig. 8. 40Ar/39Ar age plateaus for analyzed fine-grained muscovite (sericite) from the Taç high-sulfidation epithermal Au-Cu
(A) and Çorak intermediate-sulfidation epithermal Au deposits (B) and their associated inverse isochron diagrams (C and D,
respectively). Excluded analyses are plotted in dark gray. Abbreviations: HS = high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation;
MSWD= mean square of weighted deviates.

14

Table 2. Summary of Dating Results From Au-Cu Mineral Occurrences in the Artvin District
Igneous host rocks (Zircon, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb)

Sample Lat (°N) Long (°E) Camp Location Mineralization style Lithology host Age (Ma)1 MSWD 2 n3 Probability
FR-18-01 41.0508 40.9003 Hemşin Intrusion-related Granodiorite 82.7 ± 1.6 1.5 16 0.10
FR-18-04 41.1779 41.8555 Artvin Diorite 327.3 ± 3.3 1.2 21 0.26
FR-18-10 40.8434 41.6823 Sebzeciler Granite 175.4 ± 1.9 1.3 28 0.16
FR-18-15 40.7501 41.5191 Yusufeli Kılıçkaya North Porphyry Rhyolite 84.9 ± 1.1 1.1 31 0.37
FR-18-16 41.1317 41.9538 Salinbaş-Hod Ardala Porphyry Granodiorite 48.0 ± 0.5 1.5 29 0.04
FR-19-02 41.0621 41.8939 Salinbaş-Hod Hızarlı HS epithermal Monzonite 79.5 ± 1.0 1.3 24 0.30
FR-19-16 41.0243 41.4391 Balcılı Balcılı Porphyry Granodiorite 79.9 ± 0.9 1.4 22 0.12
FR-19-19 41.0783 41.4535 Balcılı Yüksekoba Porphyry Granodiorite 78.8 ± 0.9 1.4 19 0.11
FR-19-42 41.3372 42.2319 Şavşat Dereici IS epithermal Granodiorite 79.2 ± 1.0 1.1 15 0.39
FR-19-43 41.2320 41.9469 Berta Porphyry Granite 334.2 ± 2.3 1.2 18 0.23
Hydrothermal alteration (40Ar/39Ar)

Plateau Total fusion Inverse isochron
Sample Lat (°N) Long (°E) Camp Location Mineralization style Lithology host Material age (Ma) age (Ma) age (Ma)
FR-18-11 40.7737 41.4911 Yusufeli Taç HS epithermal Dacitic lapilli tuff Muscovite 86.5 ± 1.9 86.3 ± 0.2 87.3 ± 0.7
FR-19-30 40.7175 41.3962 Yusufeli Çorak IS epithermal Intermediate lapilli Muscovite 82.2 ± 2.0 81.4 ± 0.2 82.9 ± 0.5
crystal tuff
RABAYROL ET AL.
Ore (Molybdenite, Re-Os)

Sample Lat (°N) Long (°E) Camp Location Mineralization style Lithology host Model age (Ma) Re ppm 187Re ppm 187Os ppb
FR-19-15 41.0170 41.4406 Balcılı Balcılı Porphyry Granodiorite 49.5 ± 0.2 305 ± 0.9 191.7 ± 0.6 158.1 ± 0.2
FR-19-20 41.0864 41.4478 Balcılı Yüksekoba Porphyry Granodiorite 48.8 ± 0.2 5675 ± 16.9 3567 ± 10.7 2903.2 ± 2.3
FR-19-44 41.2284 41.9516 Berta Porphyry Granite 112.7 ± 0.54 876.9 ± 2.6 551.2 ± 1.6 1035.7 ± 0.7
FR-19-46 41.1335 41.9541 Salinbaş-Hod Ardala Porphyry Granodiorite 50.4 ± 0.2 791.2 ± 2.4 497.3 ± 1.5 417.7 ± 0.3

1 206Pb/238Uweighted mean ages
2 Mean square of weighted deviates
3 Excluding discordant and outlier spot analyses, and xenocrystic zircons
4 This sample was replicated with an identifical age result
Abbreviations: HS = high-sulfidation; IS = intermediate-sulfidation; LA-ICP-MS = laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

Re-Os molybdenite geochronology The Hemşin pluton lacked previous geochronological data
The Re-Os model ages on molybdenite from the Balcılı and and was previously mapped as Eocene (MTA, 2002; Alan et
Yüksekoba porphyry occurrences are 48.8 ± 0.2 (FR-19-15) al., 2019). Similarly, the altered intrusive stock at Dereiçi
and 49.5 ± 0.2 Ma, respectively (FR-19-20; Table 2). Ardala lacked geochronological data and intruded the surrounding
molybdenite mineralization has an Re-Os model age of 50.4 ± intermediate volcanic units that were previously mapped as
02 Ma (FR-19-46). Porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization at Berta Late Cretaceous; the mineralized rhyolite at Kılıçkaya also be-
yields an Re-Os model age on molybdenite of 112.7 ± 0.5 Ma longs to the Late Cretaceous volcanic sequence (MTA, 2002).
(FR-19-44). Our new U-Pb ages indicate that the Hemşin (82.7 ± 1.6 Ma;
The molybdenite sample from Yüksekoba has a high Re FR-18-01) and Dereiçi plutons (79.2 ± 1.0 Ma; FR-19-42), as
concentration (5,675 ppm), which is consistent with previ- well as the Kılıçkaya rhyolite (84.9 ± 1.1 Ma; FR-18-15), are
ous results from several Late Cretaceous and Eocene Re-rich Late Cretaceous.
porphyry Cu-Mo deposits in the Eastern Pontides (<6,992 Our new U-Pb zircon ages of the mineralized granodiorite
ppm Re; Delibaş et al., 2019). The Berta and Ardala samples from the Balcılı and Yüksekoba porphyry occurrences are
have Re concentrations of ~877 and 791 ppm, respectively, consistent with those obtained from other plutonic rocks that
which are close to the average Re content of molybdenite in host porphyry mineralization in the Balcılı camp in the Kaçkar
worldwide porphyry deposits (690 ppm; McFall et al., 2019). batholith such as at Esendal and Börekli (~81–79 Ma; Kuşcu
Re concentration in the Balcılı molybdenite sample is low at et al., 2019). Those mineralized host rocks are slightly young-
~305 ppm. er than those at Hemşin (~83 Ma) and Kılıçkaya (~85 Ma) but
similar to the mineralized pluton at Dereiçi (~79 Ma).
Discussion The pluton that hosts the Ardala porphyry Cu-Mo deposit
is the only dated Eocene mineralized pluton in the Artvin
Episodic magmatism from Carboniferous to Cenozoic district (48.0 ± 0.5 Ma). Our date from the potassic-altered
The Eastern Pontides orogenic belt recorded six episodes of granodiorite is younger than the altered dacitic porphyry dat-
magmatism based on our age data compilation (n = 241; Fig. ed by LA-ICP-MS U-Pb technique on zircon by Kuşcu et al.
9; App. 5, Table A1): (1) Carboniferous (358–302 Ma), (2) Ju- (2019) at 50.82 ± 0.63 Ma.
rassic (185–172 Ma), (3) Early Cretaceous (131–122 Ma), (4) In summary, our data indicate that mineralized igneous
Late Cretaceous (92–66 Ma), (5) Paleogene (58–36 Ma), and rocks of the Artvin district formed in the Carboniferous, Late
(6) Neogene (16–3 Ma). Four of those magmatic episodes are Cretaceous (~86–78 Ma), and Eocene. Our U-Pb dating re-
present in the Artvin district and have narrower time rang- sults provide maximum ages for porphyry and epithermal
es (n = 41; App. 5, Table A2): (1) Carboniferous (358–325 mineralization in the Artvin district. Whereas the Early and
Ma), (2) Jurassic (182–174 Ma), (3) Late Cretaceous (92–78 Late Cretaceous and Eocene igneous rocks were previously
Ma), and (4) Eocene (51–40 Ma; Fig. 9); only one Oligo- identified as favorable hosts for porphyry and epithermal min-
cene crystallization age was reported from a dacite unit in eralization along the Eastern Pontides belt (e.g., Bilir, 2015;
the Artvin district (~30 Ma, U-Pb; Karsli et al., 2020). All of Delibaş et al., 2016; Kuşcu et al., 2019), Carboniferous ig-
those magmatic events produced rock units that are distrib- neous rocks were previously not recognized as mineralization
uted along the Hod gold corridor (Fig. 3). Additionally, the host units (Richards and Şengör, 2017) until now.
intrusive rocks dated in this study contain xenocrystic zircons
from older magmatic phases. For instance, sample FR-18- Timing of epithermal Au-Cu and porphyry Cu-Mo
16 from Ardala yields two xenocrystic zircons (~75 and ~180 mineralization
Ma) that correspond to the Jurassic and Late Cretaceous Our four molybdenite dates from the Şavşat, Salinbaş-Hod,
magmatic episodes; sample FR-18-15 from Kılıçkaya has one and Balcılı camps indicates that porphyry mineralization
xenocrystic date of ~167 Ma (App. 3, Table A1). We suggest formed in the Early Cretaceous (~113 Ma) and Eocene
that those Jurassic and Cretaceous xenocrystic zircons, when (~50–49 Ma; Figs. 4, 9). Eocene porphyry mineralization was
combined with the presence of Carboniferous, Jurassic, Late previously identified in the Eastern Pontides belt, such as
Cretaceous, and Eocene plutons, indicate that the Hod gold at the Güzelyayla porphyry Cu-Mo deposit (50.7 ± 0.3 Ma;
corridor may have been a long-lived deep crustal structure molybdenite Re-Os model age; Delibaş et al., 2019). Eo-
along which the successive magmatic pulses were preferen- cene mineralization in the Artvin district is also slightly older
tially focused into the crust, emplaced and built upon each than the Aktutan and Mastra epithermal Au-Ag and Güvemli
other since the Paleozoic. porphyry Cu-Mo deposits (~48–47 Ma; Bilir, 2015) and that
The age of the Artvin pluton (327.3 ± 3.3 Ma; FR-18-04) of the the Eocene Adjara-Trialeti belt of southern Georgia,
is within the range of Carboniferous plutonism in the Art- where intrusive host rocks crystallized between 47 and 42 Ma
vin area, previously defined by the Demirkent and Karadağ (Okrostsvaridze et al., 2018). Thus, we suggest that a major
plutons (~358–325 Ma; Ustaömer et al., 2013). The adjacent mineralization event occurred between ~51 and 47 Ma in
mineralized Berta pluton, which was previously assumed to the Eastern Pontides belt and the Artvin district. However,
be Eocene (MTA, 2002), is determined here to be also Car- mineralized early Eocene plutonic rocks are poorly exposed
boniferous (i.e., 334.2 ± 2.3 Ma; FR-19-43). Similarly, the age in the Artvin district, possibly because of the middle Eocene
of the Sebzeciler pluton (175.4 ± 1.9 Ma) is consistent with volcano-sedimentary cover in the northern and eastern part of
other indications of Jurassic magmatism between Yusufeli the district (Fig. 3).
and Artvin (~182–174 Ma; Ustaömer et al., 2013; Eyüboğlu Early and Late Cretaceous porphyry events at ~131 Ma
et al., 2016a). and between 78 and 75 Ma—based on Re-Os molybdenite

16 RABAYROL ET AL.
20
Eastern Pontides orogenic belt Early Cretaceous Late Cretaceous Paleogene
131–122 Ma 92–66 Ma 58–36 Ma
n = 241 bin width = 2 m.y.
* this study Mineralization ages:
1. 131 Ma 15
Plutonic rocks (U-Pb)
2. 113 Ma*
Volcanic rocks (U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, K-Ar) 3. 91–85 Ma
Frequency (n)
4. 86.5–82 Ma*
Porphyry Cu-Mo event 5. 78–75 Ma 3
VMS/Epithermal Cu-Zn-Au event 6. 51–47 Ma* 1 2 4 6 10
Neogene
Porphyry/Epithermal Au-Cu-Mo-Ag event 5 16–3 Ma
Carboniferous Jurassic Discrete event of

358–302 Ma 185–172 Ma mineralized 5
magmatism
Artvin district Late Cretaceous Eocene

92–78 Ma 51–40 Ma 7
n = 41 bin width = 2 m.y.
* this study Mineralization ages: * 6
1. 113 Ma*
2. 91–85 Ma
Frequency (n)
3. 86.5–82 Ma* 5
4. 50–49 Ma* 2
1 3 4
4
Jurassic
182–174 Ma 3
Carboniferous
358–325 Ma * * 2
Oligocene
Missing event of 30 Ma
mineralized
* * * magmatism 1
360 340 320 300 280 260 240 220 200 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0
Age (Ma)
Fig. 9. Age histogram of plutonic (black) and volcanic rocks (gray) from the Eastern Pontides belt (top) and the Artvin dis-
trict (bottom) from the Carboniferous to present. Data include new and previously published crystallization ages of plutonic
(U-Pb) and volcanic rocks (U-Pb, 40Ar/39Ar, and K-Ar); the stars indicate the new U-Pb dates and mineralization age ranges
presented in this study. Both histograms display the magmatic episodes and show the similarities and discrepancies between
the Artvin district and the Eastern Pontides belt. Mineralization events in the Artvin district are post-Jurassic and can either
be associated with a major (e.g., Late Cretaceous and Eocene) or discrete (e.g., Early Cretaceous) magmatic episode.
dating at the Elbeyli, Ulutaş, and Emeksen porphyry Cu-Mo might have resulted from a second pulse of mineralization
deposits—have also been recognized (Delibaş et al., 2019). in the district. In the Eastern Pontides, Elbeyli, Ulutaş, and
The formation of the Berta porphyry Cu-Mo prospect at ~113 Emeksen, mineralization formed within synmineralization
Ma represents a distinct mineralization event in the Eastern intrusions as constrained by the combined U-Pb zircon and
Pontides that was not accompanied by coeval magmatism in Re-Os molybdenite dating techniques (Delibaş et al., 2016,
the Eastern Pontides (Fig. 9). The Early Cretaceous igneous 2019), similar to this study. However, the intrusive host rocks
rocks that caused the formation of the Berta porphyry Cu- at the Güzelyayla deposit are Late Cretaceous (Delibaş et al.,
Mo prospect are either not exposed or not recognized during 2016), whereas the mineralization is Eocene (Delibaş et al.,
previous mapping. 2019), i.e., similar relationships to those identified by our re-
Our geochronological data indicate that the timing of sults from the Yüksekoba and Balcılı occurrences. This cross-
porphyry mineralization significantly postdated the crystal- cutting relationship between Late Cretaceous intrusive host
lization of the intrusive host rocks at Berta (Carboniferous rock and early Eocene-aged hydrothermal mineralization was
granite), Yüksekoba, and Balcılı (Late Cretaceous granodio- also identified in the western Rhodopes in Bulgaria (Stavrev
rite). Ardala mineralization is hosted by a synmineralization et al., 2020), west of the Eastern Pontides belt. Our data also
granodiorite that was previously dated at ~51 Ma (Kuşcu suggest that there is no Carboniferous-aged hydrothermal
et al., 2019). Our new U-Pb zircon age of ~48 Ma from a mineralization in the Artvin district, as observed elsewhere
mineralized granodiorite at Ardala implies that this deposit throughout the Western Tethyan orogenic belt (Richards

and Şengör, 2017). Given the significant time differences be- Our geochronological results indicate that the arc-related Late
tween intrusive host rock emplacement and mineralization Cretaceous intrusive rocks formed from ~86 to 78 Ma (e.g.,
events, the crystallization age of igneous rock host may not Kaçkar batholith, and Hemşin, Hızarlı, and Dereiçi plutons)
provide a robust constraint on the timing of mineralization in and thus prior to the uplift and erosional phase. The presence
the Artvin district. For instance, epithermal and/or porphyry of early Eocene porphyry mineralization in the center of the
mineralization at Hod Maden, Hızarlı, and Dereiçi that are Late Cretaceous Kaçkar batholith supports significant erosion
hosted by Late Cretaceous units could be either Late Creta- of the Late Cretaceous arc sequence between the late Cam-
ceous or Eocene. panian and the early Eocene (~78–51 Ma). However, it is un-
The epithermal Au-Cu occurrences (e.g., Taç and Çorak) in certain whether those Late Cretaceous intrusions produced
the Yusufeli region were inferred to be Eocene (Kuşcu et al., porphyry mineralization that could have been eroded above
2019), but this interpretation lacks supporting geochronologi- the Kaçkar batholith.
cal data. Our results suggest that those mineral occurrences
likely formed between 86.5 and 82 Ma based on 40Ar/39Ar geo- Late Cretaceous transition from VMS bimodal-felsic
chronological results on hydrothermal fine-grained muscovite Cu-Zn(-Au) to epithermal Au-Cu mineralization
grains from Taç and Çorak, which are related to ore deposi- The Late Cretaceous period was favorable for the formation
tion. Kılıçkaya mineralization might have also formed during of VMS bimodal-felsic base metal mineralization that was
this period based on the ~85 Ma age from an altered rhyolite hosted by the dacitic to rhyolitic rocks of the Kızılkaya forma-
(U-Pb zircon; FR-18-15). tion along the Eastern Pontides belt (~91–85 Ma; Eyüboğlu
et al., 2014; Revan et al., 2017). In the Artvin district, those
Two-stage Cretaceous arc magmatism rocks formed in an extensional arc and pelagic environment
The Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous carbonate platform (i.e., (e.g., Eyüboğlu et al., 2014; Alan et al., 2019) before the for-
Berdiga formation) was previously interpreted to have formed mation of the back-arc domain and crustal uplift event that
on a passive margin throughout the Eastern Pontides (e.g., initiated in the late Campanian (<78–75 Ma; Kandemir et al.,
Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; Koch et al., 2008). However, the 2019). The Kızılkaya-hosted Cu-Zn mineral deposits along the
rare evidence of Early Cretaceous magmatism and associated Black Sea coast (e.g., Çayeli, Tunca and Hopa camps) have
porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization in the Eastern Pontides, in- typically VMS-style mineralization and deep marine geologic
cluding in the Artvin district, suggests that the subduction of features such as preserved hydrothermal chimneys, exhalate
the Northern Neotethys may have been active between ~131 horizons, and clastic sulfide ore (e.g., Koprivica, 1976; Revan
and 113 Ma (Boztuğ et al., 2007; Delibaş et al., 2016; Karsli et al., 2013, 2017). By contrast, the Cerattepe and Murgul de-
et al., 2021; this study). Remnants of Early Cretaceous arc posits found inland recorded a transition from shallow marine
magmatism (~114 Ma) are also present in southeast Geor- to subaerial environments based on the stratigraphic changes
gia (Rolland et al., 2011). Additionally, Dokuz et al. (2010) and superposition of epithermal- to porphyry- over VMS-
obtained a disturbed 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of ~109 Ma from style alteration and mineralization. (Schneider et al., 1988;
igneous hornblende crystals in the Yusufeli area; spectrum O'Brien, 1997). This environment transition is well defined
disturbance was attributed to the chlorization (weak regional by a geologic reconstruction in the Cerattepe camp (O'Brien,
metamorphism?) of Jurassic intrusion. Alternatively, we infer 1997). This contrasts with the late epithermal mineraliza-
that this age might represent an Early Cretaceous magmatic tion stage at the Murgul camp, which is less pronounced and
or thermal event that occurred slightly before deformation formed slightly before a period of subaerial erosion (Schnei-
and formation of a major stratigraphic unconformity (Fig. 4). der et al., 1988).
The stratigraphic hiatus (~113–94 Ma) was interpreted to re- The timing of Late Cretaceous epithermal mineralization
sult from an uplift and compressional event, probably during along the Hod gold corridor (~86.5–82 Ma) overlaps and
the northward emplacement of an ophiolitic mélange south may postdate the formation of VMS deposits along the Black
of the Artvin area (Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; Rolland et al., Sea shoreline (~91–85 Ma). However, it is unsure if the local
2011; Hässig et al., 2013). The Early Cretaceous igneous rocks dacite, rhyolite, and rhyodacite domes that crop out in the
could therefore represent the initiation of the Eastern Pon- Hod gold corridor such as in the Yusufeli (e.g., Kılıçkaya and
tides magmatic arc (Karsli et al., 2021) that was interrupted Çeltik epithermal-porphyry prospects; Barnett et al., 2011;
and subsequently followed by the maturation of arc magma- this study) and Salinbaş-Hod camps (e.g., Hod Maden Au-
tism in the Late Cretaceous (Boztuğ et al., 2007). Cu deposit; Coates et al., 2015) belong to the Kızılkaya for-
Most of the magmatic arc sequence was submarine in origin mation or not. Taken together, we suggest that the type of
from the Turonian to Danian in the Artvin district (~94–62 Late Cretaceous hydrothermal mineralization varies from (1)
Ma; Fig. 4; e.g., Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; Alan et al., 2019; typical VMS Cu-Zn ± Au mineralization in the northwest of
Kandemir et al., 2019; Aydin et al., 2020). Southward roll- the Artvin district to (2) VMS-dominant Cu-Zn mineraliza-
back of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab resulted in the tion with minor epithermal overprint (e.g., Murgul deposit),
formation of two tectonic settings, namely the back-arc zone to (3) a pronounced transition from VMS Cu to epithermal
in the northwest and the arc zone in the southeast (Figs. 2, and porphyry Au mineralization (e.g., Cerattepe camp), and
3; Kandemir et al., 2019). The back-arc zone recorded con- to (4) epithermal-dominant Au-Cu mineralization with (e.g.,
tinuous sedimentation in an extensional environment (e.g., Hod Maden Au-Cu deposit; Coates et al., 2015) or without
Çayırbağ formation) throughout the Late Cretaceous, where- (e.g., Yusufeli camp) possible remnants of stratabound VMS-
as the arc zone was concomitantly uplifted and eroded since style Zn-rich sulfide lenses in the southeast along the Hod
the late Campanian (<~78–75 Ma; Kandemir et al., 2019). gold corridor (Fig. 10). In addition, this spatial variation of

18 RABAYROL ET AL.
A B Qz
C D E
Cpy
Qz
Py
Ep
Sp
~91–85 Ma ~86.5–82 Ma Late Cretaceous

NW Crustal extension SE
Cu-Zn (-Au) Cu-Au-Zn Au-Cu Hod Gold Corridor
Sea level
Çayeli, Hopa and
Tunca camps Caldera
+ Hod
Maden?
Yusufeli ~99 t Au
camp ~0.2 Mt Cu
Murgul camp Cerattepe ~58 t Au
camp ~0.03 Mt Cu
Moho ~9.2 t Au
~0.9 Mt Cu ~37 t Au VMS bimodal-felsic
~16.5 t Au ~0.3 Mt Cu deposit
~1.0 Mt Cu
Legend Porphyry-epithermal
system
Late Cretaceous volcano-
sedimentary sequence
Bimodal mafic-felsic,
volcanic, and clastic Felsic intrusion (inferred) Northern Neotethyan
~10 km
sedimentary rocks oceanic crust
Dacitic, rhyodacitic, Subducted Mesozoic Rhodope-Pontides Slab
and rhyolitic domes sedimentary rocks continental crust roll-back
~10 km
Fig. 10. Schematic, northwest-southeast, tectono-magmatic cross section of the Artvin district in the Late Cretaceous that
shows the eastward transition of mineralization style (i.e., from volcanogenic massive sulfide [VMS] bimodal-felsic to epith-
ermal-porphyry) and metal association (i.e., from Cu- to Au-rich) from ~91–85 to ~86.5–82 Ma during the subduction event.
VMS mineralization includes both sea-floor and subseafloor types; note the importance of felsic domes and calderas that con-
trol the distribution of VMS mineral camps (Eyüboğlu et al., 2014). Magmatic-hydrothermal systems formed in extensional
environment prior to the uplift of the arc region that initiated in the late Campanian at the onset of the slab rollback episode
(< ~78–75 Ma; Kandemir et al., 2019). Scale is approximate as the region underwent significant post-Cretaceous crustal short-
ening. Field photographs of the VMS-style pyrite-chalcopyrite ± bornite stockwork zone from the Murgul mine (A) that is
overprinted by late epithermal-style quartz-sphalerite-chalcopyrite veins (B). VMS-style pyrite-chalcopyrite-covellite massive
sulfide ore from Cerattepe mine (C) is located at a higher relative elevation than the silica-pyrite-epidote-altered granodiorite
from the Fıstıklı porphyry occurrence (D). Porphyry-style quartz-pyrite vein stockwork and pervasive illite alteration from
the Kılıçkaya North prospect, Yusufeli camp (E). Abbreviations: cpy = chalcopyrite; ep = epidote; py = pyrite; qz = quartz;
sp = sphalerite.
Late Cretaceous mineralization type is accompanied by a pos- gene Samtskhe-Javakheti volcanic plateau (Fig. 11; Kekelia et
sible eastward temporal evolution from VMS (~91–85 Ma) to al., 2004; Moritz et al., 2016; 2020; Hässig et al., 2020).
epithermal-porphyry systems (~86.5–82 Ma) at the onset of
the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab rollback. Postcollisional magmatism and associated porphyry
The Eastern Pontides belt of northeast Turkey is geological- Cu-Mo mineralization
ly equivalent to the Artvin-Bolnisi block, north of the Somkhe- Postcollisional magmatism and associated porphyry and epi-
to-Karabagh belt in southeast Georgia, based on stratigraphic, thermal Cu-Au mineralization were produced throughout the
magmatic, tectonic, paleo-environmental, and metallogenic Eastern Pontides belt during the Eocene (~51–47 Ma; Bilir,
similarities (Adamia et al., 1977; Okay and Sahinturk, 1997; 2015; Delibaş et al., 2019; Kuşcu et al., 2019; this study). Post-
Moritz et al., 2016; Hässig et al., 2020). We suggest that the collisional tectonic processes included a slab breakoff event
Late Cretaceous submarine transitional VMS to epithermal/ (e.g., Keskin et al., 2008; Karsli et al., 2011; Dokuz et al., 2013;
porphyry Cu-Zn-Au systems observed in the Artvin district Aydınçakır, 2014) and delamination of an overthickened crust
are similar to those in the Bolnisi district of southeast Geor- (Karsli et al., 2010) followed by lithospheric thinning (e.g.,
gia, such as Madneuli and Sakdrisi; those mineral systems Yılmaz and Boztuğ, 1996; Özdamar et al., 2017). These events
are hosted within Coniacian to Santonian dacitic to rhyolitic resulted in the production of two distinct periods of Eocene
domes (Mashavera formation) that formed in a shallow-water magmatism: (1) early Eocene (52–48 Ma) along the Hod gold
environment (<86 Ma; Adamia et al., 2011; Moritz et al., 2016, corridor (e.g., Ardala) and (2) middle Eocene (47–42 Ma)
2020). The Artvin and Bolnisi mineral districts are part of the along the Black Sea coast. We suggest that the early Eocene
Mesozoic Eastern Pontides-Lesser Caucasus metallogenic magmatic event caused the formation of porphyry Cu-Au-Mo
belt that extends beneath the postcollisional Eocene Adjara- mineralization in the Balcılı and Salinbaş-Hod camps; this
Trialeti fold-and-thrust belt of southern Georgia and the Neo- early Eocene magmatic event is also present in the Bolnisi

40°0'E 42°0'E
+ + + + +
+ + + +
+
+ + + + 44°0'E 46°0'E
+ + + + ++ ++ + + ++ RUSSIA
42°0'N
+ + + +
+ + + +
+
+ + + ++ ++ + + +
+ + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Greater
Black Sea + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Caucasus
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
Eocene+Adjara-Trialeti + + + +
+ + + + + + + +
Batumi + + belt
fold-and-thrust + + + + + + + + + Tbilisi
+«+ + + + + + + + + + «
+ + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + Transcaucasus
Figure 3 + + + + Sakdrisi Massif
+ + + + +
+Bolnisi Madneuli
Artvin + + + + +
district
district + +3 + + + 11 + + + + + +
+ + + + 5 + + + + + + + Alaverdi
+ + + + + + + + + + + 6+ + 4+ Artvin + + +10 + GEORGIA + + + + + + + district
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + «+ + + TURKEY + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + Rize + + + + +2 + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + AZERBAIJAN
+ + + + + + 1+ + + + + + + + + + + + + +
41°0'N
Hod Gold ARMENIA

+ + + + + «+ + + + + + + + + + + 9 + Corridor + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + +7 + + + Neogene + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Samtskhe-Javakheti/ Sevan-Akera + + + + + +
Gedabek
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Eastern Anatolian suture zone + + + Somkheto-
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + « + + + + +Karabagh
+ + +belt district
volcanic plateau Gyumri
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Eastern + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + 8 + + +Pontide + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + belt + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Legend
Paleogene VMS belt Kaçkar batholith Hod Gold Corridor Porphyry-epithermal camp
intrusions 1. Cayeli camp 6. Yolgeçen camp 8. Yusufeli camp 0 50
km
Mesozoic 2. Tunca camp 7. Balcılı camp 9. Salinbaş-Hod camp VMS camp WGS 84
intrusions 3. Hopa camp 10. Berta porphyry
4. Murgul camp Cu-Mo prospect Mesozoic Eastern Pontides-
Paleozoic Lesser Caucasus metallogenic belt
intrusions 5. Cerattepe camp 11. Şavşat camp
Fig. 11: Simplified geologic map (1:3,000,000 scale) of the eastern Black Sea region showing the major geologic domains,
distribution of plutons (modified from Adamia et al. [2017], Gudjabidze et al. [2003], Moritz et al. [2016], and MTA [2002]),
and location of the mining camps of the Artvin district. The camps are split between the Hod gold corridor, Kaçkar batho-
lith, and the volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) belt (see text). This map also illustrates the interpreted Mesozoic Eastern
Pontides-Lesser Caucasus metallogenic belt that links the Mesozoic Eastern Pontides belt, which includes the Artvin district,
to the Mesozoic mineral districts of the Lesser Caucasus, which include the porphyry and epithermal to VMS deposits of the
Bolnisi, Alaverdi, and Gedabek districts (Moritz et al., 2016).
district in Georgia (~53–52 Ma; Hässig et al., 2020). The mid- ceous (~113 Ma) at Berta and in the Eocene at the Balcılı
dle Eocene magmatic event resulted from the postcollisional camp and Ardala deposit (~50 Ma). Additionally, epithermal
Black Sea basin opening that extended to the Adjara-Trialeti alteration in the Yusufeli camp formed in the Late Cretaceous
fold-and-thrust belt of southern Georgia (Okay and Sahin- (~86.5–82 Ma) based on the interpretation of new 40Ar/39Ar
turk, 1997; Yılmaz et al., 1997; Eyüboğlu et al., 2016b; Adamia results. Therefore, we suggest that the Hod gold corridor was
et al., 2017). This event did not produce any hydrothermal a long-lived deep crustal-scale structural feature along which
mineralization in the Artvin district, as opposed to the coeval at least five episodes of magmatism were emplaced since the
middle Eocene intrusions along the Adjara-Trialeti metallo- Carboniferous, and where three Au-Cu-Mo mineralization
genic belt (~48–40 Ma; Okrostsvaridze et al., 2018). events occurred in the Cretaceous and Eocene.
The timing of porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization can signifi-
Conclusions cantly postdate the crystallization age of their intrusive host
The Artvin Au-Cu district consists of ten VMS bimodal-felsic, rocks in the Artvin district, such as at the Balcılı camp and
porphyry, and high- to intermediate-sulfidation epithermal Berta prospect. The significant time difference (>20 Ma) be-
camps, namely Çayeli, Tunca, Hopa, Murgul, Cerattepe, Yol- tween the emplacement of the porphyry Cu-Mo mineraliza-
geçen, Balcılı, Yusufeli, Salinbaş-Hod, and Şavşat, and the tion and the crystallization of the intrusive host rocks implies
Berta porphyry Cu-Mo prospect. The NE-trending alignment that (1) any early, apparently barren intrusive rock can be a
of the Şavşat, Salinbaş-Hod, and Yusufeli porphyry and epith- suitable host for a subsequent mineralization event, and (2)
ermal camps define the Hod gold corridor which hosts recent the need for detailed mapping and geochronology to confi-
Au-Cu mineral discoveries and a growing metal resource (cur- dently identify the synmineralization plutons. This study em-
rently ~205 t Au; ~0.33 Mt Cu). phasizes the importance of dating mineralization directly to
Our district-scale geochronological results interpreted with correctly attribute the tectonic setting.
previously compiled data show that magmatism in the Art- The distribution of Late Cretaceous mineral occurrences
vin district formed in the Carboniferous (358–325 Ma), Ju- suggests a possible eastward temporal evolution from VMS
rassic (182–174 Ma), Late Cretaceous (92–78 Ma), Eocene (~91–85 Ma) to porphyry-epithermal systems (~86.5–82 Ma)
(51–40 Ma), and Oligocene (30 Ma). Mineralized igneous transitioning from back-arc to arc settings at the onset of the
rocks are dominantly Late Cretaceous (86–78 Ma) such as rollback of the Northern Neotethyan oceanic slab. This metal-
in the Yusufeli, Şavşat, Salinbaş-Hod, and Balcılı camps. The logenic transition is accompanied by increasingly elevated
rare Carboniferous (~334 Ma) and Eocene plutons (~51–48 gold content eastwards across the Artvin district.
Ma) can also host porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization, such as
at Berta and Ardala, respectively. However, the Re-Os dating Acknowledgments
of molybdenite mineralization presented herein shows that This study is an outcome of the MDRU (Mineral Deposit
porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization formed in the Early Creta- Research Unit) Western Tethyan Metallogeny Project (Phase

20 RABAYROL ET AL.
2) that was financially supported by Alamos Gold Inc., An- 2016, The geology of the Kisladag porphyry gold deposit, Turkey: Society of
glo American Plc., BHP, Centerra Gold Inc., Eldorado Gold Economic Geologists, Special Publication no. 19, p. 57–83.
Barnett, W., Doerksen, G., Murphy, B., Nowak, M., Dino Pilotto, Rykaart,
Corp., Fortescue Metals Group Ltd., Newcrest Mining Ltd., M., and Bonson, C., 2011, Preliminary economic assessment on the Taç and
and Teck Resources Ltd. Anna Fonseca (SRK Consulting Çorak deposits, Yusufeli property, Artvin province, Turkey: Report Prepared
[Kazakhstan] Inc.) significantly contributed to the fieldwork, for Mediterranean Resources Ltd., SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc., p. 252.
acquisition of infrared spectroscopy data and classification of Bektaş, O., Şen, C., Atici, Y., and Köprübaşi, N., 1999, Migration of the Upper Cre-
taceous subduction‐related volcanism towards the back‐arc basin of the eastern
mineral occurrences; SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. provided Pontide magmatic arc (NE Turkey): Geological Journal, v. 34, p. 95–106.
in-kind contribution to this project. Teck Resources Ltd. is Bilir, E., 2015, Geochemical and geochronological characterization of the
thanked for the field and logistic support. Santral Madencilik, Early-Middle Eocene magmatism and related epithermal systems of the
Ariana Resources Plc., Artmin Madencilik, Teck Resources Eastern Pontides, Turkey: M.Sc. thesis, Kötekli, Turkey, Muğla Sitki Koç-
Ltd., Eti Bakır, and Harput Madencilik generously offered ac- man University, 138 p.
Boztuğ, D., and Harlavan, Y., 2008, K-Ar ages of granitoids unravel the stages
cess to their project and allowed rock sampling. Fruitful pre- of Neo-Tethyan convergence in the eastern Pontides and central Anatolia,
fieldwork discussions with Cüneyt Şen (Karadeniz Technical Turkey: International Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 97, p. 585–599.
University) and Kemal Revan (MTA) were greatly appreci- Boztuğ, D., Erçin, A.İ., Kuruçelik, M.K., Göç, D., Kömür, İ., and İskenderoğlu,
ated. Bahram Najafian (MDRU) did the mineral separation A., 2006, Geochemical characteristics of the composite Kaçkar batholith
for U-Pb geochronology. Marghaleray Armini (Pacific Cen- generated in a Neo-Tethyan convergence system, Eastern Pontides, Tur-
key: Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, v. 27, p. 286–302.
tre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, UBC) is thanked Boztuğ, D., Jonckheere, R., Wagner, G., Erçin, A., and Yeğingil, Z., 2007,
for assistance in the acquisition of LA-ICP-MS data. We are Titanite and zircon fission-track dating resolves successive igneous episodes
grateful to Cornel de Ronde, Robert Moritz, Antonio Arribas, in the formation of the composite Kaçkar batholith in the Turkish Eastern
and Larry Meinert for their constructive reviews that helped Pontides: International Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 96, p. 875–886.
Çağatay, M.N., 1993, Hydrothermal alteration associated with volcanogenic
improve the clarity of this manuscript. This is MDRU contri- massive sulfide deposits; examples from Turkey: Economic Geology, v. 88,
bution no. 460. p. 606–621.
Cavazza, W., Albino, I., Galoyan, G., Zattin, M., and Cattò, S., 2019, Con-
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marginal basin along the actives sourthern continental margin of Eurasia: Exploration Consultants Ltd. in Vancouver, Can-
Evidence from the central Pontides (Turkey) and adjacent regions: Geo- ada. He holds a master’s degree in geology from
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——2010, Late Palaeozoic-Early Cenozoic tectonic development of the East- at the University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Fabien has twelve years of field, research, and
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I., 2013, Constraints on Variscan and Cimmerian magmatism and meta- orogenic belts (Western Tethyan and North American Cordillera). He won
morphism in the Pontides (Yusufeli-Artvin area), NE Turkey from U-Pb second place in the Integra Gold Rush Challenge in 2016 (Data Miners
dating and granite geochemistry: Geological Society, London, Special Pub- team), cofounded GoldSpot Discoveries, and was a top-five finalist at Dis-
lications, v. 372, p. 49–74. rupt Mining 2017 (GoldSpot Discoveries).


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©2023 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.

Economic Geology, v. XXX, no. XX, pp. X–X

District-Scale VMS to Porphyry-Epithermal Transitions in Subduction to

ISSN 0361-0128; doi:10.5382/econgeo.4983; 22 p.

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20°0'E # BULGARIA 30°0'E 40°0'E

SERBIA Underlying Underlying # Suture zone/

NORTH " Maden

Skouries ! Rhodope-Pontide Sisorta Mastra #

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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Nor # ~ ~ ~ ~ # ~ ~!~ ~ $ ~# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ e-a

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41°0'E 41°30'E 42°0'E

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Ma Plc, 2020). The Berta and Dereiçi prospects consist of NW-

Nuinsco Resources Ltd., 2012; this study).

Those porphyry occurrences are either surrounded or over-

volcanic rocks, intrusions)

rocks and granitoids) ite-pyrophyllite alteration zones and a quartz-pyrite-Fe oxy-

Çatak Formation alteration footprint has quartz-sphalerite veins and rhodo-

130 (~94–91 Ma; basaltic to

Maden (App. 1, Table A2).

andesitic rocks, clastic

The Taç and Çorak Au-Cu deposits (~58 t Au and 33,480 t

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Hold Gold Corridor Kaçkar batholith

by Demir Export A S, Ismail Cihan

Magma association2 Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline

Kinematic Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension

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RSV+RSC 146.5/293,000 58/33,480

VMS bimodal-felsic Cu-Zn belt

by Demir Export A S, Ismail Cihan

Formation Kızılkaya Kızılkaya Sümbüllü, Kızılkaya? Kızılkaya Kızılkaya

Tectonic setting Emergent volcanic arc Back-arc Back-arc Back-arc Back-arc

Magma association2 Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline Calc-alkaline

Kinematic Extension Extension Extension Extension Extension

Commodity Cu, Au, Ag Cu Cu, Zn Cu, Zn Cu, Zn, Au, Ag

Gangue Qz, brt, cb Qz Qz, cb Qz, brt Brt, cb, qz

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RSV+RSC (t Au/t 37/261,600 9.2/895,800 - - 16.5/1,029,888

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360 Berta porphyry prospect

0.051 320 Rejected 320

0.046 Wtd. Mean

0.033 E Sebzeciler pluton Sebzeciler pluton - Granodiorite - FR-18-10 F

0.030 G Kılıçkaya porphyry prospect H

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120 Hemşin pluton - Granodiorite - FR-18-01

Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age

Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age

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94 Hızarlı HS epithermal prospect

Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age

S 70 Ardala porphyry deposit

Wtd. Mean 206Pb/238U Age

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by Demir Export A S, Ismail Cihan

Igneous host rocks (Zircon, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb)

Hydrothermal alteration (40Ar/39Ar)

Ore (Molybdenite, Re-Os)

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