THE AGE OF THE MAGMATIC EVENTS AND EPITHERMAL AU-AG-BASE METALS MINERALIZATION IN THE CENTRAL ZONE OF THE BANSKA STIAVNICA STRATOVOLCANO - K AR DATA/

The age of sericite from the epithermal Au-Ag-base metal mineralizatio n of the Banska Stiavnica deposit was determined for the first time by the low-blank K/Ar method. Typical magmatic rocks of the central part of the Banska Stiavnica stratovolcano, which are associated with the ore mineralization were dated. The K/Ar ages of the older (II and III) and final (V) magmatic stages (granodiorite porphyry, quartz-diorite porphyry, biotite-amphibole andesite, rhyolite, perlite) lay in the na rrow interval of values from 12.7 +/- 0.4 to 11.4 +/- 1.2 Ma The age o f the hydrothermal sericite according to isochron calculation is equal to 12.1 + 0.2 Ma. These age values overlap if we take into account th e analytical error margins. The proximity in age of all the magmatic e vents does not allow us to make age correlations of ore mineralization with specific magmatic complexes and formations. The time interval of the rock and Au-Ag-base metal mineralization formation in the central part of the Banska Stiavnica stratovolcano does not exceed 1-2 Ma and is similar to the time intervals for other comparable epithermal stru ctures in the world, for example, Emperor (Tavua Caldera, Fiji), Sleep er (U.S.A) and others.