The Kupferschiefer Cu–Ag ore deposits in Poland: a re-appraisal of the evidence of their origin and presentation of a new genetic model
The Kupferschiefer stratiform copper deposits in central Europe have long been considered a classic example of syngenetic mineralization. However, metal zoning and host-rock relationships determined during exploration around the recently discovered Lubin district orebodies in southwest Poland suggest that the ore may instead be late diagenetic. The mineralization occurs as thin, extensive blankets of sulphides in the pyritic, organic-rich basal units of the Late Permian Zechstein restricted marine sequence and in the eolian Weissliegendes sandstone at the top of the Early Permian Rotliegendes continental rift sequence of bimodal volcanic rocks and redbeds. It is directly underlain and controlled by irregular, oval zones of Rote Faule (RF), a barren oxidized and reddened portion of the normally dark grey, pyritic basal Zechstein rocks. In plan view, the metals occur as successive belts enriched in copper (+ silver), lead, and zinc, which developed laterally from and encircle the RF zones. The ore transgres...