Lithology, mineralogy and geochemical characterizations of sediment-hosted Sr–F deposits in the eastern Neo-Tethyan region – With special reference to evaporation and halokinesis in Tunisia

• Halokinetic processes and sediment-hosted fluorite-strontium concentration.
• Transition epigenetic carbonate-hosted MVT and syndiagenetic evaporite deposits.
• Mixing of Mesozoic and Cenozoic brines during the Oligo-Miocene.
• Basinal Mesozoic brines delivered Pb, Zn, Cd, REE, Y, Hg, Se.
• Cenozoic salinas delivered Sr, Cs, Be, Li, Cu, Co.

The Neo-Tethyan basin is known for its sediment-hosted Sr deposits in Spain, Turkey, Cyprus, and the Gulf Region. Sediment-hosted Sr–F deposits with base metals formed in the rim sinks and on top of salt domes resulting from halokinesis of Triassic evaporites near the southern edge of the Mediterranean Sea in Tunisia. These evaporites delivered part of the elements, created a basin-and-swell topography and provided the local and regional unconformities to which many of the mineral deposits are related. Five mineralizing processes, each with characteristic sedimentary ore textures, are related to this subsurface salt movement: (1 + 2) Early- and late-stage replacement (“zebra rocks”), (3) hydraulic fracturing (“fitting breccia” sensu Dill and Weber, 2010b), (4) remobilization (“spinifex structures”), and (5) open-space filling (“caves and vein-like deposits”). Basinal brines from Mesozoic aquifers delivered Pb, Zn, Cd, REE, Y, Hg, and Se, while Sr, Cs, Be, Li, Cu and Co have been derived from Cenozoic salinas of the Neo-Tethyan basin. Mixing of Mesozoic and Cenozoic brines between 28 and 19 Ma provoked the emplacement of Sr–F mineralization at temperatures below 200 °C under strong alkaline conditions. Epigenetic polyphase Sr–F deposits bearing base-metals which are closely related to salt domes (Tunisian-Type) may be traced into epigenetic monophase Sr deposits within bioherms (Cyprus-Type) devoid of Pb, Zn and F. Moving eastward, syndiagenetic monophase Sr deposits in biostromes (Gulf-Type) herald the beginning of Sr concentration in Miocene sabkhas of the Neo-Tethys. The current results are based upon field-related sediment petrography and on mineralogical studies, which were supplemented by chemical studies. The present studies bridge the gap between epigenetic carbonate-hosted MVT and syndiagenetic evaporite deposits, both of which developed during the same time span (Neogene) and were hosted by the same environment (near-shore marine marginal facies of the Neo-Tethys basin).