The Nature of the Protolith of the Quartz—Carbonate—Dickite Metasomatites from the Bodrak and Alma Rivers Watershed and from the Trudolyubovka Area (Southwestern Crimea)

Abstract

At least two outcrops of igneous rocks have been reported from the watershed of the Bodrak and Alma Rivers (southwestern Crimea). Previous studies suggested that these outcrops are composed of pre-Middle Jurassic intermediate and acidic tuffs and lavas. We compared the rocks from one of these outcrops with those from the near-contact area of the Middle Jurassic Dzhidair intrusion, which is exposed proximally, near the Trudolyubovka village. The Dzhidair intrusion is mostly composed of altered dolerites. We show that the rocks from both locations were significantly altered to quartz—carbonate—dickite metasomatites due to acidic metasomatism. The pattern of alterations and the appearance of the least altered samples of dolerites are similar across both locations.