K-Ar dating for determining the age of mineralization as alteration product: A case study of antimony mineralization vein type in granitic rocks of Gümüşhane area, Turkey

Is it feasible to use K-Ar dating method in determination of the age of mineralization by utilizing alteration minerals? The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the K-Ar dating method to accurately determine the age of mineralization. In ideal circumstances, dating of alteration products, such as illite and serisite minerals, gives the age of alteration event, which is indirectly associated with mineralization. In the study site, referred to as Avliyana, antimony mineralization (Gümüşhane, Turkey), stibnite (antimony) mineralizations of hydrothermal vein type were observed in granitic young intrusive rocks and the host rocks. In the study area, alteration was observed in the form of a small amount of weak silicification, argillitization (sericitization and illitization), hematitization, limonitization close to the mineralization and of epidotization and chloritization far from the mineralization. In order to determine the limits of the age of antimony mineralizations of the area, the K-Ar method was used to date illite and serisite minerals, which are alteration products related to mineralization. Two samples containing sericite and illite were collected from Avliyana antimonite mineralization. The alteration origin of these minerals was confirmed by supporting petrographic, XRD and scanning electron microscope studies. These samples were analysed for K-Ar dating.