Wojciech Mayer

Occurrence of Sulphides in Sowia Dolina Near Karpacz (SW Poland) - An Example of ore Mineralization in the Contact Aureole of the Karkonosze Granite

Occurrence of Sulphides in Sowia Dolina Near Karpacz (SW Poland) - An Example of ore Mineralization in the Contact Aureole of the Karkonosze Granite The authors studied the poorly-known, uneconomic sulphide mineralization site in Sowia Dolina near Karpacz. Host rocks are hornfelses of the Velká Úpa schist series, which belongs to the Izera-Kowary Unit. Ore minerals assemblage includes: pyrrhotite, pyrite, chalcopyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, galena and marcasite, accompanied by ilmenite and rutile. The oldest sulphide is high-temperature pyrrhotite crystallized at about 600°C, which is in good agreement with the temperature range of contact metamorphic conditions, revealed by muscovitesillimanite transformation. Low-temperature pyrrhotite and other sulphides formed at about 390°C (arsenopyrite geothermometer) down to 265°C (pyrrhotite geothermometer), whereas fluid inclusions studies of vein quartz demonstrated the temperature range 380-150°C. Mineralization in Sowia Dolina is similar to other ore hydrothermal deposits known from the proximal or distal contact zone of the Karkonosze granite. Wystąpienie siarczków w Sowiej Dolinie koło Karpacza - przykład mineralizacji kruszcowej w aureoli kontaktowej granitu Karkonoszy (Sudety, Polska) Hornfelsy Sowiej Doliny należą do jednostki izersko-kowarskiej i są częścią serii łupkowej grupy Velkej Úpy, przeobrażonej na kontakcie z waryscyjskim granitem Karkonoszy. W Sowiej Dolinie istnieją ślady dawnych robót górniczych, wyloty sztolni i hałdy, na których znaleźć można okazy z mineralizacją siarczkową. Okruszcowane hornfelsy odznaczają się dobrze zachowaną foliacją i lineacją. Przejawem metamorfizmu kontaktowego są poligonalne zarysy ziaren kwarcu oraz rozpad muskowitu na sillimanit, zgodnie z reakcją: muskowit + kwarc = Al2SiO5 + K-skaleń + H2O, która oznacza warunki metamorfizmu wysokiego stopnia i osiągnięcie temperatury powyżej 600°C, a także krystalizacja andaluzytu i kordierytu, całkowicie zamienionego w pinit. Efektem zmian kontaktowych jest również powstanie pseudomorfoz po granacie. Najbogatsze skupienia minerałów kruszcowych stwierdzone zostały w hornfelsach wzbogaconych w kwarc lub przecinanych żyłkami kwarcowo-skaleniowymi. Dominującym minerałem rudnym jest pirotyn, rzadziej pojawia się piryt. Minerały te tworząmasywne skupienia kilkucentymetrowej miąższości, niekiedy także żyłki lub struktury rozproszone. W mniejszych ilościach występują: chalkopiryt, galena, sfaleryt, arsenopiryt, bornit, markasyt oraz minerały Ti. Sukcesja minerałów kruszcowych została określona na podstawie przerostów mineralnych (tab. 2). Najstarsze minerały, ilmenit i rutyl, są związane przypuszczalnie z metamorfizmem regionalnym. Po minerałach Ti krystalizował pirotyn. Młodszy od niego jest chalkopiryt, którego starsza generacja tworzy zrosty z pirotynem, następna natomiast występuje jako odmieszania w sfalerycie. Po pirotynie i starszym chalkopirycie, w tym samym czasie powstawały sfaleryt, arsenopiryt i galena. Markasyt jest minerałem wtórnym, tworzącym się w początkowych stadiach procesu wietrzenia rud na hałdzie. Następstwo siarczków potwierdziła interpretacja geotermometryczna wyników analiz chemicznych w mikroobszarze. Wykazała ona, że temperatury powstawania pirotynu wahały się w zakresie temperatur 630-265°C, a arsenopiryt krystalizował w temperaturze około 390°C. Temperatury powstawania kwarcu żyłowego oznaczone za pomocą inkluzji ciekło-gazowych mieszczą się w zakresie temperatur 380-150°C. Porównanie obserwacji mikroskopowych rud z danymi chemicznymi i petrologicznymi pozwala na sugestię, że procesy metamorfizmu kontaktowego w temperaturach około 600°C odpowiadają krystalizacji wysokotemperaturowego pirotynu, natomiast pozostałe siarczki i kwarc żyłowy tworzyły się w procesach hydrotermalnych niższych temperatur, aż do około 150°C.

Ore mineralization in the Miedzianka area (Karkonosze-Izera Massif, the Sudetes, Poland): new information

Abstract The Miedzianka mining district has been known for ages as a site of polymetallic ore deposits with copper and, later, uranium as the main commodities. Although recently uneconomic and hardly accessible, the Miedzianka ores attract Earth scientists due to the interesting and still controversial details of their ore structure, mineralogy and origin. Our examination of the ore mineralization from the Miedzianka district was based exclusively on samples collected from old mining dumps located in the vicinity of Miedzianka and Ciechanowice, and on samples from the only available outcrop in Przybkowice. In samples from the Miedzianka field, chalcopyrite, pyrite, galena, bornite, chalcocite, digenite, arsenopyrite, magnetite, sphalerite, tetrahedrite-tennantite, bornite, hematite, martite, pyrrhotite, ilmenite, cassiterite and covellite are hosted in quartz-mica schists and in coarse-grained quartz with chlorite. In the Ciechanowice field, the ore mineralization occurs mainly in strongly chloritized amphibolites occasionally intergrown with quartz and, rarely, with carbonates. Other host-rocks are quartz-chlorite schist and quartzites. Microscopic examination revealed the presence of chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite-tennantite, bismuthinite, native Bi, arsenopyrite, löllingite, cassiterite, cobaltite, gersdorffite, chalcocite, cassiterite, bornite, covellite, marcasite and pyrrhotite. Moreover, mawsonite and wittichenite were identified for the first time in the district. In barite veins cross-cutting the greenstones and greenschists in Przybkowice, we found previously-known chalcopyrite, chalcocite and galena. The composition of the hydrothermal fluids is suggested to evolved through a series of consecutive systems characterized, in turn, by Ti-Fe-Sn, Fe- As-S, Fe-Co-As-S, Cu-Zn-S and, finally, Cu-Pb-Sb-As-Bi compositions.

Department of General Geology and Geotourism.

The recent Department (Chair) of General Geology and Geotourism has emerged at the very early stage of the history of the Academy of Mining (the initial name of our University) when the Department of Geology and Paleontology was established in 1920 at the Faculty of Mining – the only faculty of the Academy at that time. Professor Walery Goetel has been nominated for the Head of the Department. In 1926, the department was divided into the two independent units: Chair of Geology and Chair of Paleontology, the former still under the management of Professor Goetel. Within the Chair of Geology the Department of General Geology has been placed, also led by Prof. Goetel. In next decades, both the Chair of Geology and the Department of General Geology have survived several, consecutive, major restructuring and minor organizational changes. After the World War II, the Faculty of Geology and Surveying was established, followed by the Faculty of Geology and, finally, by the Faculty of Geology and Exploration. In 1961, the Head of the Chair and the Department has become Professor Henryk Świdzinski. In 1969, all Polish universities have been subjected to politically-induced, major restructuring – the traditional chairs were replaced by institutes. Hence, the Department of General Geology has been transformed into the Department of Dynamic Geology and anchored at the Institute of Regional Geology and Coal Deposits. Simultaneously, Docent Janusz Kotlarczyk has been nominated for the director of the new institute. In 1974, the next restructuring resulted in the establishing of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Deposits. Within this new unit, the Department of Dynamic Geology was transformed into the Department of General and Mathematical Geology, still under the supervision of Docent Janusz Kotlarczyk. After his retirement in 1999, Professor Tadeusz Słomka has become the new Head of the Department. The major restructuring of our Faculty implemented in 2006 has dissolved the existing departments and established the new units. Among others, the new Department of Basic Geology and Environment Protection was organized. It was based on the staff of the former Department of General and Mathematical Geology, and the Department of Environment Protection (in operation since 1993) supported by some scientists of the past Department of Stratigraphy and Regional Geology, and by single researchers from other dissolved departments. Professor Tadeusz Słomka was nominated for the head of the new unit. In 2007, our University has returned to its traditional structure – the basic organizational units have become the chairs. Hence, the Department of Basic Geology and Environment Protection evolved into the Chair of General Geology, Environment Protection and Geotourism, still managed by Prof. T. Słomka. In 2011, the chair has been divided into the two independent units. One of them is the currently existing Chair of General Geology and Geotourism, under the supervision of, first, Prof. Słomka and then Prof. Marek Doktor.

Preliminary results of sulphur isotope studies on sulfides from selected ore deposits and occurrences in the Karkonosze–Izera Massif (the Sudety Mts., Poland)

Abstract Preliminary sulphur isotope data are presented for selected ore deposits and occurrences in the Karkonosze-Izera Massif, namely, polymetallic mineralization sites at Budniki, Ciechanowice, Izerskie Garby and Sowia Dolina, and the pyrite deposit at Wieściszowice. The data reveal two populations of δ34S values: from 2.74 to 3.95‰ (pyrrhotites and pyrites in Sowia Dolina, and some pyrites in Wieściszowice) and from 0.79 to 1.8‰ (pyrites in Budniki, Ciechanowice and Izerskie Garby, and some pyrites from Wieściszowice). All of the data are indicative of endogenic sulphur typical of hydrothermal mineralization despite the genetic differences between the sites.