Abstract

The Emet borate deposit is situated in the middle of the known borate deposits of western Anatolia. Emet is the world biggest colemanite-probertite deposit which is located in the upper section of the volcano-sedimentary sequence of the Emet basin. Emet borate deposit is unique and has unusual mineral associations. The principal minerals in the Emet borate deposit are colemanite with minor probertite, ulexite and hydroboracite. In addition, rare species such as meyerhofferite, veatchite-A, tunellite, terrugite and cahnite occur sporadically. This is the only deposit known to contain any of the minerals veatchite-A, tunellite, teruggite and cahnite. Arsenic minerals (realgar and orpiment) are very abundant and spatially related to the borates, indicating a common genetic origin. The mineralogical record of Do¤anlar boreholes is characterized by the alternation of Na-Ca borate (probertite) and Na-Ca sulphate (glauberite) units including a central halite beds. Colemanite is restricted to the base and top of the sequence in these boreholes and in the whole basin. In this part of the section the major mineral associations probertite-glauberite and halite, with several rare minerals and two new minerals (emetite and fontarnauite) were also discovered in these borehole logs. The Emet borate deposit was formed in two separate parts, possibly part of an interconnected lacustrine playa lake, in areas of volcanic activity, fed partly by thermal springs and partly by surface streams. The early colemanite, meyerhofferite, ulexite and teruggite nodules were formed directly from brines penecontemporaneously within the unconsolidated sediments below the sediment/water interface, and continued to grow as the sediments were compacted. Diagenetic alterations include the partial replacement of colemanite by veatchite-A, cahnite, hydroboracite and calcite. The new mineral, emetite, always appears as a diagenetic phase consisting of aggregates of tiny crystals that replace glauberite at the top of glauberite units. Fontarnauite is most commonly associated with probertite, glauberite and celestine in isolated colorless to light brown prismatic crystals or as clusters of crystals in core samples of these boreholes.

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