Genesis of Manganese Ores of the Kvirila Deposit, Georgia: Evidence from Carbon and Oxygen Isotope Composition and Rare Earth Element Geochemistry

Abstract

The paper reports original data on the isotopic composition (δ¹³С, δ¹⁸О) and major and rare earth element (REE) geochemistry of manganese ores in the Rodinauli section of the Kvirila deposit (Georgia). The δ¹³С (V-PDB) and δ¹⁸О (V-SMOW) values vary from –19.6 to –6.6‰ and from 21.1 to 29.1‰, respectively, in the carbonate ores; and from ‒14.9 to ‒5.5‰ and from 21.8 to 28.4‰, respectively, in the carbonate substance of cement of oxide ores. The studied ores are characterized by the presence of negative Ce anomaly (\({{{\text{Ce}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{{\text{Ce}}} {{\text{Ce}}_{{{\text{PAAS}}}}^{*}}}} \right. \kern-0em} {{\text{Ce}}_{{{\text{PAAS}}}}^{*}}}\) up to 0.51) in majority of samples (both carbonate and oxide ores); the prominent Eu anomaly is absent. A conclusion has been made that the ores were formed both under conditions of early diagenesis of sediments and later, during catagenesis, with the participation of metal-bearing elisional solutions.