-
Date submitted2021-04-15
-
Date accepted2022-09-06
-
Date published2023-10-27
Gold-rare metal and associated mineralization in the western part of Bolshevik Island, Severnaya Zemlya archipelago
The presented studies are aimed to determine the formation patterns of the gold-rare metal mineralization within one of the most inaccessible Arctic islands of the Russian Federation, Bolshevik Island of the Severnaya Zemlya archipela-go. The relevance of the work is determined by the high probability of discovering a significant in terms of metal reserves deposit, which is proved by many researchers on the example of known large deposits to be a typical feature of sites with gold-rare metal formation. Obviously, only the possibility of discovering and subsequent development of a deposit of a highly liquid type of mineral, gold, can ensure the profitability of mining production on Severnaya Zemlya. It is established that the main geological, mineralogical, and geochemical features of the gold-rare metal mineralization in the Kropotkinsko-Nikitinskaya metallogenic zone of Bolshevik Island correspond to that of similar ore sites in Russia and the world. The occurrences of other formation types revealed in this metallogenic zone suggest a certain zoning in their distribution: mineralization is located in the apical parts of granitoids and in the nearest halo of hornfelses. At a distance, with an exit from the hornfelsed zone, there are occurrences of a cassiterite-sulphide formation with elevated gold and silver content at the top of the ore column, together with an increased amount of polymetallic ores. Occurrences of gold-quartz and gold-sulphide-quartz formations are localized in fault zones, as a rule, farther from granitoids. The total vertical range of gold mineralization exceeds 300 m. The assignment of all types of mineralization in the Kropotkinsko-Nikitinskaya metallogenic zone of Bolshevik Island to a single hydrothermal process is emphasized by the similar isotope composition of lead galena from heterogeneous occurrences, which determines the age of all mineralization at 200-300 Ma.
-
Date submitted2021-04-04
-
Date accepted2022-04-26
-
Date published2022-07-26
Vendian age of igneous rocks of the Chamberlain valley area (Northern part of the Wedel Jarlsberg Land, Svalbard Archipelago)
The geological structure, structural relations with the underlying complexes, mineral composition, age and origin of sedimentary-volcanogenic and intrusive formations of the Chamberlain valley area (northern part of the Wedel Jarlsberg Land, Svalbard Archipelago) are considered. As a result of the studies, two stages of the Late Precambrian endogenous activity in this area have been identified. For the first time the Vendian ages (593-559 Ma) of intrusive (dolerites) and effusive (basalts, andesites, tuffs) rocks were determined by U-Pb-method (SHRIMP-II) for Svalbard Archipelago. At the same time, the Grenville ages for large bodies of gabbro-diorites, metadolerites bodies (1152-967 Ma), and metagranites (936 Ma) were determined for the first time for this area, which correlates well with the ages of magmatic formations obtained earlier in the southern part of Wedel Jarlsberg Land. A detailed petrographic and petrochemical characterization of all the described objects were compiled and the paleotectonic conditions of their formation were reconstructed. Based on these data, the Chemberlendalen series, which is dated to the Late Vendian, and the Rechurchbreen series, which the authors attribute to the Middle Riphean and correlate with the lower part of the Nordbucht series are distinguished. The data obtained indicate a two-stage Precambrian magmatism in this area of the Svalbard archipelago and, most importantly, provide evidence for the first time ever of endogenous activity on Svalbard in the Vendian time. This fact makes it possible to reconsider in the future the history of the formation of folded basement of the Svalbard archipelago and the nature of the geodynamic conditions in which it was formed.
-
Date submitted2022-02-26
-
Date accepted2022-04-27
-
Date published2022-07-26
Type intrusive series of the Far East belt of lithium-fluoric granites and its ore content
- Authors:
- Viktor I. Alekseev
The evolution and ore content of granitoid magmatism in the Far East belt of lithium-fluoric granites lying in the Russian sector of the Pacific ore belt have been studied. Correlation of intrusive series in the Novosibirsk-Chukotka, Yana-Kolyma and Sikhote-Alin granitoid provinces of the studied region allowed to establish the unity of composition, evolution, and ore content of the Late Mesozoic granitoid magmatism. On this basis, a model of the type potentially ore-bearing intrusive series of the Far East belt of lithium-fluoric granites has been developed: complexes of diorite-granodiorite and granite formations → complexes of monzonite-syenite and granite-granosyenite formations → complexes of leucogranite and alaskite formations → complexes of rare-metal lithium-fluoric granite formation. The main petrological trend in granitoid evolution is increasing silicic acidity, alkalinity, and rare-metal-tin specialization along with decreasing size and number of intrusions. At the end of the intrusive series, small complexes of rare-metal lithium-fluoric granites form. The main metallogenic trend in granitoid evolution is an increasing ore-generating potential of intrusive complexes with their growing differentiation. Ore-bearing rare-metal-granite magmatism of the Russian Far East developed in the Late Cretaceous and determined the formation of large tungsten-tin deposits with associated rare metals: Ta, Nb, Li, Cs, Rb, In in areas with completed intrusive series. Incompleteness of granitoid series of the Pacific ore belt should be considered as a potential sign of blind rare-metal-tin mineralization. The Far East belt of lithium-fluoric granites extends to the Chinese and Alaskan sectors of the Pacific belt, which allows the model of the type ore-bearing intrusive series to be used in the territories adjacent to Russia.
-
Date submitted2020-06-13
-
Date accepted2020-06-14
-
Date published2020-06-30
Deep structure and geodynamic conditions of granitoid magmatism in the Eastern Russia
- Authors:
- Viktor I. Alekseev
We investigated the deep structure of the lithosphere and the geodynamic conditions of granitoid magmatism in the Eastern Russia within the borders of the Far Eastern Federal District. The relevance of the work is determined by the need to establish the geotectonic and geodynamic conditions of the granitoids petrogenesis and ore genesis in the Russian sector of the Pacific Ore Belt. The purpose of the article is to study the deep structure of the lithosphere and determine the geodynamic conditions of granitoid magmatism in the East of Russia. The author's data on the magmatism of ore regions, regional granitoids correlations, archive and published State Geological Map data, survey mapping, deep seismic sounding of the earth's crust, gravimetric survey, geothermal exploration, and other geophysical data obtained along geotraverses. The magma-controlling concentric geostructures of the region are distinguished and their deep structure is studied. The connection of plume magmatism with deep structures is traced. The chain of concentric geostructures of Eastern Russia controls the trans-regional zone of leucocratization of the earth's crust with a width of more than 1000 km, which includes the Far Eastern zone of Li-F granites. Magmacontrolling concentric geostructures are concentrated in three granitoid provinces: Novosibirsk-Chukotka, Yano-Kolyma, and Sikhote-Alin. The driving force of geodynamic processes and granitoid magmatism was mantle heat fluxes in the reduced zones of the lithospheric slab. The distribution of slab windows along the Pacific mobile belt's strike determines the location of concentric geostructures and the magnitude of granitoid magmatism in the regional provinces. Mantle diapirs are the cores of granitoid ore-magmatic systems. The location of the most important ore regions of the Eastern Russia in concentric geostructures surrounded by annuli of negative gravity anomalies is the most important regional metallogenic pattern reflecting the correlation between ore content and deep structure of the earth's crust.
-
Date submitted2020-05-28
-
Date accepted2020-05-28
-
Date published2020-06-30
The age of mineralization of Mayskoe gold ore deposit (Central Chukotka): results of Re-Os isotopic dating
The article presents the results of the sulfide mineralization dating of the Mayskoe gold ore deposit using the Re-Os isotope system and isochron age estimation method of the main sulfide minerals: arsenopyrite, pyrite, and antimonite. The complex multistage formation of the studied sulfides, as well as the close intergrowths of genetically different mineral phases, did not allow obtaining a single rhenium-osmium isochron corresponding to the formation time of sulfide mineralization. Isochrones for single minerals, collected from each sulfide sample, turned out to be the result of isotopically distinct components mixture (radiogenic crustal and non-radiogenic mantle) and do not make sense from the geochronological point of view. In terms of geology, the most significant result of the study is an age estimation of 128.8 ± 4.4 Ma, obtained for the sulfide mineralization of Mayskoe deposit using Re-Os isotope dating of single fractions of pyrite and antimonite of the ore mineralization stage. While arsenopyrite is most closely associated with gold mineralization, one of the arsenopyrite varieties corrodes framboidal pyrite of the pre-ore stage, has a maximum of the crust component in the osmium isotopic composition and forms a mixing line in the isochron diagram with an apparent formation age of 458 ± 18 Ma. The initial osmium isotopic composition of the studied sulfides indicates a mixed mantle-crust source of sulfide mineralization. The issue of simultaneous ore genesis and granitoid magmatism in the Mayskoe deposit remained unresolved (the age of granitoids according to the U-Pb zircon system is 108 Ma). However, a possible solution could be the further determination of the Re-Os isochron age of the ore mineralization sulphides from the single paragenesis of a specific sample containing both arsenopyrite and pyrite (+ antimonite) with gold.
-
Date submitted2016-11-11
-
Date accepted2017-01-21
-
Date published2017-04-14
Conducting lithospheric heterogeneities as a criterion of predictive assessment for promising diamond areas (on the example of Siberian kimberlite province)
- Authors:
- E. V. Pospeeva
Results of magnetotelluric tests, carried out in Siberian kimberlite province, are examined from the viewpoint of structural control over location of kimberlite fields and bunches of kimberlite pipes. It is demonstrated that the key factors controlling occurrence of kimberlite magmatism are: deep systems of rift-driven fractures; areas of their intersection within high-ohmic blocks of Earth crust; conducting permeable areas, located at the intersections of deep faults. Various-rank objects of kimberlite magmatism are characterized by a certain combination of geoelectric heterogeneities, differing in resistance, lateral sizes and depth. The province is situated within the boundaries, limited by isolines 180-220 km of current asthenosphere; kimberlite areas – within the contours of high-resistance regional heterogeneities. Fields and bunches of kimberlite pipes are concentrated within boundaries of conducting subvertical zones. These factors can be used as criteria of predictive assessment for promising diamond areas of the ancient platforms.
-
Date submitted2015-12-21
-
Date accepted2016-02-19
-
Date published2016-12-23
Composition, age and tectonic meaning of granite boulders in the devonian conglomerates of the north-west part of Spitzbergen
- Authors:
- A. N. Sirotkin
- A. N. Evdokimov
Identifying complexes of the early Proterozoic age in the composition of crystal foundation is a key task in studying pre-Cambrian formations of the whole of Spitzbergen and its northwestern part in particular. The territory of that region is formed by three deeply metamorphosed complexes that underwent the processes of migmatization and granitization in mid-Rifey and were broken through by granitoids of mid-Rifey and mid-Paleozoic. In their turn, the outbursts of the foundation are overlayed by terrigene rocks of the Devonian graben of Spitzbergen, conglomerates forming a large share among them. In the course of petrographic and chemical studies of such compositions, as well as isotopic characteristics of zircons from the boulders of basal conglomerates of Red Bay (D 1 ) series, the suite of Wolfberget at Cape Conglomeratodden the presence was identified of reddish (meat-red) granites of isotopic age of 1631±19 Mil years, which is comparable to late Karelian processes manifested actively across the archipelago. It is also proven that transformations of these rocks within the range of 380±42 Mil years are well associated with mid-paleozoic events, considerable restructuring of the foundation associated with them. The age range we defined is another proof of manifestation of early pre-Cambrian (late Karelian) processes in the northwestern Spitzbergen.
-
Date submitted2015-07-21
-
Date accepted2015-09-24
-
Date published2016-02-24
Tectonic development and granitoid magmatism of Northeast Asia in the late mesozoic
- Authors:
- V. I. Alekseev
The history of tectonic development and granitoid magmatism of Northeast Asia in the late Mesozoic is considered. The variety of tectonic situations and granitoid magmatism are favorable circumstances for the solution of many fundamental problems in geology, but tectono-magmatic division into districts is complicated owing to variability of the composition and the structure of the Earth’s crust. A rational approach to the tectonic division into districts of a region by the research of granitoid magmatism based on determining consolidated crust blocks with various tectonic history is offered. Pre-mesozoic and mesozoic structures of the Far East, among which primary and superimposed on the Precambrian and Paleozoic base Verkhoyansk orogeny prevails, are determined. The conclusion on the important role of middle massifs and passive margins with a thin Riphean-Paleozoic cover in geodynamic development of the Far East is drawn. The mesozoic activization of ancient structures along with young granitoid magmatism is established. The driving force of the Pacific ore belt granitization was the interaction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate and plates in Northeast Asia in the middle-late Mesozoic. The history of regional tectogenesis and granitoid magmatism in the late Triassic–Eocene (230-33,7 million years) taking into account the latest geodynamic concepts is tracked. The place in tectonic history of the Asian continental margin of plutonic and volcanic-plutonic belts is determined. Four stages of tectonomagmatic development of the Far East are established: the Jurassic and the early Cretaceous collisional, the early Cretaceous upsubduction, the late Cretaceous upsubduction-transform and the late Cretaceous–Paleogene rift-related.
-
Date submitted2008-10-22
-
Date accepted2008-12-14
-
Date published2009-12-11
Peculiarities of structure and comparative analysis of oil-and-gas basins in the Pacific segment of lithosphere
- Authors:
- V. B. Archegov
Comparative analysis was carried out for oil-and-gas-bearing basins of young and oldland platforms of the Pacific segment. Previously the same kind of analysis had been realized for the Atlantic segment of lithosphere. Obtained results confirm the unique geological structure and oil-and-gas capacity of Siberian platform, by these features it differs from all other cratons in the whole world.