Mežica
Northern Karavanke, Drau Range (Eastern Alps), Slovenia
Mississippi Valley TypePb-Zn
- Type
- Pb-Zn hosted in Triassic carbonates (Bleiberg type)
District of more than 350 concordant and discordant orebodies over 64 km², in Middle to Upper Triassic platform carbonates. Sulfide sulfur entirely negative, mainly from bacterial reduction of Triassic seawater or evaporitic sulfate, with a minor thermochemical reduction contribution; δ34S pyrite < sphalerite < galena, in disequilibrium. Successive sphalerite generations become lighter. Indicative coordinates.
δ34S in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-CDT
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −10.4 ± 5.8 ‰ | −23.2 / −1.4 ‰ | 49 | galena Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 49 analyses, Table 2. The article text states n = 53. Published means: -7.0 ‰ for discordant orebodies, -11.7 ‰ for concordant ones. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −13.4 ± 5.8 ‰ | −24.6 / −5.2 ‰ | 31 | sphalerite I (fine-grained) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 31 analyses, Table 2. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −14.7 ± 4.1 ‰ | −24.7 / −8.2 ‰ | 18 | sphalerite II (open-space filling) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 18 analyses, Table 2. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −12.7 ± 4.7 ‰ | −22.2 / −1.5 ‰ | 22 | sphalerite III to V (late generations) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 22 analyses, Table 2. The late, scarce generation V is the least negative (-12.3 to -1.5 ‰). | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −17.1 ± 2.3 ‰ | −20 / −12.4 ‰ | 10 | marcasite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 10 analyses, Table 2. The article text states n = 9. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −21.3 ± 6.4 ‰ | −29 / −15.4 ‰ | 5 | pyrite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 5 analyses, Table 2. The article text states n = 4. The two Helena mine values (-27.3 and -29.0 ‰) are the lowest of the deposit. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −11.5 ± 5.9 ‰ | −19.2 / −2.3 ‰ | 6 | greenockite (yellow coatings in oxidised ore) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 6 analyses, Table 2. The article text states n = 4. Product of hypogene oxidation of sphalerite according to the authors. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −17.4 ± 1.6 ‰ | −19.5 / −16.1 ‰ | 4 | gypsum (late oxidation product) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 analyses, Table 2. Within the range of the sulfides it derives from. | Herlec et al. (2010), Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at th… |
| −16.9 ± 3.2 ‰ | −21.13 / −11.55 ‰ | 10 | sphalerite (Graben and Luskačevo, all generations) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 10 samples, Table 1. Microdrilled or handpicked samples, sphalerite generations identified by cathodoluminescence. In one Luskačevo specimen: sphalerite -11.6 and -14.4 ‰, pyrite -20.2 ‰, galena -18.5 ‰. | Kuhlemann et al. (2001), Variations of sulfur isotopes, trace element compositions, and c… |
| −17.8 ± 5.2 ‰ | −21.9 / −7.94 ‰ | 6 | galena (Luskačevo, Rischberg, Kotlje, Moreing, Graben) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 6 samples, Table 1. | Kuhlemann et al. (2001), Variations of sulfur isotopes, trace element compositions, and c… |
| −20.4 ± 1.4 ‰ | −22.37 / −18.92 ‰ | 4 | iron sulfides (pyrite and marcasite) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 4 samples, Table 1. The lightest: δ34S increasing from FeS2 to PbS then ZnS, in disequilibrium. | Kuhlemann et al. (2001), Variations of sulfur isotopes, trace element compositions, and c… |
| 14.7 ± 3.6 ‰ | 12.18 / 17.26 ‰ | 2 | barite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 2 samples, Table 1. Close to Late Triassic seawater sulfate. | Kuhlemann et al. (2001), Variations of sulfur isotopes, trace element compositions, and c… |
Deposits of the same type
- Obir district (Hochobir) Austria
- Windisch Bleiberg Austria
- Bleiberg (Bleiberg-Kreuth) Austria
- Rhenish and Alpine MVT deposits (Bleiberg, Mechernich) Germany/Austria
- Radnig Austria
- Jauken Austria
- Píla (Ján Nepomuk) Slovakia
- Poniky (Drienok) Slovakia
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Mežica, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/mezica/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026mezicaisotopesignatures,
title = {Mežica, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/mezica/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13