Mineral Chemistry of Low-Temperature Phyllosilicates in Early Paleozoic Metaclastic Rocks, Eastern Tauride Belt, Türkiye
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
Dear Editor, Thank you for sending the manuscript. It's an interesting topic. The authors made an attempt to investigate Low-Temperature Phyllosilicate Mineral Chemistry. However, several issues must be addressed before this article may be published. The most important points are highlighted in this section.
1. Since this type of research has been done before. But what makes their study unique, or how is it distinct from previous published articles in which they used the same techniques? This aspect should be addressed by the authors in the Introduction section before the aims of their study.
2. Please review the small grammatical errors.
3. The temperature is assumed in Figure 14. How certain are you that this is the correct temperature?
Author Response
Reviewer 1
Dear Editor, Thank you for sending the manuscript. It's an interesting topic. The authors made an attempt to investigate Low-Temperature Phyllosilicate Mineral Chemistry. However, several issues must be addressed before this article may be published. The most important points are highlighted in this section.
- Since this type of research has been done before. But what makes their study unique, or how is it distinct from previous published articles in which they used the same techniques? This aspect should be addressed by the authors in the Introduction section before the aims of their study.
Response 1: While the studies of diagenesis and very low-grade metamorphism of Paleozoic sedimentary sequences in literature mostly covers textural/petrographical and mineralogical data, this study is important in terms of using phyllosilicate mineral chemistry as an important tool with combination of the mineralogical-petrographical data. The statement that the studied unit has a wide maturation from diagenesis to epimetamorphism has been added to the introduction section.
- Please review the small grammatical errors.
Response 2: The manuscript checked by grammatically.
- The temperature is assumed in Figure 14. How certain are you that this is the correct temperature?
Response 3: The lower and upper temperature values of the anchizone grade determined according to the Kübler index data in Figure 14 are based on the data suggested by the experts on this subject, assuming 200 and 300 °C, respectively. As can be seen in the studies given in the figure caption, the relevant temperature assumptions were also confirmed by index mineral associations, fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures and organic maturation (vitrinite reflection) data.
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear Authors,
I thoroughly read your manuscript "Mineral Chemistry of Low-Temperature Phyllosilicates in Early Paleozoic Metaclastic Rocks, Eastern Tauride Belt,
Türkiye". The paper presents mainly the geochemistry of chlorites and illites/micas as a function of stratigraphic depth, textures of sedimentary
rocks, and temperature conditions. This makes an impressive case in favour of the previously derived relationship between pyllosilicate chemistry
and diagenetic/metamorphic grade (Bozkaya et al., 2002). The paper includes Introduction which briefly discusses the problems of diagenetic to very low-grade metamorphic phyllosilicates, Geological Setting section which contains summary of stratigraphy and lithology of the studied area, Method section which describes the details of laboratory analyses. The next two sections are dedicated to the obtained results and their discussion.
Overall, the manuscript is well written and designed. It uses up-to-date methods. The main research ideas are clearly stated. In my opinion, the paper under review is suitable for publication in Minerals.
Some comments and questions.
(1) I have a doubt: is it possible to use the term "detrital" for the newly formed chlorites included in chlorite-mica stacks (CMS) due to detrital
biotite alteration ? This leads to confusion and appearance of phrases like "detrital (metamorphic)" or speculation on "detrital origin" when it
discusses the metamorphic/diagenetic one.
(2) What is the reason for the difference between "detrital" and "neoformed" chlorite temperatures ? Is this difference significant because it seems that these chlorites arose at the same time ?
Best wishes.
Author Response
Reviewer 2
I thoroughly read your manuscript "Mineral Chemistry of Low-Temperature Phyllosilicates in Early Paleozoic Metaclastic Rocks, Eastern Tauride Belt, Türkiye". The paper presents mainly the geochemistry of chlorites and illites/micas as a function of stratigraphic depth, textures of sedimentary rocks, and temperature conditions. This makes an impressive case in favour of the previously derived relationship between pyllosilicate chemistry and diagenetic/metamorphic grade (Bozkaya et al., 2002). The paper includes Introduction which briefly discusses the problems of diagenetic to very low-grade metamorphic phyllosilicates, Geological Setting section which contains summary of stratigraphy and lithology of the studied area, Method section which describes the details of laboratory analyses. The next two sections are dedicated to the obtained results and their discussion. Overall, the manuscript is well written and designed. It uses up-to-date methods. The main research ideas are clearly stated. In my opinion, the paper under review is suitable for publication in Minerals.
Thank you.
Some comments and questions.
(1) I have a doubt: is it possible to use the term "detrital" for the newly formed chlorites included in chlorite-mica stacks (CMS) due to detrital biotite alteration ? This leads to confusion and appearance of phrases like "detrital (metamorphic)" or speculation on "detrital origin" when it discusses the metamorphic/diagenetic one.
Response 1: The detrital term for chlorite was used to chlorite-mica stacks (CMS) inherited from coarse grained detrital biotites. Since, they represent mostly detrital nature and transformation from biotite to chlorite during diagenesis/metamorphism as well. When the chlorites were developed within the CMS during diagenesis from diagenetic fluids, it should be defined as neoformed chlorite that represents the direct diagenetic/metamorphic conditions.
(2) What is the reason for the difference between "detrital" and "neoformed" chlorite temperatures ? Is this difference significant because it seems that these chlorites arose at the same time ?
Best wishes.
Response 2: Thank you. The one of the goals of this study is decipher the nature or differences of detrital and authigenic/neoformed phyllosilicates. The different temperature data for detrital (higher temperature) and neoformed (lower temperature) chlorites is mentioned in discussion section.
