Ore Geology Reviews 34 (2008) 501–520 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Ore Geology Reviews journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oregeorev Metallogeny of the Northwestern and Central Dinarides and Southern Tisia Ladislav A. Palinkaš ⁎, Sibila BorojevićŠoštarić, Sabina Strmić Palinkaš Faculty of Sciences, Department of Geology, Institute of Mineralogy and Petrology, University of Zagreb, Horvatovac bb, 10 000 Zagreb, Croatia ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: The Dinaridic metallogenic province is a part of the Alpine–Himalayan orogenic system, developed as a result Received 31 July 2006 of opening and closure of the Tethys Ocean by convergence of the African and Eurasian plates. The northern Accepted 6 May 2008 boundary of the Dinarides is related to the northern African margin (Adria–Apulia). The Tisia mega-unit, a Available online 10 June 2008 small continental block, positioned between the Dinarides and the Carpathians, is genetically related to the South Eurasian edge. Keywords: Magmatism The geology of the Dinarides is constrained by the Alpine Wilson cycle. The major stages of the cycle are: Metallogeny (a) Permian early intra-continental rifting; (b) Triassic advanced rifting; (c) Jurassic oceanization; Wilson cycle (d) Cretaceous subduction; (e) Paleogene collision; and (f) Neogene post-collision and extension followed Alpine by orogenic collapse. Each stage creates characteristic ore deposits related to the specific geological Variscan environments. Stage (a) bears hydrothermal siderite–barite–polysulphide deposits, epigenetic sedimentary Northwestern and Central Dinarides uranium deposits, red bed-type, sabkha-type copper and barite deposits and evaporites. Stage (b) favored Tisia SEDEX and hydrothermal iron–polysulphide–barite–mercury and MVT deposits. Stage (c) developed – Zagorje Mid-Transdanubian zone chromites, asbestos, talc and magnesite deposits. The spatial position of stage (d) remains poorly constrained. The Southern Tisia unit might be a possible candidate for the Tethyan active continental margin with the Cretaceous subduction zone positioned beneath. Absence of voluminous subduction-related magmatism and mineral deposits, however, favors subduction within the Vardar zone (the easternmost Dinarides), adjoined to the Serbomacedonian ensialic terrain with its large Cu-porphyry deposits. Stage (e) was a prelude to the prolific phase (f) with its numerous hydrothermal Pb, Zn and Sb deposits that mostly occur in the western Vardar zone. The geology and metallogeny of Southern Tisia, with medium/high grade metamorphics, I-type, S-type granites, resembles the Middle Austro-Alpine unit, formed during the main Carboniferous collisional stage. This contribution provides a review of the metallogenic characteristics of the Northwestern and Central Dinarides and Southern Tisia mega-units, based on recently-gained knowledge on the regional geology, petrology and genesis of mineral deposits. Establishment of the plate tectonic model several decades ago greatly contributed to an integrated interpretation of ore deposit genesis. In turn, basic research in the field of ore genesis generated new data that can be used to improve the plate tectonic model. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Franke et al., 1995). There is, however, a wide range of interpretations in the nature, position, kinematics and chronology of rifting, drifting Mineral deposits in the southeastern part of Central Europe belong and collisions of the suspected terrains — with their inherited metal- to the two prominent geological mega-units: Northwestern–Central logenies, which were assembled before the final continent–continent Dinarides and Southern Tisia. The Dinarides, an orogenic belt po- collision in the Variscan orogen. sitioned between the Adria microplate to the southwest and the Tisia The ACD loop consists of external units, mainly medium-grade ensialic block to the north, is part of a long suture of the Tethyan metamorphic terrains, namely the “Variscan peri-Mediterranean Ocean, squeezed between the Gondwana and Euroasian continents. metamorphic belt”, and the internally-located, peri-Apulian, fossil- Their common history, however, extends back to pre-Variscan time. bearing, “Noric–Bosnian” terrain. The former incorporates Tisia, and The Alpine–Carpathian–Dinaride (ACD) arcuate orocline comprises the latter the basement and uncovered Paleozoic terrains of the basement units composed of pre-Variscan continental fragments pre- Dinarides (Neubauer and Handler, 1999). The boundary between the viously amalgamated between Baltica and Gondwana (Matte, 1991; two units suggests the presence of a Carboniferous suture, placed between the southern branch of the European Variscids and a Gondwana-derived paleo-Alpine indenter. The geodynamic evolution ⁎ Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +385 1 4605 998. related to continental plate collision involves consumption of the E-mail address: [email protected] (L.A. Palinkaš). intervening ocean basin with obduction of ophiolites, medium/high 0169-1368/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2008.05.006 502 L.A. Palinkaš et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 34 (2008) 501–520 pressure metamorphism, intrusion of I-type granitoids, followed by S- Pamić and Lanphere, 1991; Lanphere and Pamić, 1992; Pamić et al., type granitoids, and deformation of the Gondwana-derived Noric– 1996). Bosnian terrain in Late Devonian/Early Carboniferous time. The The Tisian Variscan basement is overlain by a non-metamorphic boundary was entirely reactivated during Alpine rifting. Mesozoic cover, and the thick Tertiary fill of the Pannonian basin. By Magmatism in the Eastern Alps and the Southern Tisia shows contrast, the Dinarides, underlain by low/medium-grade meta- similar petrochemistry, timing and style of emplacement. South Tisia morphic rocks of the pre-Alpine African crust, with a Cadomian underwent Variscan orogenesis, as evidenced by its crystalline signature, experienced the complete Alpine Wilson cycle from rifting basement with medium/high- grade metamorphic rocks, I-type and to collision in the Mesozoic. S-type granitoids. The granitoids and metamorphic rocks in South Alpine metallogeny of the Dinarides was primarily created by Tisia have been dated by K/Ar, Ar/Ar and Rb/Sr methods. Barrovian- opening and closure of Vardar and Dinaridic branches of the Tethyan type metamorphic rocks in the Slavonian Mts. yielded 568 to 264 Ma, ocean. The Dinarides contain well-developed and preserved tectonos- S-type granites and migmatites, 336 to 300 Ma, and I-type granites in tratigraphic units of the Alpine Wilson cycle, in contrast with the the Slavonian Mts. 339 to 321 Ma (Lanphere et al., 1975; Pamić, 1988; neighbouring Alps where the indentation of Adria obliterated or Fig. 1. Geological structural scheme of the Dinarides and surrounding area with index-map (modified after Channell and Kozur, 1997; Tomljenović,2002). L.A. Palinkaš et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 34 (2008) 501–520 503 blurred their regular distribution as a result of extensive tectonome- mountains, situated close to the Tisia microplate, are mainly covered tamorphic events. The metallogeny of the Dinarides and Tisia, based by Tertiary fill of the Pannonian Basin and verge to the northwest. The on the principles of plate tectonics, has been upgraded over recent main tectonstratigraphic units of the Central Dinarides display a decades (Janković, 1977, 1986; Petraschek, 1977; Pamić and Jurković, regular zonal pattern from stable Adria to Tisia. The historical division, 1997; Heinrich and Neubauer, 2002; Jurković,2003). ‘External’ and ‘Internal’ Dinarides, predates plate tectonics, but is still A basic framework has been successfully established but difficul- useful to discriminate tectonostratigraphic elements belonging to the ties have arisen from unresolved geological problems such as the passive and active Tethyan continental margins, respectively. boundary between Variscan and Alpine tectogenesis, the existence of The tectonostratigraphic units, products of Tethys opening and one or two oceanic realms, and the position of the subduction zone closure during successive phases of the Alpine Wilson cycle, are as adjacent to Tisia or the Serbomacedonian suspect terrain. Another follows (Fig. 1): (1) Adriatic–Dinaridic carbonate platform (ADCP); source of ambiguity was a lack of fundamental research on ore (2) carbonate–clastic formations of the passive continental margin genesis, and reliable interpretation of ore types in genetic terms. (Bosnian flysch); (3) Dinaridic ophiolites; and (4) units of the active Proper genetic models and ore petrology contribute substantially to continental margin, olistostrom mélange, Sava–Vardar zone. Units understanding the geological evolution of the Dinarides, and wider, (1) and (2) belong to the External Dinarides; (3) and (4) to the Internal along the entire Tethyan belt. This contribution presents a set of new Dinarides. Any consistent distribution is disturbed by regional nappe data on ore petrology, geochemistry and geology of ore deposits, systems, and exhumation of medium-grade metamorphic terrains in which will assist modification of the plate tectonic model. the Mid-Bosnian Schist Mountains (MBSM). The Dinarides as a whole were thrust onto units of the South Tisia in Pliocene time. 2. Northwestern and Central Dinarides The northwesternmost part of the Dinarides does not exhibit the same regular patterns as the Central Dinarides (Fig. 1). Here, the The Dinarides