Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Major and trace element geochemistry of the Bigadiç Borate deposit, Balikesir, Turkiye

  • Published:
Geochemistry International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study investigates the major and trace element geochemistry of Bigadi borate deposits, the largest colemanite and ulexite deposits in the world. The known borate deposits of Turkiye were deposited in the lacustrine environment during Miocene when the volcanic activity occurred from Tertiary to Quaternary. All of the Turkish borate deposits are classified as volcanic related deposits. Boron ore deposits intercalated with claystone, mudstone, tufa and fine layered limestone show lens shape. Borate minerals formed in two zones. Tiilu and Acep-Simav open mines represented the lower and upper borate zones, respectively. Colemanite and ulexite are dominant minerals at all ore zones. The major elements of Bigadi borates contain Ca, Si, Mg, Al, Fe, S, Na, P and Mn at Tiilu, Ca, Na, Si, Mg, S, Al, P and Mn at Simav, and Ca, Na, Si, Mg, S, AI and Mn at Acep samples respectively. Except for Li, Mo, Sb, As, Sr and Se, concentrations of other trace elements are significantly lower than averages of earth crust and andesite at the three mines. With respect to averages of earth crust and andesite, Mo, Sr, As, Li and particularly Se are enriched significantly in the Bigadi. In examining depth-dependent variations of major and trace elements, four element groups at the Tiilu site and six element groups at the Simav and Acep sites were determined. Element abudances or element geochemical trends show differences at the Tülü, Simav and Acep mines. These differences can be explained by the diversity of physicochemical conditions in the deposition environment by the effect of differences at the recharge regime and source.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. H. Meixner, “Some Borate Minerals from Turkiye (Colemanite and Tertschite, a New Mineral),” Fortschr. Mineral. 31, 39–42 (1952) (in German).

    Google Scholar 

  2. H. Meixner, “New Turkish Borate Deposits,” Berg. U. Hüttenmann. Monatsh. 98, 86–92 (1953) (in German).

    Google Scholar 

  3. H. Meixner, “New Borate Sitein İskeleköy, Bigadi Town, Balıkesir City,” Sonerabdruch aus Kaliund Steinsals, (Verlag Glöckauf, Essen, 1956) Vol. 2, pp. 43–47.

    Google Scholar 

  4. A. Helke, “Examination of Turkish Mineral Deposits II,” N. Jb. Min. Abh.: 178–180 (1955) (in German).

  5. I. Özpeker and K. İnan, “Mineral Assemblages in Western Anatolian Borate Deposits and their Relations with Deposit Occurrence,” Bull. Geol. Soc. Turk. 21, 1–10 (1978) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  6. A. Kalafatoğlu, “Geology of the Region between Balıkesir and Kütahya,” Turk. Geol. Bull. 46–63 (1964) (in Turkish with English Abstract).

  7. C. Helvacı, “Mineralogy of the Turkish Borate Deposits,” Geol. Eng. Bull. 17, 37–54 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  8. C. Helvacı, “Stratigraphy, Mineralogy and Genesis of the Bigadi Borate Deposits, Western Turkiye,” Econ. Geol. 90, 1237–1260 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. C. Helvacı and O. Alaca, “The Geology and Mineralogy of the Bigadi Borate Deposits,” Proceedings of 38th Turkish Geological Conress, 1984 (1984), pp. 110–111 (in Turkish).

  10. C. Helvacı and O. Alaca, “Geology and Mineralogy of Bigadi Borate Deposits” MTA Bull. 113, 61–92 (1991) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  11. C. Helvacı and Ö Dora, “New Sights on Mineral Occurrences in the Bigadi Borate Deposits” Abstracts of 39th Turkish Geological Congress (1985), pp. 75–76 (in Turkish with English Abstract).

  12. C. Helvacı and F. Orti, “Sedimantology and Diagenesis of Miocene Colemanite-Ulexite Deposits (Western Anatolia, Turkiye),” J. Sediment. Res. 68, 1021–1033 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. C. Helvacı and R. N. Alonso, “Borate Deposits of Turkiye and Argentina: A Summary and Geological Comparison,” Turk. J. Earth Sci., No. 9, 1–27 (2000).

  14. C. Helvaci, M. G. Stamatakis, C. Zagouroglou, and J. Kanaris, “Borate Minerals and Related Authigenic Silicates in Northeastern Mediterranean Late Miocene Continental Basins,” Explor. Min. Geol. 2, 171–178 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  15. H. Helvacı, M. Mordoğan, M. Çolak, and İ. Gündoğan, “Presence and Distribution of Lithium in Borate Deposits and Some Recent Lake Waters of West-Central Turkiye,” Int. Geol. Rev. 46, 177–190 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. C. Helvacı, “Turkish Borate Deposits,” Chamb. Geol. Eng. Publ., No. 71, (2001) (in Turkish).

  17. C. Helvacı, “Turkish Borate Deposits: Their Geologic Setting, Economic Importance and Boron Policy,” Balıkesir Univ. Bull. 5.1, 4–41 (2003) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  18. C. Helvacı, “Turkish Borate Deposits: Their Geologic Setting, Economic Importance and Boron Policy,” in Proceedings of 5th Industrial Raw Materials Symposium, Izmir, Turkiye, 2004 (Izmir, 2004), pp. 11–27 (in Turkish).

  19. C.J. Bowser, “Geochemistry and Petrology of the Sodium Borates in the Nonmarine Evaporite Environment,” (Univ. California, Los Angeles, 1964)

    Google Scholar 

  20. A. H. Christ, A. H. Truesdell and R.C. Erd, “Borate Mineral Assemblages in the System Na2O-CaO-MgO-B2O3-H2O,” Geochim. Cosmochim Acta 31, 313–339 (1967).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. O. Bayasal and G. Ataman, “A New Borate Mineral in Turkiye: Discussion on Kernite Occurrence,” Turk. Geol. Surv. Bull. 18, 3–10 (1975) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  22. K. İnan, A Model for Formation of Hydrous Borate Minerals, Turk. Geol. Surv. Bull. 18, 165–168 (1975) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  23. M. Sunder, “Geochemistry of Sarıkaya (Kırka-Eski e-hir) Borate Deposits,” Turk. Geol. Surv. Bull. 2, 19–34 (1980).

    Google Scholar 

  24. K. B. Krauskopf, Introduction to Geochemistry, (McGraw-Hill International Editions, 1989).

  25. E. Schroll, “Analytical Geochemistry” (Ferdinand Enke Verlag, Stuttgart, 1975) (in German).

    Google Scholar 

  26. O. Abollino, M. Aceto, S. Buoso, M. Gasparon, W. J. Green, M. Malandrino and E. Mentasti, “Distribution of Major, Minor and Trace Elements in Lake Environments of Antarctica,” Ant. Sci. 16(3), 227–291 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. A. Şahinci, Geochemistry of Natural Waters (Reform Press, Izmir, 1991) (in Turkish).

    Google Scholar 

  28. Ş. Koç, İ Kavrazlı and İ. Koçak,“Geochemistry of Colemanite Deposit of Kestelek, Bursa, Turkiye,” in 33rd Intenational Geological Congress, Oslo, Norway, 2008 www.cprm.gov.br/33IGC/1352424.html) (2008).

  29. V. M. Goldschmidt, Geochemistry Ed. by A. Muir (Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1954).

    Google Scholar 

  30. P. A. Rona, “Plate Tectonics and Mineral Resources” Sci. Amer. 229(1), 86–95 (1973).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. O. Baysal, “Occurrence of Sarıkaya (Kırka) Borate Deposits,” in Turkish Mining Scientific and Technical Congress, Ankara, 1973 (Ankara, 1973), pp. 255–277.

  32. E. M. Elkin and J. L. Margrave, “Selenium and Selenium Compounds” in Kirk Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (New York, 1968), Vol. 17, pp. 809–833.

  33. H. Halilova, “Biogeochemistry of Microelements (I, Zn, Co, Mn, Cu, Se),” (İlke-Eker Press, 2004) (in Turkish).

  34. Y. Bürküt, “Distribution of Li, Rb, Cs and Sr in Ortho- and Para-gneiss and Some Petrologic Results” (Istanbul Technical University, Faculty of Mining, 1977) (in Turkish).

  35. M. Akçay, “Geokimya” Karadeniz Technical University Publ., No. 204, Trabzon (2002) (in Turkish).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Engineering, Bozok University, 66100, Atatürk Way, Yozgat, Turkiye

    İsmail Koçak

  2. Engineering Faculty Department of Geological Engineering, University, 06100, Tandogan, Ankara, Turkiye

    Şükrü Koç

Authors
  1. İsmail Koçak
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Şükrü Koç
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to İsmail Koçak.

Additional information

The article is published in the original.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Koçak, İ., Koç, Ş. Major and trace element geochemistry of the Bigadiç Borate deposit, Balikesir, Turkiye. Geochem. Int. 50, 926–951 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702912090030

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0016702912090030

Keywords

Search

Navigation