Guides

Miodrag Banješević
University of Belgrade, Technical Faculty in Bor, Serbia

Kristina Šarić, Vladica Cvetković
University of Belgrade, Faculty of Mining and Geology, Department of Petrology and Geochemistry, Serbia

Stoyan Georgiev
Department of Geochemistry and Petrology, Geological Institute, Bulgarian Aacdemy of Sciences

Kalin Kouzmanov
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland

The Apuseni–Banat–Timok–Srednogorie (ABTS) belt is Europe’s most extensive belt of calc-alkaline magmatism and Cu–Au mineralization. It was generated during the subduction of the Neotethys Ocean beneath the European continental margin during the Late Cretaceous phase of the Alpine–Himalayan orogeny. Economic deposits are restricted to certain segments along the belt, and this field trip will focus on two major ore districts – in the Timok region (Eastern Serbia) and the Central Srednogorie, Bulgaria (also called Panagyurishte). Geology and specific petrological and geochemical features of the ore-related Late Cretaceous magmatism in the less-mineralized western and eastern parts of the Srednogorie Zone in Bulgaria will be covered as well.

During the excursion, which will be organized as a field workshop, we will encourage the participants to share their expertise and discuss the major processes controlling ore formation, based on the transects through the Late Cretaceous magmatic successions in the Timok region, the northern part of the Central Srednogorie, and in part of the Eastern Srednogorie. Visits to the open pits of the porphyry Cu-(Au-Mo) deposits of Veliki Krivelj (Serbia) and Elatsite (Bulgaria), as well as to the epithermal Au-Cu deposits Čukaru Peki and Chelopech, are planned. However, due to the Covid pandemic, they will be mainly restricted to access to drill cores and to safe parts of the deposits in open air and in field outcrops.

The field trip/workshop is organized with the logistic support of ZiJin Mining Company, Dundee Precious Metal (DPM), Serbia and Bulgaria, and GEOTECHMIN-Elatzite Med AD providing access to their production sites and exploration areas and introduction to the geology of the latter.
 

Starts in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the 1st of September at 8.00 h; ends in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on the 6th of September, at 18.00 h.

Minimum participants: 10; Maximum participants: 20

Price: 600 € (includes travel costs, accommodation BB and lunch pack)

Contact: Miodrag Banješević (miodrag.banjesevic@gmail.com), Stoyan Georgiev (kantega@abv.bg)

Guides

Rossitsa Vassileva
Department of Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Science

Stoyan Georgiev
Department of Geochemistry and Petrology, Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Science

Vasilios Melfos
School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Grigoris Sakellaris
School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Itinerary: Plovdiv – Laki (11.09) – Madan – Krumovgrad (12.09.) – Ada Tepe region – Komotini (13.09.) – Perama Hill – Maronia (14.09.) – Kavala (15.09.) – Sofia (16.09.)

Exhumation of metamorphic core complexes during extension, triggered by detachment faulting, can provide a favorable environment for ore formation. In northern Greece and southern Bulgaria, in the Rhodope-Serbo-Macedonian massif, the final stage of the Cenozoic orogenic collapse led to the formation of widespread Oligocene–Miocene silicic to intermediate magmatism. It gave rise to a broad variety of styles of hydrothermal mineralization, which include polymetallic vein and skarn-hosted deposits (Laki and Madan, Thermes, Olympias-Stratoni Chalkidiki), intrusion-related gold and Mo-W (Kavala, Pangeon, Kimmeria), intermediate- to high-sulfidation epithermal gold (Spachievo, Zvezdel-Pcheloyad, Madzharovo and Perama Hill in the Eastern Rhodopes), detachment-related sedimentary rock-hosted gold at Ada Tepe (Kesebir-Kardamos dome), and porphyry Cu-Au(-Mo) (Skouries, Maronia, Sapes).

The present field trip focuses on a six-day visit to some of the most interesting deposits in the Bulgarian and Greek part of the Rhodopes (Laki and Madan, Ada Tepe, Perama Hill, Maronia, and Kavala region). Field stops will demonstrate the geological setting and relation to tectonic zones, as well as the main characteristics of the magmatism. The excursion will be organized as a field workshop, as we would like to encourage the participants to share their expertise and discuss the major processes controlling ore formation, based on the transects through the Cenozoic magmatic successions.
 

Starts in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on the 11th of September at 8.00 h; ends in Sofia, Bulgaria, on the 16th of September at 19.00 h

Minimum participants: 10; Maximum participants: 20

Price: 600 € (includes travel costs, accommodation BB and lunch pack)

Contact: Rossitsa Vassileva (rosivas@geology.bas.bg), Vasilios Melfos (melfosv@geo.auth.gr)

Guide

Michael R. Sandy
Professor Emeritus of Geology & Environmental Geology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio, USA

This is a “classroom/laboratory” field trip. Fossiliferous sediment from the Pliocene-Pleistocene of North Carolina, USA will be investigated by participants. Preparation of the sediment for study includes separating the clay fraction from the abundant fossils (typically <1 cm) and fossil fragments to be collected and identified.

This is a popular activity that can be incorporated in the curriculum of life sciences, earth sciences, and mathematics among others. This activity can be adapted and used with many different audiences from young children to undergraduates, and teacher workshops. It creates an atmosphere of discovery and excitement – mirroring to an extent the sensations encountered when fossil hunting in the “great outdoors”.

Each educator attending will be provided with enough sedimentary material for them to use the activity in one of their classes.

The fossiliferous sediment is from waste at the Aurora Mine, North Carolina, after processing for phosphate. The mine is claimed to be largest integrated phosphate mining and chemical plant in the world.
 

Duration: 60 min.

Maximum number of participants: 20.