Noble metal specialization of Lower and Middle Riphean terrigenous rocks in the South Urals

Results of the study of noble metal specialization of Lower and Middle Riphean terrigenous rocks in the Bashkir Anticlinorium (South Urals) are reported. The study revealed their genetic differences in the relatively unaltered, i.e., “background” terrigenous rocks in type sections of the Burzyan and Yurmatau groups and in sedimentary rocks of the same stratigraphic levels from tectonic zones subjected to local dynamothermal metamorphism of the greenschist facies and intruded by mafic rocks. It has been established that Ru serves as a geochemical marker of the impact of magmatic processes on sedimentary rocks and the redistribution of noble metals during metamorphism and local metasomatism. A generalized model is proposed for the formation of noble metal geochemical specialization of Lower and Middle Riphean terrigenous rocks in the South Urals.     

Dispersed Organic Matter in Riphean Carbonate–terrigenous Sediments of the Kuzha Complex (Bashkirian Uplift, Southern Urals)

Regularities of the localization of dispersed organic matter in rhythmitic and carbonate members of the upper sequence of the Biktimir Formation were revealed by studying sections of the Middle Riphean sediments within the eastern limb of the Yurmatau Anticlinorium. This work presents the quantitative estimation of C_org content in lithological rock types and morphostructural features of carbonaceous inclusions and sulfide mineralization. The sedimentogenic–biogenic nature of organic matter and indications of gold mineralization in the host sedimentary rocks were revealed.     

Differentiation and correlation of the Riphean rocks of Eastern Siberia

The Riphean (upper) portion of the Proterozoic interval is treated as an era divided into four systems on the basis of stromatolith morphology. The evolution of the stromatoliths is traced into the Lower Cambrian in order to demonstrate that divisions of system rank can be identified by the stages of stromatolith morphogenesis, from columnar through tabular and, in the Lower Cambrian, "nodular" and laminar. The Riphean stromatoliths, in the main, represent Baicalia and Conophyton, even through other major taxons are present. The authors, at the present stage in the the development of Riphean stratigraphy, seem to assign the rank of genera to Baicalia and Conophyton. --Mark E. Burgunker.     

Lithogeochemical features of Riphean fine-grained terrigenous rocks in the Kama-Belaya aulacogen and their formation conditions

Lithogeochemical features of Riphean fine-grained terrigenous rocks of the Kama-Belaya aulacogen are discussed. It is shown that aluminosiliciclastic material delivered to the aulacogen during the Riphean was characterized by a low maturity degree. The successively increasing K₂O/Al₂O₃ values in the Riphean summary section correlate negatively with the CIA index values, indicating a gradually strengthening tendency for climate aridization in erosion zones. Data on some indicator ratios of trace elements and REE systematics in Riphean silty mudstones and shales of the Kama-Belaya aulacogen imply the involvement of mafic and ultramafic rocks, in addition to acid igneous and metamorphic varieties, in erosion during accumulation of the Nadezhdino, Tukaevo, Ol’khovka, Usinsk, and Priyutovo formations. Comparison of data on the composition of rocks in provenances based on the mineralogical-petrographic study of sandstones and investigation of geochemical features of silty mudstones and shales revealed their sufficiently high similarity. The geochemical data made it possible to specify the composition of rocks in provenances. Low Ce/Cr values in the fine-grained terrigenous rocks of the Lower Riphean Kyrpy Group suggest their formation with a significant contribution of erosion products of the Archean substrate, which is atypical for higher levels of the section. Thus, the Early-Middle Riphean transition period was likely marked by substantial changes in the mineral composition of material delivered to the Kama-Belaya aulacogen. The lack of exhalative components in the examined specimens of silty mudstones and shales points to a relatively low permeability of the Earth’s crust in the eastern East European Platform through the entire Riphean.     

Riphean fine-grained aluminosilicate clastic rocks in the Southern Urals, Uchur-Maya area, and the Yenisei Kryazh: Principal litho-geochemical characteristics

Analysis of the litho-geochemistry of fine-grained terrigenous rocks (metapelites, shales, and mudstones) of sedimentary megasequences in the Southern Urals, Uchur-Maya area, and the Yenisei Kryazh indicates that Riphean sequences in these regions are dominated by chlorite-hydromica rocks, with montmorillonite and potassic feldspar possibly occurring only in some of the lithostratigraphic units. According to the values of their hydrolysate modulus, most clay rocks from the three Riphean metamorphosed sedimentary sequences are normal or supersialites, with hydrosialites and hydrolysates playing subordinate roles. The most lithochemicaly mature rocks are Riphean clays in the Yenisei Kryazh (Yenisei Range). The median value of their CIA is 72, whereas this index is 70 for fine-grained aluminosilicate rocks from the Uchur-Maya area and 66 for fine-grained terrigenous rocks of the Riphean stratotype. Hence, at ancient water provenance areas from which aluminosilicate clastic material was transported in sedimentation basins in the southwestern (in modern coordinates) periphery of the Siberian Platform, the climate throughout the whole Riphean was predominantly humid. At the same time, the climate at the eastern part of the East European Platform was semiarid-semihumid. The K₂O/Al₂O₃ ratio, which is employed as an indicator of the presence of petro-and lithogenic aluminosilicate clastic component in Riphean sedimentary megasequences, shows various tendencies. According to their Sc, Cr, Ni, Th, and La concentrations and the Th/Sc ratio, the overwhelming majority of Riphean shales and mudstones notably differ from the average Archean mudstone and approach the average values for post-Archean shales. This suggests that mafic Archean rock in the provenance areas did not play any significant role in the origin of Riphean sedimentary megasequences. The Co/Hf and Ce/Cr ratios of the terrigenous rocks of the three Riphean megaseqeunces and their (Gd/Yb) _N and Eu/Eu* ratios place these rocks among those containing little (if any) erosion products of primitive Archean rocks. According to various geochemical data, the source of the great majority of fine-grained aluminosilicate clastic rocks in Riphean sediment megasequences in our study areas should have been mature sialic (felsic), with much lower contents of mafic and intermediate rocks as a source of the clastic material. The REE patterns of the Riphean shales and metapelites in the Bashkir Meganticlinorium, Uchur-Maya area, and Yenisei Kryazh show some features that can be regarded as resulting from the presence of mafic material in the ancient provenance areas. This is most clearly seen in the sedimentary sequences of the Uchur-Maya area, where the decrease in the (La/Yb) _N ratio up the sequence of the fine-grained terrigenous rocks from 15–16.5 to 5.8–7.1 suggests that mantle mafic volcanics were brought to the upper crust in the earliest Late Riphean in relation to rifting. Analysis of the Sm-Nd systematics of the Riphean fine-grained rocks reveals the predominance of model age values in the range of 2.5–1.7 Ga, which can be interpreted as evidence that the rocks were formed of predominantly Early Proterozoic source material. At the same time, with regard for the significant role of recycling in the genesis of the upper continental crust, it seems to be quite possible that the ancient provenance areas contained Archean complexes strongly recycled in the Early Proterozoic and sediments formed of their material. An additional likely source of material in the Riphean was mafic rocks, whose variable contribution is reflected in a decrease in the model age values. Higher Th and U concentrations in the Riphean rocks of the Yenisei Kryazh compared to those in PAAS indicate that the sources of their material were notably more mature than the sources of fine-grained aluminosilicate clastic material for the sedimentary megaseqeunces in the Southern Urals and Uchur-Maya area.     

Zircon geochronology of the Mashak volcanic rocks and the problem of the age of the lower-middle Riphean boundary (Southern Urals)

In the type sections of the Riphean within the Bashkirian mega-anticlinorium (Southern Urals), the Mashak Formation represents a basal unit of the Middle Riphean erathem. The formation comprises throughout its area of distribution the alternation of volcanic, volcano-sedimentary, and sedimentary sequences and is divided into the lower, middle, and upper subformations. The volcanic rocks containing zircons (four samples, rhyodacite and rhyolite collected at Mashak, Berezyak, and Bolshoi Shatak ranges) are largely confined to the lower subformation. Analyses were performed using a SHRIMP II methodology, with special attention to the mineralogical characteristics of zircons, including their habit, morphology, preservation, and inclusions. All zircons show similarities in their mineral chemistry and geochemistry, which are indicative of the geochemical affinity of the volcanic rocks. At the same time, all zircon grains are characterized by specific typological parameters, which may equally reflect the parameters involved in the development of such volcanic rocks under different conditions. The integrated U-Pb age of zircons (SHRIMP II, VSEGEI, St. Petersbrug) from the four samples is 1383 ± 3 Ma. On the basis of the age of the Berdyaush gabbro-granitoid intrusion (up to 1410 Ma), the most likely age of this boundary is 1400 Ma, which is equated to the Calymmian and Ectasian of the International Stratigraphic Scale.     

Glauconitites in terrigenous rocks of the Khaipakh Formation (Middle Riphean,Olenek Uplift)

Structure of the lower subformation of the Khaipakh Formation from the upper portion of the Middle Riphean Olenek Uplift (northern Siberia) is considered. It has been noted for the first time that the glauconite-containing sandy-aleurolitic rocks (hereafter, sandstones and siltstones) in sections of the Khorbusuonka River include glauconitite laminas and siderite lenses that are distinct marker horizons of this stratigraphic interval. It has been shown that the glauconitites are weakly cemented and almost completely composed of glauconite grains and glauconite cement. The paper presents detailed mineralogical and structural-crystallochemical characteristics of Al-glauconite in specimens with different degrees of cementation (solid and loose rocks). The paper discusses genetic features of glauconite grains and their secondary alterations. Comparative characteristics of glauconite from solid and loose rocks from both Khaipakh sections and previously studied terrigenous rocks of the Arymas and Totta formations (Middle Riphean Olenek Uplift and Uchur-Maya region) are given. Suitability of glauconite extracted from the glauconitites for isotope-geochronological investigations is estimated. Literature and original data on glauconitites formed in situ in Precambrian and Phanerozoic sections are compared. It is concluded that their primary macroscopic and microscopic features are very similar.     

Facies characteristics and terrigenous sedimentation features of the lower Riphean Mukun Group (Anabar Uplift,Siberia)

The Mukun Group represents a thick (>750 m) complex of terrigenous features sediments in the lower part of the Riphean sedimentary cover of the Anabar region was formed on the spacious cratonic block. The complex is remarkable for its pure quartzarenitic composition. The facies analysis with emphasis on the genetic interpretation of various sedimentary structures revealed three facies associations in its sedimentary succession: alluvial, eolian-fluvial, and fluvial-sabkha. It is shown that sedimentary material was transported into the terminal basin by a braided system of permanent rivers. Relationships between the eolian and fluvial components in the single sedimentation system of the Mukun paleobasin is considered in line with the proposed model, according to which alternation of long periods with the eolian and fluvial sedimentation was controlled by tectonics.     

The Geochemical Characteristics of the Early Riphean Navysh Volcanic Complex (Southern Urals)

The Navysh volcanic complex, which is an integral part of the Ai Formation (Lower Riphean), overlies Archean–Early Proterozoic formations of the Taratash metamorphic complex. It is represented mainly by trachybasalts, as well as by dacites and metasomatic bostonites. The Navysh complex is subdivided for the first time here into several volcanic series, which differ in their contents of TiO₂ and several incompatible elements. The metasomatic nature of the bostonites has been proven. Reasons are given for excluding dacites from the composition of the Navysh complex.     

Carbonate Sedimentology of the Upper Riphean (Neoproterozoic) Uk Formation,Southern Urals

Lithology and Mineral Resources - Lithological characteristics and results of the lithofacies analysis of carbonate deposits in the most complete section of the Upper Uk Subformation of the Riphean...     

Geochemistry and formation model of manganiferous rocks in jaspers of the South Urals

Specific features of the geochemistry of manganiferous siliceous rocks confined to Devonian volcanogenic complexes of the Magnitogorsk belt in the South Urals are discussed. It is shown that with respect to the distribution of the major petrogenic and rare earth elements, as well as base and rare metals, manganese rocks are comparable with rocks of the low-temperature hydrothermal sources in active volcanic zones of the World Ocean. Our results agree well with the existing concepts about the hydrothermal-sedimentary origin of manganese deposits in the South Urals and corroborate this hypothesis with new independently obtained data.     

Clarkes of concentrations of trace elements in the Riphean fine-grained terrigenous rocks of the Uchur-Maya region and the Yenisei Range

The clarkes of concentrations (K_c) of a wide range of trace elements (Li, Be, B, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, As, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sb, Cs, Ba, REE, Hf, Ta, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, and U) were analyzed for fine-gained terrigenous rocks (mudstones, metapelites) from the reference Riphean sections of the Uchur-Maya region and the Yenisei Range. It was established that the shales and mudstones of the Uchur and Aimchan groups in the Riphean hypostratotype section are characterized by moderate (2.5 < K_c < 5) and intense (K_c > 5) geochemical specialization for Li, B, and Zn. At the same time, the similar rocks of the Lakhanda and Ui groups do not exhibit any distinct geochemical specialization, although they are notably enriched in HREE. The metapelites from the basal formations of the Riphean sedimentary successions in the Yenisei Range are distinctly specialized for B and slightly for Li, Rb, Be, Nb, Ta, Th, Ge, and Cd. In addition, moderate specialization for Cu is characteristic of the metapelites from the Korda and Lopatino formations; for Bi, Sb, Hg, and V, for their analogs from the Potoskui Formation; and, for Hg and Cs, for the similar rocks from the Lopatino Formation. The metapelites of the Lower Riphean Korda Formation from the central zone of the Yenisei Range have elevated contents of significantly more elements (Li, Be, Sc, V, Cr, Co, Ni, Zn, As, Rb, Y, Zr, Nb, Sb, Ag, In, Hf, Hg, and others) than their counterparts from its eastern near-platform part. The mudstones of the ore-bearing (Pb, Zn) Gorevo Formation are characterized by elevated concentrations of several ore elements such as Pb, Cd, As, Sb, and Bi. The elevated K_c values of the rare lithophile and of several ore elements in the metapelites of the Yenisei Range are determined by the high geochemical differentiation of the Early Precambrian blocks constituting the western margin of the Siberian Craton, which were eroded in the Riphean, and the syn-sedimentary riftogenic and intraplate magmatism. On the contrary, the fine-grained and terrigenous rocks from the basal part of the Riphean section in the Uchur-Maya region are compositionally closer to the immature Late Archean substrates or their Early Proterozoic analogs.     

Geochemistry of natural and contaminated subsurface waters in fissured bed rocks of the Lake Karachai area, Southern Urals, Russia

Hydrogeochemical investigations of natural and contaminated subsurface waters were conducted between 1992–94 in an area where liquid radioactive waste (RAW) was impounded in a small lake, and subsequently leaked into an underlying water bearing horizon. The waste was discharged from the radiochemical plant of the Mayak Amalgamated Industry near Chelyabinsk, Russia. The underlying water-bearing horizon in fissured metavolcanic rocks was penetrated by uncased observation wells in order to log the hydrogeochemistry. Logging was carried out using a specially designed hydrogeochemical probe, which contained 8 channels to measure continuously the temperature, pressure, electric conductivity, pH, Eh, the dissolved O₂ concentration, and the activities of Na, and NO₃ in the wells. The logging technique enabled the natural hydrogeochemical setting to be characterized and permitted delineation of bodies of contaminated waters of different origins using measurements of pH, pNa and pNO₃. The technique also permitted an evaluation of variations in the chemical composition of the RAW solutions due to radiolytic processes and to chemical interactions with the geologic medium. A conceptual model is proposed for the chemical evolution of the migrating contaminated subsurface waters in the area investigated.     

Geochemistry of Early Devonian rocks of the Sakmara zone,South Urals

This paper reports first isotope–geochemical data on the Early Devonian magmatic rocks of the Chanchar potassic mafic volcanoplutonic complex of the Sakmara zone of the South Urals. The incompatible element distribution and ratios indicate that the rocks of the volcanic, subvolcanic, and intrusive facies are comagmatic and were derived from a common source. The low HFSE concentrations relative to MORB and relatively low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios suggest that primary melts were generated from a moderately depleted mantle. The LILE enrichment of the rocks indicates a flux of mantle fluid in the primary magma during its evolution.