A geological and mineralogical review of clay mineral deposits and phyllosilicate ore guides in Central Europe - A function of geodynamics and climate change

摘要

The Central European Variscides and their epicontinental basins and grabens (Mesoeurope sensu Stille) subsided into the uplifted basement as well as the Alpidic Orogens, encompassing the Alpine Mts. Range, the Dinarides, the Northern Carpathians and the depressions in between (Neoeurope) are rife with a great variety of clay mineral assemblages. In many places the clay mineral deposits reach economic grade and several phyllosilicates can be used as an ore guide to non-clay mineral deposits. Time, climate and the geodynamic setting are the decisive parameters for the clay mineral accumulation. Time constitutes the x-axis for the plots illustrating the global climate change and the regional geodynamic crustal variation. It is also some kind of a yardstick to measure the preservation potential and the stability of phyllosilicates. The geological time scale is equivalent to a depth of a drill hole which penetrates different geological units characterized by various zones of post-depositional alteration. As such the geological age of formation is synonymous with an increase of the P-T regime where important boundaries concerning the micaceous phyllosilicates, kaolinite-, smectite-group minerals and the composition of glauconite are observed.