Mineral diversity of the Urdini Lakes and the glacial valley of the Urdina River (Rila Mountain)

[Marco E. Ciriotti]

Referenza:
▪ Petrussenko, S. & Karov, C. (2021): The mineral diversity of the Urdini Lakes and the glacial valley of the Urdina River (Rila Mountain) – an overview. Geologica Balcanica, 50, 15-22.

Abstract:
An overview of different types of mineralization in the area of the Urdini Lakes and the glacial valley of the Urdina River (northwestern Rila Mountain) has been made. Currently, it is the only protected area for minerals in Bulgaria. In this area, mainly pegmatite, but also skarn and alpine-type mineralizations, have been found to date. Of particular interest are the hybrid desilicified type pegmatites containing emerald, aquamarine and chrysoberyl crystals and the extremely rare native aluminum. The skarn mineralizations from this area are characterized by wollastonite, diopside, garnet (grossular, andradite), zoisite, clinozoisite, scapolite, vesuvianite and others. In the alpine-type mineralizations, well-formed crystals of quartz, adular, epidote and pyrite, as well as nests of almandine with albite, were observed as recrystallization of the minerals previously formed in the cavities of the host rocks. These cavities may also occasionally contain zeolites.