Luptáková J., Milovská S., Jeleň S., Mikuš T., Milovský R. & Biroň A., 2016: Primary Cu ore mineralization at the Ľubietová-Podlipa locality (Slovakia). Acta Geologica Slovaca, 8, 2, 175–194.

Primary Cu ore mineralization at the Ľubietová-Podlipa locality (Slovakia)

Jarmila Luptáková¹, Stanislava Milovská¹, Stanislav Jeleň^1,2, Tomáš Mikuš¹, Rastislav Milovský¹ & Adrian Biroň¹

¹Earth Science Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ďumbierska 1, 974 11 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia; luptak@savbb.sk, milovska@savbb.sk, jelen@savbb.sk, mikus@savbb.sk, milovsky@savbb.sk, biron@savbb.sk
²Department of Geography and Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia

Abstract

The results of mineralogical and geochemical research of primary mineralization at the Ľubietová-Podlipa deposit dumps are presented in the article. Chalcopyrite and tennantite are the most abundant sulphides in studied samples. Cobaltite-gersdorffite, pyrite, siegenite, and cassiterite are quite common, yet volumetrically negligible, in contrast to tetrahedrite, kupčíkite, matildite(?), cinnabar, unidentified Ag-S and native gold, which are very scarce. Gangue minerals are quartz (probably two generations) with fewer amounts of carbonates. Dark quartz is often hosting irregular nests of sulphide minerals, usually on outer boundaries of the veins. Both generations of vein quartz show similar microstructures of low-temperature ductile deformation. Carbonates include members of dolomite-ankerite series, siderite, and calcite containing variable amounts of Fe and Mn. Isotopic composition of δ³⁴S in chalcopyrite and tennantite vary between 6.69 and 9.77 ‰. These values may be very close to the composition of H₂S in fluid, which is tentatively attributed to a deep source derived from metamorphic rocks. Influence of compositional variability of tetrahedrite-tennantite series and carbonates on Raman shift of selected vibration bands is also a subject of this study.

Key words: Ľubietová - Podlipa, Cu-mineralization, cobaltite, gersdorffite, kupčíkite, carbonates

Manuscript received: 2016-09-12

Revised version accepted: 2016-12-13