A stable isotope study on fluid source and temperature of the Murgul deposit

Abstract

The Murgul deposit is a copper-rich VMS system at Murgul, Turkey. It has been interpreted as a Kuroko-type VMS system, and is one of several VMS and vein deposits throughout the Eastern Pontides. The massive sulfide of the Murgul deposit has been removed by mining, but remains profitable because the underlying stockwork is significantly mineralized. Little isotopic research has been conducted on this deposit or others located in the region. Sulfur and oxygen stable isotope data constrain fluid temperature and source for a better understanding of the deposit’s origin. Chalcopyrite-pyrite pairs yield equilibrium temperatures of approximately 350oC. Quartz and illite were determined to be in disequilibrium and unable to provide temperature data, but the illite permits calculation of a fluid source δ18O of 8-11o/oo. These data suggest that the fluids that produced Murgul were likely derived from seawater, and the deposit is best interpreted as a VMS deposit.