Research Information System
ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND THE BULLETIN OF THE SOCIETY OF ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS, vol.90, no.5, pp.1237-1260, 1995 (SCI-Expanded)
The Bigadic borates are the largest colemanite and ulexite deposits in the world and the high-grade colemanite and ulexite ores (30 and 29% B2O3, respectively) should supply a substantial proportion of the world's needs for many years. The Bigadic deposits formed within Neogene perennial saline lakes sediments located in a northeast-southwest-trending basin. The volcano-sedimentary sequence in the deposits consists of (from bottom to top) basement volcanics, lower limestone, lower tuff, lower borate zone, upper tuff, upper borate zone, and olivine basalt. The borate deposits formed under arid conditions in perennial saline lakes fed by hyrdrothermal springs associated with local volcanic activity. The deposits are interbedded with tuffs, clays, and limestones.