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 Hellenic Republic Faculty of Geology and
Geoenvironment
National and Kapodistrian Department of Mineralogy and
University of Athens Petrology

A Field Guide on the Geology and Mineralogy of

Lavrion, Attica, Greece

Assoc. Prof. Panagiotis Voudouris

Dept. of Mineralogy and Petrology
Faculty of Geology & Geoenvironment
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Athens, June 2016

1
INTRODUCTION

Geological evolution of Greece is related to the Alpine orogenic system resulting in the
formation of various elongated geotectonic terrains (Fig. 1), which represent successive
episodes of oceanic riftings, spreadings, subductions and collisions in the region of
Neotethys, known as Hellenide orogen (Papanikolaou 1987, Pe-Piper and Piper 2002, Jolivet
and Brun 2010, Ring et al. 2010).
The Cenozoic history of the Hellenides is greatly affected by the subduction of the
African plate below Eurasia along the Southern Aegean Active Volcanic Arc. This system in
the eastern Mediterranean involves subduction, accretion, arc magmatism, exhumation,
normal faulting, and large-scale continental extension in the last ~50 Ma. The evolution of
the Neotethys Ocean and the related lithosphere plates caused magmatic processes which led
to the formation of considerable ore mineralizations.

Fig. 1. Simplified tectonic map of the Aegean region showing the main teconic zones above the
Hellenic subduction zone (after Ring et al. 2010, Jolivet and Brun 2010).

2
 According to Bertrand et al. (2014) a decreasing convergence rate along the western
Tethyan subduction zone could lead to slab retreat and extensional regimes in the upper plate,
which could, in turn, ease ascension of fertile magmas stocked at the base of the lower crust.
The reduction of the AfricaEurasia convergence along the Hellenic subduction could
explain the forced trench migration, rollback thus driving a significant part of extensional
crustal deformation in the upper plate (Jolivet and Faccenna 2000, Jolivet et al. 2009).

GEOLOGY OF THE ATTIC-CYCLADIC BELT

The Lavrion district belongs to the Attic-Cycladic crystalline belt (Fig. 2), which
represents a polymetamorphic terrane within the Alpidic orogen of the Hellenides
(Papanikolaou 1987, Photiades and Carras 2001, Brcker et al. 2004, Forster and Lister
2005). The Attic-Cycladic belt resulted when the Apulia and Pelagonian microcontinents
collided after the Pindos ocean closed (Pe-Piper and Piper 2002).
Two major units, the Lower Tectonic unit (LTU) and the Upper Tectonic unit (UTU),
can be distinguished in the Attic-Cycladic crystalline belt. Katzir et al. (2007) and Brcker
and Pidgeon (2007) proposed that the Lower unit, which they referred to as the Cycladic
Blueschist unit and the Upper unit as the Upper Cycladic unit, respectively, consists of
dismembered stacks of nappes that formed during multiple collision and separation events
between the African and Eurasian plates. These two units overlie an autochthonous one,
which is referred to as the Basal unit (Fig. 2).
The Basal unit consists of Mesozoic neritic carbonates and overlying Tertiary flysch that
crop out at Lavrion and on Evia, Tinos, Samos, Amorgos, and Fourni Islands. The carbonates
include two marble units with intercalated schist, which are overlain by metaflysch and
metapelites that contain phengite. Ring et al. (2001) determined 40Ar-39Ar and Rb-Sr ages on
the phengite of 24 to 21 Ma and interpreted these ages as being that associated with high-
pressure low-temperature metamorphism. Similar ages have also been obtained from the
Basal unit by Brcker and Franz (1998), and Tomaschek et al. (2003).
The Blueschist unit is widespread in the Aegean sea and consists of Pre-Alpidic
basement gneiss that is tectonically overlain by a metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary
sequence of clastic metasediments, marbles, calcschists, and mafic and felsic metaigneous
rocks (Brcker and Pidgeon 2007). The unit experienced two stages of metamorphism during
the Tertiary. Based on U-Pb ages of zircons (52.4 0.8 Ma) and Ar-Ar ages of white mica
(52.3 0.7 Ma; Tomaschek et al. 2003), the first occurred during the Eocene, which was
marked by high-pressure blueschist facies metamorphism (Tmax ~450550C, Pmax
~1220 kbars) as a result of subduction of the Apulian microplate beneath the Eurasian
continent (Brcker and Pidgeon 2007). The second metamorphic event occurred at about 24
Ma during extension-related exhumation that produced greenschist to amphibolite facies
rocks (T ~450550C, P ~49 kbars) (Parra et al. 2002). The age of this event is based upon
U-Pb dating of zircon overgrowths (Tomaschek et al. 2003). The extensional event persisted
from the early Miocene until the Pliocene, is generally attributed to the process of slab
rollback and led to the formation of crustal scale detachments in the Aegean (Jolivet and
Faccenna 2000). The extensional event also allowed for various granitoids (granite,
granodiorite, leucogranite) to be intruded throughout the Cyclades between 15 and 9 Ma
(Altherr et al. 1982, Pe-Piper and Piper 2002, Skarpelis 2002, Skarpelis et al. 2008).

3
Fig. 2. Geotectonic overview of the Cyclades showing the locations of the main detachments, with
direction and sense of shear (Iglseder et al. 2011).

The Upper Cycladic unit is much less prevalent than the Blueschist unit and consists of
various klippen of unmetamorphosed upper Permian to Jurassic volcanoclastics, ophiolites,
and carbonates; greenschist facies rocks of Cretaceous to Tertiary age; and Late Cretaceous
medium-pressure and/or high-temperature rocks and granitoids (e.g. Reinecke et al. 1982,
Brcker and Franz 2006, Zeffren et al. 2005). It was thrust onto the Blueschist unit at about
25 to 20 Ma (Boronkay and Doutsos 1994). Photiades and Carras (2001) noted that the
carbonates are ankeritized and contain many fossils. These fossils show that carbonate
sedimentation evolved to become more pelagic with time.
Jolivet and Brun (2010), based on the hypothesis that a single subduction of the African
slab under the European plate has been active throughout most of the Mesozoic and the entire
Cenozoic, discussed the mechanisms that likely control both syn-orogenic exhumation within
the subduction channel and post-orogenic exhumation in extensional metamorphic domes in
the backarc region during slab retreat.
Current models for Miocene backarc extension of the Aegean region generally suggest
that stretching was accommodated mainly by NE-dipping low-angle normal faults with N to
NE sense of shear (Grasemann et al. 2012). A crustal-scale low-angle normal fault system,
the North Cycladic detachment system (Fig. 2), records a NE-directed normal shear sense

4
which separates the Cycladic Blueschist unit in the footwall from the Upper Cycladic unit in
the hanging wall (Jolivet et al. 2010, Menant et al. 2013). Grasemann et al. (2012) proposed
the existence of another large-scale low-angle normal fault system, the West Cycladic
detachment system (Fig. 2), which is exposed on Kea, Kythnos, and Serifos, strikes over a
length of at least 100 km, and has a possible extension to the SE, where the existence of a
South Cycladic detachment system has been recently postulated. The West Cycladic
detachment system dips toward the SW with top-to-the-SSW kinematics. Two more
detachment systems, the South Cycladic Detachment System (Anafi, Amorgos, Nikouria, Ios,
Sikinos and Thera) with an older top-to-S/SE and a younger top-to-N/NW shear sense and the
central (Naxos and Paros) Cycladic Detachment a top-to-N/NE shear sense have been
recognized in the Cyclades (e.g. Iglseder et al. 2011 and references therein).
New 40Ar/39Ar and U-Th/He thermochronological data suggest that the West Cycladic
detachment system accommodated extension throughout the Miocene (Grasemann et al.
2012). The evolution of the western Cyclades, including Lavrion, can be resolved into a
coherent and uniform tectonic progression involving SSW directed ductile to brittle
extension, localized plutonism, and rapid cooling of the footwall between 9 and 6 Ma. Since
both the North and the West Cycladic detachment systems were active until the late Miocene
but exhibit opposing shear sense, Grasemann et al. (2012) proposed that a large part of the
stretching of the Aegean crust was accommodated by these two bivergent crustal-scale
detachment systems.

GEOLOGY OF THE LAVRION AREA

The Lavrion area consists of HP/LT metamorphic rocks, which are found in two
superposed tectonic units (Kamariza unit also known as Basal unit and Lavrion Blueschist
unit) overlain by non-metamorphic sequences belonging to the Pelagonian zone (Marinos and
Petrascheck 1956, Photiades and Saccani 2006) (Fig. 3-5).
The Basal unit contains two Late Triassic-Early Jurassic age marble units, the Upper and
Lower Marbles (up to 500 m and 150 m thick, respectively), and the so-called Kessariani
schists, which are up to 300 m thick, and contain pods of intercalated marbles and occur
between the Upper and Lower Marbles. These schists are chloritic in nature and were
retrogressed to the greenschist facies. Cipolin marble is the dominant rock type at the base of
Kessariani schists and was referred to as the Subordonns formation by Marinos and
Petrascheck (1956) (Fig. 4).
The Blueschist unit, also known locally as the Lavrion unit (Fig. 5), which locally
contains massive sulfides, consists of high pressure, low temperature metapelite, chlorite
schist (glaucophane), metasandstone, and limestone (locally brecciated) that structurally
overlie the Basal unit (Baltatzis 1996, Baziotis et al. 2009, Seman et al. 2013a). The Basal
and Blueschist units are separated by a major detachment fault that formed during back-arc
extension in the early Miocene (Marinos and Petrascheck 1956, Kessel 1990). Detrital zircon
U-Pb geochronology used to constrain depositional age for the clastic metasediments from
both the footwall and the hanging wall of the detachment fault indicate depositional age to be
Triassic for the Kamariza unit and Late Jurassic to Cretaceous for the Lavrion unit (Seman et
al. 2013a).
Metabasic rocks in the Blueschist unit occur as greenschists and blueschists. Baziotis
and Mposkos (2011) postulate that the geochemical features of the Lavrion metabasites along
with their tectonic relationship indicate that were basic blocks formed in a mlange setting
with two distinct provenances; blueschist's protoliths support the rift-related mildly alkaline

5
basalts case whereas the greenschist's protoliths probably formed as typical N-MORB at an
oceanic spreading center or in an evolved back-arc basin.
The Upper Cycladic unit has limited exposure and consists of Upper Cretaceous micritic
limestone, up to 80 m. The largest outcrop occurs southwest of the Kamariza mining area.
Locally, it is carbonatized and silicified (Skarpelis 2007).
At Lavrion, where the northern trace of the WCDS (Fig. 6) is postulated (e.g.
Grasemann et al. 2012), the dominant structure is a sub-horizontal detachment, which is a
mylonitic zone that juxtaposes lower plate mylonitic to ultramylonitic rocks of the Kamariza
unit against the upper plate Lavrion unit (Seman et al. 2013a). Kinematic indicators reveal
top-to the SSW sense of shear for the detachment, thus linking it kinematically with the
Western Cycladic Detachment System (WCDS).

Fig. 3. (a) Simplified geological map of the Lavrion ore district (modified after Marinos and
Petraschek 1956, Voudouris et al. 2008a, b, Bonsall et al. 2011). Cross-section A-A through
Kamariza deposit in figure 9. Fieldtrip Stops: #1 = Avlaki, #2 = Plaka granodiorite, #3 = Plaka
village, #4 = Thorikos, #5 = Kamariza mining wastes.

6
Fig. 4. Cross-section A-A of the Kamariza deposit (see geological map, figure 3) (modified after Marinos and Petraschek 1956, Voudouris et al. 2008b).

7
Fig. 5. Simplified tectono-stratigraphic scheme of the Lavrion area (after Photiades and Saccani
2006).

The WCDS in Lavrion operated under ductile-to-brittle conditions and marks a

significant change in the structural inventory between upper and lower plate rocks. Along the
detachment fault both units and especially the hanging wall rocks are overprinted by late-
stage cataclastic deformation. Newly acquired titanite, zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He data in
greenschist facies calc-schists from the lower plate Kamariza unit constrains late-stage brittle
deformation on the detachment at 6-9 Ma, similar to data along strike of the WCDS on the
islands of Kea and Serifos. Additionally, the Lavrion Unit record zircon (U-Th)/He ages in
the middle Miocene, (16-12 Ma), similar to ages reported for the island of Kythnos (Seman et
al. 2013a,b). This data suggest the WCDS at Lavrion being composed of two distinct
detachments with two major episodes of exhumation: one active in the middle Miocene (16-
12 Ma) and another in the Late Miocene (6-9 Ma).
At Plaka area, the footwall has been intruded by a Late Miocene granodiorite stock
(granite to granodiorite) with mafic microgranular enclaves of dioritic to monzodioritic
composition (Altherr and Siebel 2002) (Figs. 7 and 8a,b). The granodiorite stock has a
medium-grained, essentially equigranular to porphyritic texture, and consists mainly of
plagioclase, orthoclase, biotite, quartz and hornblende, with accessory apatite, titanite and
zircon.
Undeformed (and deformed) porphyry granodioritic and related dacitic dikes and sills
crosscut both the granodiorite and the metamorphic footwall rocks, striking WNW-ESE to
NE-SW, and are hydrothermally altered and locally mineralized. In addition, deformed
granitoids occur in the form of laccoliths, pipes, dikes and sills along the detachment contact
between the two lithologies or within the hanging wall, indicating that the intrusion of the
magma took place during emplacement of the allocthonous over the autocthonous rocks
during the Middle to Upper Miocene (Papanikolaou and Syskakis 1991, Liati et al. 2007).

8
Fig. 6. Photographs demonstrating regional geology at Lavrion. a, b. The West Cycladic detachment
surface at Avlaki area, separating mylonitic footwall marbles and Kessariani schists from hanging
wall Blueschist Unit composed of cataclastic and brecciated material and metabasite bodies. Oxidized
sulfide ore is syn-deformational (STOP #1); c. Detachment fault, separating Upper marble of the
Basal Unit from hanging wall rocks composed of marbles and schists of the Cycladic Blueschist Unit
(Plaka village); d. Footwall Kessariani schist overlain by the Upper Marble.

Aeromagnetic data of Marinos and Makris (1975) and Tsokas et al. (1998) for the
Lavrion district show the existence of a large batholith at depth in the Plaka area. Field
studies also show that small outcrops of granodiorite are apophyses from the central, large
intrusion.
In addition, eastwest trending mafic (and acid) dikes dip towards the north and crosscut the
lower marble and the Kessariani schists in the Kamariza area (Fig. 4). They are equigranular
rocks consisting of plagioclase and biotite with interstitial quartz. Based on their
mineralogical composition and preliminary geochemical data, they could be classified as
andesites. The dikes are propylitically altered, whereas adjacent to the orebodies they are
pervasively altered to quartzsericitecarbonates and contain disseminated or vein sulfides.
According to Marinos and Petrascheck (1956), the largest dikes outcrop north of Serpieri 1
shaft, between the Serpieri 1, Ilarion 1 shafts, and south of the Ilarion orebody (Fig. 4).
Whole-rock geochemistry and radiometric dating was performed on several granitoid
rocks from both the footwall and hanging in Plaka area, the largest being the Plaka
granodiorite (e.g. Marinos 1971, Altherr et al. 1982, Wagner (in Altherr et al. 1982),
Skarpelis et al. 2008, Liati et al. 2009).

9
Fig. 7. Geological sketch map of the Plaka area (modified after Papanikolaou and Syskakis 1991, Voudouris et al. 2008a). 1: porphyry-type mineralized
granodiorite, 2: skarn-style mineralization, 3: Breccia-style mineralization, 4: skarn-free carbonate replacement mineralization, 5: Filoni 80 vein. #2 =Fieldtrip
stop.

10
Fig. 8. Field photos demonstrating porphyry-style mineralization at Plaka. a. View of granodiorite
Hill close to Plaka village (from E to W); b. Sericitic- and argillic altered granodiorite with iron
oxide staining (STOP #2); c, d. Sugary quartz stockworks and sheeted veins with oxidized
mineralization crosscutting sericitic altered granodiorite.

According to Skarpelis et al. (2008), Bonsall et al. (2011), Berger et al. (2013) and
Voudouris (unpublished data) the granodiorite and dikes from within the Basal Unit and
Blueschist unit at Lavrion area are metaluminous to peraluminous and classified as both I-
and S-type granites.
Altherr et al. (1982) reported a K-Ar age of 8.270.11 Ma for biotite from the Plaka
granodiorite whereas Marinos (1971) obtained an overlapping age of 8.80.5 Ma for a K-Ar
whole rock analysis. A fission track age of 7.3 Ma derived from apatite in the granodiorite
was given by Altherr et al. (1982).
Small, undeformed granodiorite dikes and sills that are common in the Lavrion district
(Fig. 7) yielded U-Pb ages of 9.40.3 Ma and 8.340.2 on zircon (Skarpelis et al. 2008, Liati
et al. 2009), which are consistent with that obtained by Marinos (1971) and Altherr et al.
(1982) on the granitoids. The 9.4 0.3 Ma K-Ar age on feldspar for a hornblende-bearing
porphyritic dike crosscutting hornfelses provides a minimum age for the igneous activity in
Lavrion (Skarpelis et al. 2008). U-Pb ion microprobe dating (SHRIMP) of zircon from an S-
type granitoid sill in the hanging-wall of the detachment fault reveals an age 8.34 0.20 Ma,
interpreted as the crystallization time of the granitoid sills and indicating that the detachement
fault in the Lavrion area was operating until at least 8.3 Ma (Liati et al. 2009).

11
 Liati et al. (2009) also reported that cores of zircons from a granodiorite sill yielded a
slightly older age of 11.930.41 Ma, which they attributed to a previously unrecognized
granulite facies metamorphic event in the Attico-Cycladic belt.

Recent zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronometry from footwall granitoids at Plaka between

7.1 0.6 and 7.9 0.6 Ma indicate that mineralization and rapid cooling of the footwall
through ~180 C occurred at ca. 7.6 Ma (Berger et al. 2013). The ca. 7.6 Ma cooling ages are
consistent with the 9-6 Ma low-temperature cooling ages from footwall complexes on the
adjoining islands of Kea, Kythnos, and Serifos (Grasemann et al. 2012). This suggests that
SW-directed displacement occurred quickly and synchronously along > 100-km strike of the
WCDS. According to Berger et al. (2013) back-arc extension leading to intrusion of I-type
plutons into a primarily carbonate sequence resulted in a tectonic unroofing at 7.6 Ma, by
fluids generated due to the magmatism which produced the necessary conditions for high-
temperature strata-bound Pb-Ag-Zn ore deposits.
An extensive contact metamorphic aureole (calc-silicate hornfels) occurs on the margin
of the Plaka granodiorite intrusion along its contact with the Kessariani schists (Fig. 7, 9a)
(Baltatzis 1981). The hornfels comprises epidote, garnet, clinopyroxene, anorthite, K-
feldspar, plagioclase, chlorite, calcite, quartz, sphene, and apatite. According to Baltatzis
(1981), the estimated pressure of the contact metamorphism reached 1.0 to 1.5 Kb at
temperatures between 440 to 600 C in a H2O-rich fluid at low PCO2.

TYPES OF MINERAL DEPOSITS IN LAVRION

The Lavrion ore district, which covers an area of about 150 km2, is located 50 km
southeast of Athens in Attica (Fig. 3) and is famous for the exploitation of lead-silver-rich ore
during ancient times. The first mines were operated in the district during the prehistoric times
in Kamariza, with most of the intensive period of mining taking place during the Classical
period (6th to 4th century B.C.) (Conophagos 1980). According to ancient writers (e.g.
Aeschylus, Herodotos, Xenophon, Strabo) the Lavrion mines contributed significantly to the
power of ancient Athens. After the decline of Athens, the mines were closed and then were
re-opened in the 19th century. The exploitation of sulfide ores continued until the 1970s when
the mine operations were again shut down. Conophagos (1980) estimated that about 2.3
million tones of Pb and 7800 tones of Ag were extracted.
Several types of mineralization occur in Lavrion district, including porphyry, breccia-
type, skarn, skarn-free carbonate replacement and vein-type ores enriched in lead, zinc, silver
and gold (Voudouris 2005, Voudouris et al. 2008a, b, Bonsall et al. 2011). The extended
oxidation and re-distribution of the elements of the primary ore has resulted in the formation
of an extended supergene ore zone (Marinos and Petrascheck 1956). From mineralogical
point of view, a vast variety of primary and secondary minerals has been reported in Lavrion
and many of them first reported there, such as attikaite, glaucocerinite, ktenasite and
serpierite. More than 430 hypogene and supergene minerals, along with more than 120 found
in the ancient slags, have been recorded (Katerinopoulos and Zissimopoulou 1994, Wendel
and Rieck 1999, Voudouris et al., 2008a, b, Skarpelis and Argyraki 2009, Zaimis 2010).
At least five types of sulfide mineralization have been observed in Lavrion district
(Table 1); porphyry type with molybdenite (Voudouris et al. 2008a), breccia-style base metal
mineralization (Economou and Sideris 1976) and Cu-Fe skarn type mineralization (Marinos
and Petrascheck 1956, Leleu et al. 1973) are spatially associated with the granodiorite around
the Plaka region and is considered by Voudouris et al. (2008a) as an intrusion-related ore
system (Figs. 8-10). The carbonate-replacement Pb-Zn-Ag mineralization is the most

12
economically important in Lavrion district and occurs in the form of stratabound lenses to
bedded replacement (mantos) and chimneys, up to tens of meters in length in Plaka (Fig. 11),
Kamariza, including the Ilarion, Clemence, Jean Baptiste, Serpieri and Christiana deposits, as
well in 3rd kilometer (km3), Esperanza, Sounio, Villia, Avlaki, Megala Pefka and Kiafa
Mariza locations (Figs. 3,4,12) (Voudouris et al. 2008a,b, Bonsall et al. 2011). Vein-style Pb-
Zn-Ag mineralization occurs at several places such as in Sounio and Megala Pefka, but is
more common at Kamariza, whereas the largest vein (>1 km and up to 2 m wide), which is
known as Vein 80, extends from Plaka, crosscutting the contact metamorphic aurole of the
local granodiorite (Fig. 7).

Fig. 9. Photographs demonstrating rock types and skarn-type mineralization at Plaka. a. Hornfels
outcrop (from Kessariani schists); b. Magnetite body within granodiorite (STOP #2); c. Pyrite-rich
veinlets (py) crosscutting garnet-pyroxene bearing skarn; d. Bi-Ag-rich galena (gn) replacing
pyrrhotite (po), skarn style mineralization at Gallery 80 (plain polarized light).

According to Skarpelis (2007), Voudouris et al. (2008a,b), Liati et al. (2009), Bonsall et
al. (2011) and Berger et al. (2013) the ore deposits in Lavrion are both structurally and
lithologically controlled and ore formation occurred under extensional kinematic conditions.
Carbonate-replacement Pb-Ag-Zn massive sulfide ores are both structurally and lithologically
controlled. The latter ore-types are partly conformable and/or partly cross-cutting the
mylonitic foliation plane of marbles of the Basal Unit, along shear bands of the marbles or
along the regional detachment fault (Skarpelis 2007). Their mode of occurrence indicates that
ore deposition by hydrothermal fluids took place mainly during the transitional ductile/brittle
and brittle deformation stage of the host rocks (Skarpelis 2007). According to Bonsall et al.
(2011) and Berger et al. (2013) near the detachment horizon, hydrothermal fluid flow
originating from Miocene intrusions led to high-temperature carbonate strata-bound Pb-Ag-

13
Zn ore deposits. As the rock entered the brittle regime, hydrothermal fluid flow continued,
but was restricted to fractures and dilation breccias, which lead to ore deposition that cross-
cut the pervasive fabric (Berger et al. 2013).

Table1. Summary of geological and mineralogical data for deposits studied in the Lavrion ore district
(from Bonsall et al. 2011).

14
The Plaka intrusion-related system

The Plaka ore system occurs on the margins of the Plaka granodioritic stock, extending over a
distance of about 2.5 km towards the east and about 2 km towards the north-east (Fig. 7). Based
on paragenetic relationships and textural characteristics, five styles of sulfide mineralization
are recognized.

Porphyry style

An intrusion-hosted Mo (W) mineralization, with surface dimensions of about 400x300

2
m , occurs as sheeted quartz veins and stockworks crosscutting the Plaka granodiorite (Figs.
8, 10) (Voudouris et al. 2008a). The quartz veins consist mainly of granular medium-grained
quartz and sericite. The sheeted veins strike generally NW-SE and their thickness reaches 40
cm. The Plaka granodiorite was intensely altered by hydrothermal fluids, producing three
styles of alteration (propylitization, sericitization and silicification). Sericitic alteration is
dominated by sericite but secondary quartz, K-feldspar and albite are also present.
Orthoclase, plagioclase and biotite were altered to sericite, quartz and pyrite. Silicification,
the pervasive replacement of phenocrysts and matrix by quartzsericiteK-feldspar/albite, is
spatially associated with the stockwork quartz veins and veinlets).

Fig. 10. Photos of the porphyry-style ore at Plaka polymetallic deposit. a. Multiple crosscutting quartz
veinlets with pyrite (py) and molybdenite (mlb) crosscutting the quartz-sericite (QS) altered
granodiorite, porphyry style; b. Representative reflected light photomicrographs of the Plaka
molybdenite (Mlb) ore from the quartz stockwork mineralization in the granodiorite (plain polarized
light).

The mineralization consists of pyrite, molybdenite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and minor

scheelite (Figs. 10, Table 1). Part of the primary sulfide mineralization was oxidized mainly
to goethite. Chemical analyses of the ore revealed up to 1200 ppm Mo, 760 ppm W, 101 ppm
Co, 5 ppm As and 3 wt% Fe. Up to 22 ppb Au was also detected.

Skarn style mineralization

Early hornfels formation was followed by the multistage development of a Cu-Fe skarn
deposit around the Plaka granodiorite, which is hosted mainly within the Kessariani schists
and the Lower and Upper Marbles (Leleu et al. 1973, Economou et al. 1981, Voudouris et al.
2008a; Fig. 7). In the skarn style of mineralization (Fig. 9), early magnetite was followed by
pyrrhotite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and Bi-Ag-rich galena (Table 1).

15
Bismuthinite, tetradymite and native bismuth were also described by Leleu et al. (1973).
Magnetite ore is accompanied by pyroxene, garnet, quartz, chlorite, and epidote. Sulfides
within the skarn consist of pyrrhotite and pyrite veinlets crosscutting the magnetite ore.
Magnetite is intergrown with pyrite and marcasite, as a decomposition product of pyrrhotite
(Leleu et al. 1973, Economou et al. 1981, Voudouris et al. 2008a).
The skarn mineralization was formed between 350 o and 550 oC (Leleu et al. 1973,
Economou et al. 1981). According to Bonsall et al. (2011), the skarn-related metallic content
changes with the proximity to the granodiorite. Magnetite and magnetite-hematite are closer
to the granodiorite, in the Upper Marbles, while assemblages of pyrite-pyrrhotite and
sphalerite-pyrite-galena occur in the Kessariani schists, farther away from the granodiorite.

Skarn-free replacement mineralization

Skarn-free carbonate-hosted, base metal-rich, massive sulfide deposits in the Plaka area,
occur mainly in the metasomatized Upper Marble formation, the Kessariani schists, and in
marbles within the blueschist unit (Fig. 11).
The largest occurrences are located in the Plaka-Villia area (Fig. 11). The ore in
underground locations is partly conformable (manto) and partly crosscutting (chimney) with
respect to layering in the host marble.
The mineralization resembles the skarn style, and consists of pyrrhotite followed by
pyrite, sphalerite, galena and chalcopyrite. Magnetite, hematite and marcasite are
decomposition products of pyrrhotite. Calcite is the main gangue mineral. Samples of the
replacement style ore contain as much as 1360 ppm Cu, 967 ppm As, 445 ppm W, and 243
ppm Cd.

Fig. 11. Field photos demonstrating rock types and skarn-free carbonate-replacement mineralization at
Plaka. a. Massive pyrrhotite body within the Upper Marble; b,c. Mylonitized Upper marble with
layer-paraller and layer-crosscuting oxidized sulfide mineralization (STOP #3); d. Massive pyrite
(py), sphalerite (sp) and galena (gn) replacing marble (mbl), replacement-style at Villia area.

16
The Kamariza carbonate-replacement Pb-Zn-AgAu mineralization

The carbonate-replacement and vein deposits of Pb-Zn-AgAu ore in Kamariza were

the most economically significant in the district, being dominated by pyrite, sphalerite,
chalcopyrite and galena (Fig. 12).
Regarding the formation, the paragenetic sequence and the primary sulfide assemblages
of the replacement veins/chimneys and the stratabound massive sulfide bodies (mantos ores)
are similar, indicating that they formed contemporaneously, with the veins being considered
as fluid pathways and feeder zones for the stratabound mineralization.
Alteration around the orebodies consists of hydrothermal dolomite, calcite, siderite,
ankerite and quartzsericite. Quartz, fluorite, calcite and sericite are the gangue minerals
(Voudouris et al. 2008b).

Fig. 12. Photographs of the different styles of ore and rocks in the Kamariza area. a. Garnet-magnetite
skarn at the interface between Lower Marble (Mlb) and two-mica granitoid (Dyke) crosscut by
pyrrhotite veinlets; b. Veinlets with arsenopyrite (Apy) crosscutting a quartz-sericite altered porphyry
dike (QS), Ilarion deposit; c. Massive carbonate-replacement galena ore within the Lower Marble
(Mlb), Clemence mine (Kamariza area); d. massive sulfide galena (Gn), sphalerite (Sp) and pyrite
(Py) ore with calcite replacing Lower marble (mbl), Serpieri deposit.

Ore minerals in the Kamariza area (Fig. 12) consist mainly of sulfides and
sulfoarsenides (pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphalerite, gersdorffite, marcasite),
native metals (Au and Bi), Sn-In-bearing sulfides (petrukite), sulfosalts and sulfbismuthines
of Ag, Bi, Cu, Pb, As and Sb (tetrahedrite-group minerals, bournonite, boulangerite,
stephanite, pyrargyrite, semseyte, enargite, bismuthinite, lillianite homologues, Cu-matildite,
aikinite, Ag-aikinite, mummeite, emplectite, wittichenite). In the Cu-rich ores the dominant

17
Ag-bearing phases are those of Ag-tetrahedrite and sulfbismuthites of Bi, while Ag and Sb in
Bi-poor galena is associated with sub-microscopic inclusions of pyrargyrite, stephanite,
ramdohrite and Ag-tetrahedrite.

Lavrion supergene minerals

Finally, according to Wendel et al. (1999), Katerinopoulos and Zisimopoulou (1994),

Voudouris et al. (2007), Voudouris et al. (2008) and Zaimis (2010), 432 ore and gangue
minerals have been reported in Lavrion, as well as 124 slag minerals.
The polymetallic sulfide mineralization of Lavrion was subjected to supergene oxidation
(involving downward-penetrating water, oxidation of hypogene sulfides, partial mobilization
of elements and their re-precipitation in open spaces developed by interaction of acidic water
with marble), forming gossan, which resulted in the release of major and trace elements from
the original sulfides. The dominant constitutes of gossan are the secondary minerals goethite,
hematite, cerussite, anglesite, jarosite, smithsonite, hemimorphite, hydrozincite,
plumbojarosite, adamite, azurite, malachite, annabergite, gypsum, scorodite, covellite,
beudantite, olivenite, hetaerolite, hydrohetaerolite, Mg-calcite, aragonite, ankerite, ktenasite,
cyanotrichite, chalcanthite, brochanthite, chrysocolla, cuprite, and beudantite. Minerals
formed at the surface are known as efflorescent salts (e.g. halotrichite, copiapite, hexahydrite,
chalcanthite, ferricopiapite, melanterite, rosenite, fibroferrite) and are formed at the expense
of pyrrhotite and pyrite (Skarpelis and Argyraki, 2009). Moreover, another group of minerals
found in Lavrion are the so-called slag minerals which are formed in sites where
metallurgical wastes occur and represent the products of recent re-distribution of metals and
subsequent precipitation in the form of oxides, hydroxides or salts.

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