Metallogeny of the Tethyan Orogenic Belt: From Mesozoic Magmatic Arcs to Cenozoic Back-Arc and Postcollisional Settings in Southeast Europe, Anatolia, and the Lesser Caucasus: An Introduction

This special issue provides a snapshot of the state of recent research projects and implications on mineral exploration of a short segment of the Tethyan orogenic belt, which is limited to southeast Europe, Anatolia and the Lesser Caucasus, and its Mesozoic and Cenozoic environments. The collection of papers included in this special issue covers a geological evolution ranging from Mesozoic arc construction and arc maturation associated with subduction-related magmatism to Cenozoic back-arc and postcollisional magmatism and tectonics. The predominant ore deposit types that were formed during this geodynamic and metallogenic evolution consist mostly of porphyry-epithermal systems, and associated skarn and carbonate replacement deposits. Copper and gold are the dominant commodities, accompanied by base metals, i.e., Pb and Zn, and other valuable by-products, such as Mo and Re