Geochemistry of beach sands from Kavala, Northern Greece

Argyrios Papadopoulos (1), Antonios Koroneos (1), Georgios Christofides (1) & Lambrini Papadopoulou (1)
(1) Department of Mineralogy, Petrology, Economic Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

Thirty seven beach sand samples from the shoreline close to Kavala pluton were analyzed for REE and major element contents. Results are compared with the adjacent plutonic rock-types, in order to determine any enrichments or depletions. Among the samples, several are significantly enriched in REE, being seasonal deposits of heavy minerals and their concentrations are controlled by the action of sea-waves and local winds. The available geochemical characteristics were also used to confirm the parent rocks of the beach sands, which were the rock-types of the Kavala pluton. The heavy fractions (total, total magnetic and total non-magnetic) of the beach sands are moderately correlated with the REE concentrations. Among the minerals of the heavy non-magnetic fraction, allanite seems to control the REE content in the heavy mineral-enriched samples.

beach sands, heavy minerals, REE, provenance, Kavala pluton.