New concepts on the composition, structure, and age of the Lower Amur fragment of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous accretionary prism, Russian Far East

On the basis of geological observations and the study of conodont and radiolarian microfauna, a new stratigraphic scheme was proposed for the Mesozoic deposits of the Komsomolsk district of the Amur region. The lower Khorpy Group (T₂-J₃) consists of two units: the Boktor (T₂-J₂) and Kholvasi (J_2–3). The Boktor Sequence (400 m thick) is represented by pelagic cherts with an admixture of cherty-clayey shales and volcanic rocks. The Kholvasi Sequence (500 m thick) is built up of the predominant siltstones and clayey shales with rare intercalations and lenses of clayey cherts and cherty-clayey shales. The upper Komsomolskaya Group (K₁) has a terrigenous composition and includes the Gorin, Pionerskaya, and Pivan formations of 5 km total thickness. It is made up of intercalated sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, and often turbidites (proximal to distal). The rocks contain abundant buchia fauna of Volgian-Valanginian age, as well as carbonized plant detritus and flora of the Early Cretaceous habit. The described complex is characterized by a nappe-fold structure typical of the accretionary prisms in the ocean-continent convergence zones. The predominance of the coherent type of accretionary prisms reflects the simple morphology of the oceanic plate.     

Complex mineralization at large ore deposits in the Russian Far East

Genetic and mineralogical features of large deposits with complex Sn, W, and Mo mineralization in the Sikhote-Alin and Amur-Khingan metallogenic provinces are considered, as well as those of raremetal, rare earth, and uranium deposits in the Aldan-Stanovoi province. The spatiotemporal, geological, and mineralogical attributes of large deposits are set forth, and their geodynamic settings are determined. These attributes are exemplified in the large Tigriny Sn-W greisen-type deposit. The variation of regional tectonic settings and their spatial superposition are the main factor controlling formation of large deposits. Such a variation gives rise to multiple reactivation of the ore-magmatic system and long-term, multistage formation of deposits. Pulsatory mineralogical zoning with telescoped mineral assemblages related to different stages results in the formation of complex ores. The highest-grade zones of mass discharge of hydrothermal solutions are formed at the deposits. The promising greisen-type mineralization with complex Sn-W-Mo ore is suggested to be an additional source of tungsten and molybdenum. The Tigriny, Pravourminsky, and Arsen’evsky deposits, as well as deposits of the Komsomol’sk and Khingan-Olonoi ore districts are examples. Large and superlarge U, Ta, Nb, Be, and REE deposits are localized in the southeastern Aldan-Stanovoi Shield. The Ulkan and Arbarastakh ore districts attract special attention. The confirmed prospects of new large deposits with Sn, W, Mo, Ta, Nb, Be, REE, and U mineralization in the south of the Russian Far East assure expediency of further geological exploration in this territory.     

Structure of the Northwestern Boundary of the Middle Amur Sedimentary Basin (Russian Far East) from Audiomagnetotelluric Sounding Data

This paper reports the data on the structure of the northwestern boundary of the Middle Amur sedimentary basin which were obtained after resumption of audiomagnetotelluric soundings. The geoelectric sections for two profiles across the basin strike are constructed, the sedimentary cover and basement structures are studied, and their electrical properties are determined. The compared data of the earlier and present studies show low-resistivity zones of 50–150 Ohm m beneath high-resistivity rocks of 500–1000 Ohm m in the northwestern part of the Ul’dura–Churki uplift at a 2–4 km depth, which are absent in the southwestern part of the uplift. This fact is related to strike-slip–overthrust processes due to graben formation in the area of junction with the Jiamusi–Bureya Massif in the Kur fault zone (YYilan–Yitong branch of the Tan-Lu fault zone) and also to global left-lateral strike-slip displacements and volcanic activity.     

Mesozoic Metallogeny of the Russian Far East

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Noble metal-bearing ferromanganese deposits in the Kimkan basin,Russian Far East

It has been established that large ferromanganese deposits enriched in noble metals, Co, U, V, and REE in the Kimkan sedimentary basin are confined to Vendian–Cambrian black shales. Lithostratigraphy plays an important role in the localization of such deposits and promising ore-bearing fields. Deposits and occurrences of complex iron and ferromanganese ores are polygenous and polychronous, because they underwent intense hydrothermal alterations with the superposition of noble metal and uranium mineralization in the Cretaceous. Efficient utilization of complex iron ores in the Kimkan open pit needs the construction of a metallurgical plant.     

Lithological composition of island-arc complexes in the Russian Far East

The results of study of geochemistry of terrigenous rocks from the contrast (in structure) Cretaceous-Paleogene complexes of Sikhote Alin and Kamchatka are summarized. The data obtained were interpreted based on comparison with the geochemical composition of recent and ancient sediments accumulated in the well-known geodynamic settings. It is shown that the chemical composition of terrigenous rocks and some petrochemical ratios can serve as reliable indicators of various island-arc settings. These indicators make it possible to discriminate sufficiently reliably these settings in paleobasins of orogenic zones.     

Gas-geochemical evaluation of the the petroleum potential of the Birofeld graben of the Middle Amur sedimentary basin (Russian Far East)

The results of the gas-geochemical investigations obtained in the Birofeld graben of the Middle Amur sedimentary basin during several years are considered together with the coal prospecting and geological-geophysical information. Data on the gas composition of soil, snow cover, groundwater, and surface water are reported. Gas-geochemical and genetic indicators are used for revealing the hydrocarbon (HC) gases of different origins and establishing the principal regularities of their distribution, which allows the prospects of the petroleum potential of the graben to be preliminarily assessed.     

Resource-based development in the Russian Far East: Problems and prospects

The paper examines the prospects for resource-based development in the Russian Far East. It adopts a critical perspective on the potential for resource-based development by examining problems with Far East resource industries, specifically by looking at the experience of the other resource economies more generally. In particular, it highlights the new geo-economic context for resource development in the Far East of Russia as the world economy approaches the much touted, and now questioned, ‘Pacific Century’.     

俄罗斯远东金属矿床形成条件的古地球动力学分析

根据本区地质构造的新资料,提出了区域板块构造模型。研究了从俯冲到加利福尼亚型转换和由后者又到俯冲的古地球动力学环境更替的意义。这种更替发生在对本区最重要的中—新生代历史时期,对区域成矿带整体乃至一些金属矿床的形成具有重要影响。论证了一些地体性质,尤其是俯冲-增生杂岩对矿床形成的重要意义。     

Tungsten accessory minerals in lithium-fluoric granites of the Russian Far East

By means of the technique of local analysis, the presence of a wide variety of tungsten and tungsten-containing accessories was first revealed in the composition of lithium-fluoric granites of the Far East, which represents a substantial similarity and regional peculiarity of these rocks. It was concluded that the tungsten accessory mineralization might be considered as an indication of the genetic relationship of the mineralization of the East Asian tin-tungsten zone to the Pacific rare-metal granites.     

Fahlores of the Prasolovka Au-Ag volcanogenic deposit, Kunashir Island, Russian Far East

The chemical study shows that fahlores from the Prasolovka deposit are complex compounds with significant variations in their composition and the proportions of their constituent elements. Based on their major-element composition, they are subdivided into 3 species and 11 inter-and intra-species varieties. The chemical composition of the fahlores in different mineral assemblages from different ore types indicates that As fahlores subsequently replaced by Sb, Te-Sb, and Te fahlores during ore precipitation. The revealed evolution of the ore solutions from the early to late stages testifies that different ores at the Prasolovka deposit were formed under different physicochemical conditions.     

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous coal-forming plants of the Bureya Basin,Russian Far East

The analysis of the composition of fossil palynomorphs from coals and clastic rocks of the Talyndzhan, Dublikan, Soloni, Chagdamyn, and Chemchuko formations of the Bureya coaliferous Basin revealed that the main coal-forming plants during the Talyndzhan and Dublikan time were represented by cyatheaceous ferns, plants similar to Pinaceae, and plants produced Ginkgocycadophytus pollen. In the Soloni time, the boggy plant communities were composed of dominant Cyatheaceae, subordinate Pinaceae, rare Gleichenaceae representatives, and Ginkgocycadophytus-producing plants. During the Chagdamyn time, the main coal-forming role belonged to gleicheniaceous ferns, bryophytes, and lycopsids, while the Chemchuko time was marked by the dominant contribution of Gleicheniaceae, Cyatheaceae, Ginkgocycadophytus, and plants close to Taxodiaceae to the coal formation.     

Deep structure,genesis, and seismic activation of the Bureya orogen,Russian Far East

The Bureya orogen is a special object among the geodynamic factors determining the high seismicity of the Lower Amur region. Its location and deep structure are studied on the basis of comprehensive geophysical and tectonic data. This orogen is a low-density lithospheric domain expressed by an intensive negative gravity anomaly and Moho sunken down to 40 km depth. Within the limits of this lithospheric structure, contemporary uplifting takes place to form a meridional dome peaking at more than 2000 m altitude. The position of the orogen in the regional structure gives us grounds to think that the Bureya orogen formed in the Paleogene, at the finishing stage of tectonic block movement along the Pacific margin represented by the NE-trending strike-slip faults of the Tang Lu Fault Zone. Compression was concentrated at the triple junction between the Central Asian, Mongolian–Okhotian, and Sikhote Alin tectonic belts. The meridional orientation of the Bureya orogen is associated with the parallel elongated Cenozoic depressions in the region. The united morphotectonic system may have formed resulting from lithospheric folding under horizontal shortening in the Paleocene–Eocene. The wavelength of the Lower Amurian fold system is 250 km, which is consistent with the theoretical estimates and examples of lithospheric folds in other regions. The contemporary activation of the Bureya orogen began in the Miocene, under the effect of the Amurian Plate front moving in the northeastern direction. As a result of shortening, the meridional cluster of weak (M ≥ 2.0) earthquakes formed along the western boundary of the orogenic dome. The most intensive deformations caused another type of seismicity associated with the activation-related uplift of the mentioned orogen. As a result, the so-called Bureya seismic zone formed above the apex of the dome, and it is here that the strongest regional earthquakes (M ≥ 4.5) occur.     

Deep roots of seismotectonics of the Far East: The Amur River and Primorye zones

The role of the lateral structure of the lithospheric mantle in the seismotectonics and seismicity of the southern part of the Russian Far East has been investigated. The positions of the epicenters of all the major earthquakes in Sakhalin (M ≥ 6.0), as well as in the Amur region and the Primorye zones (M ≥ 5.0), are defined by the boundaries of the Anyui block of highly ferruginous mantle, which lies at the base of the Sikhote-Alin area. Three cycles of large earthquakes are recognized in the region: the end of the 19th-beginning of the 20th century, the mid-20th century, and end of the 20th-beginning of the 21st century. In the seismic zone of the Amur region (hereafter, the Amur seismic zone), the epicenters of the large earthquakes in each cycle migrate from the SW to NE along the Tan-Lu fault megasystem at a rate of 30–60 km/yr. The specific features of the seismicity of the region are explained by the repeated arrival of strain waves from the west. The waves propagate in the upper part of the mantle and provoke the activation of the deep structure of the region. The detailed analysis of the earthquakes in the Sikhote-Alin area (M ≥ 4.0) in 1973–2009 confirmed the clockwise tectonic rotation of the mantle block. The characteristics of the Primorye zone of deep-focus seismicity at the Russia-China boundary are stated. Since 1973, 13 earthquakes with M ≥ 6.0 have been recorded in the zone at a depth of 300–500 km. This number of earthquakes is at least twice as many as the number of large deep-focus earthquakes elsewhere in the Sea of Japan-Sea of Okhotsk transition zone. The unique genesis of the Primorye seismic zone is related to the additional compression in the seismofocal area due to the creeping of the Anyui mantle block onto the subduction zone during its rotation. The geodynamic implications of the seismotectonic analysis are examined, and the necessity of division of the Amur plate into three geodynamically independent lithospheric blocks is substantiated.     

The First Data on the Structure and Mineral Composition of Ores at the Tarakon Potential Gold Field,Russian Far East

Doklady Earth Sciences - The original materials obtained, along with the literature data (hydrochemical contrasting halos), make it possible to predict a new (Tarakon) gold ore field within the...     

东准噶尔玛因鄂博地区增生楔中基性混杂岩块地球化学特征及构造环境探讨

东准噶尔玛因鄂博地区发育一典型的小型增生楔, 增生楔中辉长岩岩块具有高铝(Al2O3:14.38%～16.33%), 高钛(TiO2:1.81%～2.46%), 贫钾(K2O:0.17%～0.63%)的地球化学特征。相对富集大离子亲石元素(Sr、K、Rb、Ba), 高场强元素(Nb、Ta、Zr、Hf)没有明显的异常, 源区具有类似于洋脊玄武岩的特征。基性岩块具有类似于E-MORB和OIB的稀土元素配分形式, 没有出现Nb、Ta、Ti的明显亏损, 说明其形成过程中可能没有受到或受到较弱的消减带影响, 综合上述认识, 认为夹于增生楔中的此类基性岩块体很可能来源于洋壳俯冲过程中增生的海山残片;根据玛因鄂博增生楔物质组成特征以及前人的相关年代学证据表明该增生楔形成于古生代弧后盆地环境, 在晚泥盆世之前形成俯冲增生杂岩体。