Minerals 2015, 5, 221-246; doi:10.3390/min5020221 OPEN ACCESS minerals ISSN 2075-163X www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals Article Approaches to the Low Grade Metamorphic History of the Karakaya Complex by Chlorite Mineralogy and Geochemistry Sema Tetiker 1, Hüseyin Yalçın 2,* and Ömer Bozkaya 3 1 Department of Geological Engineering, Batman University, 72100 Batman, Turkey; E-Mail:
[email protected] 2 Department of Geological Engineering, Cumhuriyet University, 58140 Sivas, Turkey 3 Department of Geological Engineering, Pamukkale University, 20070 Denizli, Turkey; E-Mail:
[email protected] * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail:
[email protected]; Tel.: +90-0542-412-16-19. Academic Editor: Antonio Simonetti Received: 18 November 2014 / Accepted: 9 April 2015 / Published: 16 April 2015 Abstract: In this study, chlorite is used to investigate the diagenetic-metamorphic evolution and accurate geological history of the different units belonging to the Karakaya complex, Turkey. Primary and secondary chlorite minerals in the very low-grade metamorphic rocks display interference colors of blue and brown and an appearance of optical isotropy. Chlorites are present in the matrix, pores, and/or rocks units as platy/flaky and partly radial forms. X-ray diffraction (XRD) data indicate that Mg-Fe chlorites with entirely IIb polytype (trioctahedral) exhibit a variety of compositions, such as brunsvigite-diabantite-chamosite. The major element contents and structural formulas of chlorite also suggest these were derived from both felsic and metabasic source rocks. Trace and rare earth element (REE) concentrations of chlorites increase with increasing grade of metamorphism, and these geochemical changes can be related to the tectonic structures, formational mechanics, and environments present during their generation.