Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Simplified tectonic map of central part of Albania (Hoxha, 2001). B: Distribution of ophiolites along of the Balkan Peninsula (after Bortolotti et al., 1996).

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Geological map of the Prrjenas intramontane basin (from the Geological Map of Albania 1:200,000). Noticeable that the chain of Ni-laterite deposits follows always the boundary of serpentinite and the cover Cretaceous limestone.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Panoramic view of the Prrenjas intramontane basin with indication of the position of the village, the mines and the typical lithologies of the major chines.

Synoptic profiles of major types of the Ni-laterite deposits of the Balkan Peninsula. Compiled according to: Ivanov, 1960; Augusthitis (1962); Arkaxhiu and Kici (1990); Skarpelis et al., 1996; Skarpelis, 1997; Eliopoulos and Economou-Eliopoulos, 2000; Peci and Grazhdani, 2001 and field observations of ID in 2004. (a)-(d): deposits of Cretaceous age. The first column (a) represents the most typical profile; the laterite deposited more-or-less autochtonously on the weathered ultrabsic rock. (b): The lateritic material was redeposited and covers slightly- or unwathered ultrabasite. (c) & (d): The lateritic material was resedimented on Mesozoic limestone. (e): the footwall and henging wall of the deposit is bordered by faults, the stratigraphic age of the cover sequenci is unknown. (f): Paleogene cover with alternating deposition of lateritic and siliciclastic material. (g): Deposits in the Miocene sequences.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Major stages of post-sedimentary overprint of the laterite deposits of the Balkan Peninsula and the Greek archipelago.

no detectableoverprint

(e .g .P rre n jas)

w eak, d iageneticoverprint

(e .g . B itin c ka )

low -gradem etam orphism

(e .g . E dessa )

m edium -h igh-gradem etam orphism

(e .g . S am os)

nontronite and c lay m ine rals,high porosity,loose structu re

garn ierite & other N i-hyd ro-s ilica tes, ve ins, com paction

N i-alka li am phibo le,stilpnom elane , ep idote, reaction rim s on C r-spinell

N i-silicates, N i-tou rm a line, corund,stau ro lite,gahn ite

Diagenetic-m etamorphic overprint

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Geological setting of laterite ore deposits of the Edessa are, Greece a: Messimeri; b: Vrita; c: Flamuria (from Michaildis, 1990). These profiles show how different are the stratigraphic successions even within a small area further these profiles are representing well the characteristic tilting and thrusting.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

The base of the Bitincka laterite layer shows a complex geometry, partly due to the deposition on the irregular surface of the serpentinite, but a young faulting has also some role.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

The immediate cover sequence in Bitincka.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Ni-silicate veins in the Ni-laterite.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Serpentinite pebbles and clasts in protolaterite – Kurbneshi, northern Albania.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Limestone fragments in Ni-laterite – Katjeli.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Ni-laterite mines and dumps are throning above the settlements.

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

Microscopic reflected light image of a weathered chromite grain (gray) which is replaced along cracks by hematite (white). Width of picture is ca. 270 µm (from Augustithis, 1962).

Ni-laterites, Ni in soils in east Albania

from Michailidis et al. (1985)