Carboniferous sills and related metasomatic activity in the area of Asaritsa Peak, West Stara Planina Mountain

Abstract

Two diorite to monzodiorite sills are recently found among the Silurian sedimentary succession near to Asaritsa peak, West Stara Planina Mountain. Several levels with diagenetic metalliferous nodules occur within shale interval in the sediments. The magmatic rocks are affected by strong propylitic to sericitic alteration (chlorite, sericite, albite and quartz) and only relicts of the rock-forming minerals (feldspar, biotite and clinopyroxene) are observed. The bodies are crosscut by thin quartz veins and disseminated pyrite is observed. The chondrite normalized spidergrams show patterns similar to orogenic rocks, with very high peaks of Th and U and depletion in Sr and Ti. The zircon U-Pb geochronology reveals that the magmatic crystallization is during the Carboniferous period – 326.4±3.2 Ма, with low content of xenocryst most probably from the sedimentary basement. The magmatic activity coincides with the Variscan orogeny formed during the late Paleozoic and most probabaly is related to the evolution of the alkaline Buhovo-Seslavtsi Pluton which is situated just to the south, at a direct proximity. The different composition of the pyrite from the sills and the diagenetic nodules from the sediments is most probably due to their different genesis. While the alterations of the nodules can be attributed to metasomatic processes related to the magmatic activity.