New iron resources of the South Urals

An area with brick-red loose and viscous sandy-clayey rocks and brown ores with an average Fe content of 19.84% and possible resources of 1 billion tons of metal was determined. Mn and Ti are the main alloying components; Ni, Co, Cr, V, and Zr are additional; and goethite (FeOOH) is an ore mineral.     

Plate tectonic model of the South Urals development

The Uralian Fold Belt originated due to the East European-Kazakhstan continental collision in the Late Paleozoic-Early Triassic. The Uralian paleo-ocean existed from the Ordovician to Early Carboniferous. It evolved along the Western Pacific pattern with island arcs and subduction zones moving oceanwards from the East European margin and leaving newly opened back-arc basins behind from the Silurian to the Middle Devonian. A fossil spreading pattern similar to present one can be reconstructed for the Mugodjarian back-arc basin with the spreading rate of 5 cm/yr and depth of basaltic eruption of 3000 m. Since the Devonian, the closure of the Uralian paleo-ocean has begun. A subduction zone flipped over under the Kazakhstan continent, and remnants of an oceanic floor were completely consumed before the Late Carboniferous. After that the continental collision began which lasted nearly 90 Ma. As a result, the distinct linear shape and nappe structure of the Urals were formed.     

Mineralogy of metamorphosed manganese deposits of the South Urals

A mineralogical investigation of metamorphosed manganese rocks was carried out at ore deposits related to the Devonian volcanic complexes of the Magnitogorsk paleovolcanic belt of the South Urals. The mineralogical appearance of these rocks is determined by three consecutively formed groups of mineral assemblages: (1) assemblages occupying the main volume of orebodies and formed during low-grade regional metamorphism (T = 200−250°C, P = 2–3 kbar); (2) assemblages of segregated and metasomatic veinlets that fill the systems of late tectonic fractures; and (3) assemblages of near-surface supergene minerals. Sixty-one minerals have been identified in orebodies and crosscutting hydrothermal veinlets. The major minerals are quartz, hematite, hausmannite, braunite, tephroite, andradite, epidote, rhodonite, caryopilite, calcite, and rhodochrosite. The mineral assemblages of metamorphosed manganese rocks (metamanganolites) are characterized. Chemical compositions of braunite, epidote-group minerals, piemontite, pyroxenes, rhodonite, pyroxmangite, and winchite are considered. The bibliography on geology and mineralogy of the South Ural manganese deposits is given.     

Porphyry Deposits of the South Urals: Rhenium Distribution

Please refer to the attachment(s) for more details     

The Serpukhovian Stage in the Verkhnyaya Kardailovka section,South Urals

The paper describes a Serpukhovian Stage section, exposed along the Ural River near the village of Verkhnyaya Kardailovka (Bashkortostan). The section is uniquely complete and is proposed as a GSSP candidate for the base of the Serpukhovian. The Upper Visean and Serpukhovian beds are represented by relatively deep facies, which contain ammonoids, conodonts, ostracods, foraminifers, and other fossils. The section is described bed-by-bed and subdivided into zones based on four faunal groups. The lower boundary of the Serpukhovian is placed at the base of the Lochriea ziegleri conodont zone. The stratigraphic units are correlated with synchronous beds of the East European Platform, the Donets Basin, Western Europe, Central Asia, and North America.     

Stibiomicrolite from granitic pegmatite in the Dzhabyk-Karagai pluton of the South Urals

Stibiomicrolite has been identified in the Lepidolite Vein (53°06.8′N, 60°15.4′E) as metasomatic veinlets with tantite replacing stibiotantalite along fractures. The mineral is light gray-yellow, isotropic, and with reflectance of ～12%. The average chemical composition of two stibiomicrolite samples is as follows, wt %: Sb₂O₃ 23.34, CaO 4.91, Na₂O 0.96, MnO 0.17, Ta₂O₅ 58.97, Nb₂O₅ 6.64, total 94.99; H₂O_calc 3.4. The empirical formula is (Sb_1.02Ca_0.55Na_0.20Mn_0.02)_1.79(Ta_1.68Nb_0.32)_2.0O₆(OH)_1.18. Trilithionite, polylithionite, albite, manganotantalite, beryl (goshenite), elbaite, stibiotantalite, and tantite are associated with stibiomicrolite in the central zone of the Lepidolite Vein.     

Zirconology of miaskites from the Ilmeny Mountains,South Urals

It is shown that the replacement and long evolution of miaskitic zircons led to the formation of two main age groups: 420–380 Ma (I) and 260–240 Ma (II). The age of miaskites is estimated at 440–445 Ma. Zircons I bear traces of fragmentation, dissolution, and replacement; they have “flat” REE patterns typical of metasomatic (hydrothermal) types, which is caused by allochthonous nature of the studied miaskites. Zircons II with differentiated REE patterns are similar to magmatic varieties, but have metamorphic origin. Mineralogical–geochemical and age characteristics of zircons in combination with structural–compositional features of miaskites define their metasomatic nature. The origin of the early zircon generations was related to the Ordovician rifting, while late generations were formed during shear deformations at the final stage of the evolution of the Uralian orogen.     

Origin of vitriol Lake Gay,South Urals

This paper can be considered a case history in which geology, geophysics, and more particularly geohydrology and geochemistry, when applied to the problem of origin of a vitriol lake, led to discovery of a copper prospect. After a review of various postulated origins for the vitriol lake and previous interpretation of the local structure, new evidence based on borehole and geophysical data demonstrated that the structure consists of two anticlines and two fault systems. Study of the geohydrologic conditions as related to the fault systems and the geochemistry of their water indicate the lake is the result of mineralized water whose circulation is controlled by the fault zone. Source of the copper in these waters may be some hidden copper deposit in a direction away from the known ore bodies. -- J. Lemish.     

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.     

Nickel-sulfide ores in ultrabasites of Khabarnyy massif (South Urals)

The mineralized area (fig. 1) lies inside a large dunitic body. The sulfides are small phenocrysts of pentlandite (with chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite); chromite is generally present and metasomatic magnetite is locally abundant, as replacer of the sulfides. A genetic connection of the sulfides with the dunites is indicated. There is no evidence of any epigenetic segregation of the ore minerals and hence no reason to expect presence of economic ores in this particular part of the massif. — V.P. Sokoloff     

Late Precambrian rifting in the geological history of the western slope of the South Urals

The rift-related geodynamic setting of the Late Precambrian geological evolution on the western slope of the South Urals is reconstructed on the basis of localization of lithotectonic complexes of this age, their formation conditions, and the geochemistry of rocks. The Early Riphean stage comprises accumulation of coarse-clastic rocks intercalating with alkaline volcanic rocks of the Navysh Complex, which is a constituent of the Ai Formation, and emplacement of doleritic and picritic intrusions of the Shuida Complex and melanocratic dolerite and gabbrodolerite of the Yusha Complex. The Middle Riphean stage is characterized by wide-spread coarse-clastic terrigenous rocks of the Mashak Formation that intercalate with volcanic rocks of the bimodal basalt-rhyolite association, the Berdyaush pluton of rapakivi granite, the Kusa-Kopan layered intrusive complex, the Lapyshta Complex of dolerites and picrites, and numerous occurrences of gabbrodolerites. The terrigenous rocks of the Vendian stage include conglomerate, gravelstone, and sandstone of the Asha Group, while igneous rocks comprise alkaline volcanics of the Arsha Complex, alkali gabbroids of the Miseli Complex, and melanocratic syenite of the Avashla Complex. The geological evolution of the region is distinguished by local (failed or aborted) rifting. The occurrence of lithotectonic complexes is controlled by dynamic conditions of rifting. A certain inheritance in the evolution may be traced for the Early and Middle Riphean and partly for the Late Riphean and Vendian.     

Geochemical signatures for eclogite protolith from the Maksyutov Complex, South Urals

We conducted a geochemical study of eclogites (40 samples) from a boudin of the Lower Unit of the Maksyutov Complex in the South Urals in order to determine their protolith nature. The eclogites have major element compositions corresponding to quartz-bearing hypersthene basalts. Trace-element characteristics of the eclogites further suggest that they resemble enriched-type of tholeiites such as E-MORB. The compositional variation of eclogites was likely caused by fractional crystallization of parental melt under hypabyssal conditions, during its intrusion in thinned continental crust shortly before subduction. The high-pressure metamorphism has not affected significantly the major- and trace-element signatures of the protoliths. The compositions of co-existing minerals from the distinguished rock groups do not show significant distinctions. The considerable scatter of P–T estimates of metamorphic conditions does not depend on whole-rock composition. Therefore, the eclogitization was preceded by a chemical differentiation of an initial magmatic source, which is responsible for co-existence of rocks of variable composition in the same boudin. Dikes or sills of tholeiite basalts having geochemical characteristics of E-MORB could be the protoliths for the Maksyutov eclogites.     

Multi-Stage Magmatic-Hydrothermal Sulfide-PGE Mineralization of the Khudolaz Complex (South Urals)

Geology of Ore Deposits - For the first time, from the standpoint of magmatism and subsequent hydrothermal–metasomatic alteration, sulfide and platinum-metal mineral assemblages of rocks of...     

Lithochemical composition of sandstones of the Vendian Asha Group,South Urals

The mineralogical–petrographic and chemical study of sandstones of the Vendian Asha Group in the Bashkir anticlinorium, the western slope of the South Urals, showed that this large stratigraphic unit consists of sedimentary associations formed in different conditions: (1) Pre-Uryuk sediments (Tolparovo, Suirovo, and Bakeevo formations) accumulated during marine regression possibly in the course of significant glacioeustatic sea level fluctuations and formation of the foredeep of Timanides. (2) Sediments of the Uryuk Formation, including alluvial and several related sediments. Analysis of the Qm–F–Lt, Qt–F–L, and ln(Q/L + CE)–ln(Q/F) diagrams showed that they were derived from magmatic/plutonic rocks in the inner parts of the East European Craton. Based on the distribution of data points of psammites in the Qt/(F + R)–Qp/(F + R) diagram, they were accumulated in the semihumid/semiarid conditions. (3) Coastal, shallowmarine, and fluvial/proluvial (?) sediments of the Basa, Kukkarauk, and Zigan formations. They were formed by the erosion of provenances located supposedly east of the present-day Bashkir anticlinorium. The psammites of the Asha Group were analyzed using the sandstone formation model proposed models proposed in (Dickinson et al., 1985; Garzanti et al., 2007). The distribution of data points of psammites from three uppermost formations of the Asha Group in the Qm–F–Lt and Qt–F–L diagrams suggests that they were accumulated by the redeposition of erosion products of the so-called clastic wedges of recycled orogens (clasticwedge provenance) made up of the fluvial and turbidite complexes of the foreland, fore-arc, or residual oceanic basins.