The mineral diversity of the Urdini Lakes and the glacial valley of the Urdina River (Rila Mountain) – an overview

Pages: 
pp. 15-22
National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
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.

Keywords: 

mineral diversity, pegmatites, Rila Mountain, Bulgaria

DOI: 
10.52321/GeolBalc.50.3.15

VOLUME 50 (3)/December 2021

Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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University of Mining and Geology “St Ivan Rilski”, 1700 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria
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National Museum of Natural History, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 1 Tsar Osvoboditel Blvd, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria

Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Sts Cyril and Methodius University, 5 Arhimedova, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
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Geological Survey of Slovenia, 14 Dimičeva, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Sts Cyril and Methodius University, 5 Arhimedova, 1000 Skopje, North Macedonia
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INCDO-INOE 2000 Research Institute for Analytical Instrumentation (ICIA), Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bontchev Str., Bl. 11, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria
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Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria

Geological Institute, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. G. Bonchev Str., Bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria