Gold resource potential of the eastern Siberian Platform: Placers and their feeding sources

The data on typomorphism of placer gold and its localization in the eastern Siberian Platform have been integrated for the first time. The alluvial, pseudolode, and eolian morphology of gold determines the origin of placers, which is explained not only by hydrodynamic but also by eolian processes. The recent and older alluvial (Au-bearing reservoir rocks in the second case), as well as eolian (unconventional type), genetic types of placers are recognized in the given territory. Precambrian and Mesozoic stages of ore formation are distinguished by the set of typomorphic attributes of placer gold (chemical composition, microinclusions, internal structure, etc.). On the basis of distinguishing features of placer gold, Precambrian lode deposits of great depth spatially related to outcrops of the basement have been forecasted for the first time and classified into low-sulfide gold-quartz, Au-bearing banded iron formation, Au-Cu porphyry, and Au-PGE types. The inferred shallow-seated gold-silver and gold-sulfide-quartz disseminated deposits occur locally and are related to the Mesozoic tectonomagmatic reactivation. The elaborated methods and approaches to the study of placer gold typomorphism in the eastern Siberian Platform also could be helpful in providing insights into placer origin, and forecasting and prospecting gold deposits on the East European Platform, which is close to the Siberian Platform in geological evolution.     

Gold in Vendian-Cambrian organic macrofossils of the East European platform

According to the neutron activation analysis (NAA) data, the average Au content makes up 0.004 μg/g in sabelliditid tubes, 0.08 μg/g in vendotaenid ribbon remains, and 0.28 μg/g (the maximal value) in sapropelic films. Sorption of soluble compounds at the epigenesis stage is the most probable mechanism of Au concentration in Vendian-Cambrian rocks from the East European Platform.     

辽东地区砂金矿控矿因素的初步研究

论述了辽东地区砂金矿控矿因素,揭示了砂金矿矿规律,并指出了在具备物源,气候,水动力,地貌,等条件下,形成一个有工业意义的砂金矿床,对其含金层必须要有一定适宜的封存条件。     

The Vyatka deformations in the East European Platform: Formation dynamics and expression in recent structure

The Vyatka intracratonic deformations were formed under WNW-ESE compressive stress created by the presence of the Klimkovo-Nema basement high situated to the east. The compression settings at depth were released at the surface as strike-slip stress regime, which is imprinted in the macrostructural pattern and mesostructural assemblies. Compression was transformed upward into extension with partial retention of the transverse (relative to the deformations) axis of relative shortening. These structural and dynamic features along with the relatively early origination of deformations in the Oligocene make it possible to connect them with the impact of the recent Urals, which arose at the same time and were deformed in the same manner. Inasmuch as the Urals, in the opinion of some researchers, belongs to the Peri-Indian collision region, the Vyatka deformations may presumably be regarded as the extreme northwestern element of this region. The deformations are continuing to develop up to now, but at least during the Pliocene and Quaternary they developed jointly with another group of recent structural elements extending in the latitudinalnortheastern direction as a system of nearly parallel gentle meganticlines and megasynlines with a great radius of curvature. The megasynclines are expressed especially distinctly, making up a structural framework. The possible interpretation of the recent latitudinal structural elements is discussed in the paper. They are most probably linked to the near-meridional extension under the westward stress from the Urals. The interaction of variously oriented recent structural elements was a cause of dissimilar expression of the Vyatka deformations in the topography. They rise at the intersections with the near-latitudinal ranges and are overlapped by Quaternary cover near the near-latitudinal basins.     

Deep structure of the southeastern part of the East European Platform

The results of CMP seismic data acquisition along regional deep profiles that cross large tectonic elements in the east of the East European Platform are considered. It has been established that the Zhiguli-Pugachev Arch and the Stavropol Depression (southern part of the Melekess Basin), as well as the Volga-Kama Anteclise and Pericaspian Syneclise, conjugate along reverse-thrust faults extending to the lower crust and Moho discontinuity. The position of the southeastern reverse-thrust boundary of the South Tatar Arch has been substantially specified in plan view and illustrated by seismic sections. Based on the results obtained, it is suggested that reverse-thrust faults of different orders are widespread in petroleum provinces in the east of the East European Platform, and this suggestion should be used in geological exploration. The CMP seismic data acquisition is efficient in studying the junction zones of large tectonic elements. It also provides insights into the deep structure of the Earth’s crust and its relationship to the structure and petroleum potential of the sedimentary cover and localization of oilfields. It is expedient to reprocess and integrate earlier seismic data in order to compile tectonic (tectonodynamic) regional maps on a new methodical basis.     

The First Find of Silver Nuggets in Gold Placers of the Subpolar Urals

Doklady Earth Sciences - In the gold placers of the Subpolar Urals, silver nuggets have been found for the first time. Galena, cassiterite, wolframite, cosalite, tetradymite, ferberite, cobaltine,...     

冻土带砂金矿再生机理的初步模拟实验研究——含Au(Ⅲ)、Au(0)的NaCl溶液单向冻结实验

文章首次报道了含不同价态金的ＮａＣｌ溶液在单向冻结条件下，其中的Ａｕ（Ⅲ）、Ａｕ（０）浓度及盐度的变化特征。实验结果表明，冻结过程中，由于“盐析作用”的结果，金元素及盐分离子发生强烈迁移，大量富集在未冻液中。在常温及零温条件下，Ａｕ（Ⅲ）稳定，Ａｕ（０）最不稳定，极易发生沉淀。表明冻土带砂金矿再生的关键可能就在于如何使金的价态发生变化，从而导致未冻液中金元素的沉淀，以及使分散在沉积物中的微细粒金进一步富集、长大。     

Geochemistry of Cadmium in Mesozoic Phosphorites of the East European Platform

Cadmium is the most toxic admixture in mineral fertilizers. The Cd concentration in Mesozoic phosphorites, which are widespread in the East European Platform, has not been investigated. The present study was stimulated by the scanty and contradictory nature of the published data on this issue. We determined Cd concentration in 21 phosphorite samples from major deposits and checked the reliability of obtained results by external replicate analyses. It has been established that the Cd concentration in phosphorites varies from 5 ppm in the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous basin to 2 ppm in the Late Cretaceous basin. Cadmium does not enter the structure of phosphate and sulfide minerals. The Cd concentration is independent of the phosphorus abundance. However, all studied samples show a positive correlation of Cd with organic matter mainly contained in phosphates, supporting the biophilic nature of Cd. Mesozoic phosphorites of the East European Platform accumulated in epicontinental basins. They are significantly depleted in Cd relative to Mesozoic–Cenozoic phosphorites in pericontinental basins of the southern margin of the Tethys Ocean. The Cd concentration is more stable in Mesozoic phosphorites than in Mesozoic–Cenozoic deposits.     

Carboniferous Raindrop Imprints at the Southwestern Margin of the East European Platform

The paper presents data on the distribution of rains during the formation of Carboniferous coal-bearing rocks in the Lvov–Volyn Basin located at the southwestern margin of the East European Platform. They left numerous raindrop imprints that usually occur in the productive Buzhan coal-bearing formation in marginal (repeatedly drained) sectors of maritime lakes, freshened lagoons, bays, and, less commonly, in river floodplains. The raindrop imprints have been recorded for the first time in Carboniferous rocks of the southwestern East European Platform. Their study is of great importance for the interpretation of paleogeographic and paleoclimatic settings.     

Middle Paleozoic impact event in the southwest of the East European Platform

A zone with high remanent magnetization and magnetic susceptibility has been identified at the boundary between Lower Devonian gray- and red-colored deposits in the basin of the Dniester River in the southwest of Ukraine (in the southwest of the East European Platform). The microparticles of native iron and nickel and iron-nickel intermetallic compounds found here might be markers of an impact event in the Lochkovian (~ 415 Ma). Electron microscope examination and probe microanalysis of the chemical composition, morphology, structures, and textures of specific microobjects showed that they are the product of melting of meteoritic substance and target rocks caused by an impact explosion. Explosive dispersion and deposition of microparticles on the Earth’s surface result in a rapid differentiation of their substance. The obtained data can be used as evidence of a reference impact event during the fall of an iron-stone meteorite, and a characteristic set of minerals and geochemical parameters can help to identify catastrophic events in the geologic history.     

Tectonic differentiation of Precambrian basement formations in East European Platform

Principal unconformities and terminal folding, on the time scale from Belomorian through Caledonian, are correlated tentatively for constituents of the East European Platform (Baltic Shield, Ukrainian Massif, Eastern Margin, and their subordinates), Canadian Shield and Greenland, parts of Great Britain, and northern margin of the African Platform. — IGR Staff.     

Seismogenic Ancient Structures of the Center and North of the East European Platform

Doklady Earth Sciences - The location of earthquake epicenters in the central and northern parts of the East European Platform in 2009–2016 has been analyzed. The earthquake epicenters have...     

Kimberlites and lamproites of the East European Platform: Petrology and geochemistry

Several episodes of kimberlite magmatism occurred in the East European Province (EEP) during a long (about 1.5 Gyr) time period, from the Late Paleoproterozoic (ca. 1.8 Ga) in the Archean Ukrainian and Baltic shields to the Middle Paleozoic (ca. 0.36 Ga) mainly in the Arkhangelsk, Timan, and adjacent regions. Based on the analysis of data on 16 kimberlite occurrences and four lamproite occurrences within the EEP, five time stages can be distinguished; one of them, the Middle Paleozoic stage (Middle Ordovician and Devonian), is the most productive epoch for diamond in the northern hemisphere (EEP, Siberian Craton, and part of the China Craton). The analysis of petrological and geochemical characteristics of kimberlites (lamproites were studied less thoroughly) revealed variations in rock composition and their correlation with a number of factors, including the spatial confinement to the northern or southern Archean blocks of the craton, time of formation of the source of kimberlite melts, contents of volatiles and autoliths, etc. Three petrogeochemical types of kimberlites were distinguished: high-, medium-, and low-Ti (TiO₂ > 3 wt %, 1–3 wt %, and <1 wt %, respectively). There are two time intervals of the formation of kimberlite and lamproite sources in the EEP, corresponding to T_Nd(DM) values of about 2 Ga (up to 2.9 Ga in the Por’ya Guba occurrence) and 1 Ga. The latter interval includes two groups of occurrences with model source ages of about 1 Ga (low-and medium-Ti kimberlites of the Zolotitsa and Verkhotina occurrences) and about 0.8 Ga (high-Ti kimberlites of the Kepino and a number of other occurrences); i.e., there seems to be an evolutionary trend in the composition of kimberlites. Concentric zoning patterns were recognized. The role of the crust in kimberlite sources is discussed; it is assumed that buried remnants of the oceanic lithosphere (megaliths) may underlie whole continents. A unique feature of the composition of low-Ti kimberlites, for instance, kimberlites of the Zolotitsa occurrence (to a smaller extent, medium-Ti kimberlites of the V. Grib pipe) is the distinct depletion of highly charged elements and pronounced negative anomalies of Ti, Zr, Th, U, Nb, and Ta in trace-element distribution patterns, which indicates a contribution of crustal material to the source of these kimberlites. It was shown that autoliths exert a significant influence on the differentiation of kimberlite material, resulting in the enrichment of rocks in the whole spectrum of incompatible elements. It was argued that geochemical criteria can be used together with traditional criteria (including those based on indicator minerals) for the assessment of diamond potential in EEP occurrences. We hope that such a combined approach will yield important outcomes in the future.     

Latent Tectonics of the Central Russian Deformation Belt of the East European Platform

Geotectonics - The article considers the features of the tectonics of the Central Russian deformation belt located in the central part of the East European Platform. The belt is traced in a wide...     

Alkali earth elements in Vendian-Cambrian clayey rocks, the East European Platform

Low Sr and Ca contents in fine-grained terrigenous rocks of the Vendian sedimentary cover in the East European Platform may be related to the following reasons: (1) the absence of authigenic carbonates in Vendian mudstones owing to desalination of epiplatformal sedimentary basins; (2) significant contribution of the chemically weathered rocks in the formation of the Vendian cover of the East European Platform.     

Geologic map of lower surface of sedimentary mantle of the East European Platform

An unusual type of metasomatic dolomitization occurs in the region. Here numerous zones of dolomitization are developed in Ordovician and Silurian sediments, confined to tectonic disturbances and zones of jointing with northeasterly strike. The zones of dolomitization have been traced along fractures and are up to 10-12 km long and up to 400 wide. The dolomitization has a regional character and is apparently associated with the effects of rising magnesian waters on the Ordovician and Silurian carbonate sequence. Possible formation of the zones of dolomitization embraces the interval from the Late Silurian to the Middle Devonian, that is, these zones are of Caledonian age.—Authors.     

Late Vendian Kotlinian Crisis on the East European Platform: Lithogeochemical Indicators of Depositional Environment

Lithology and Mineral Resources - Sharp changes in the biodiversity of fossil organisms in the Upper Vendian of the East European Platform are considered as the manifestation of global crisis...