Mercury Anomaly in Oligocene–Miocene Maykop Group Sediments (Caucasus Continental Collision Zone): Mercury Hosts, Distribution, and Sources
Journal: Minerals
Year: 2021

The Oligocene–Miocene Maykop Group sediments, mainly composed of illite–smectite, store mercury in strongly variable concentrations from 10 to 920 μg/kg. Extremely high Hg levels (98–920 μg/kg) coupled with abnormal mercury-to-total organic carbon (TOC) ratios (Hg/TOC = 109 to 3000 μg/kg/wt%; TOC = 0.2 wt% to 1.2 wt%) were measured in the Middle Maykop marine shales that were deposited in the deepwater Indol–Kuban Basin under anoxic conditions. The Middle Maykop shales contain up to 70% of total