History of the Formation of the Tsentral'noe Titanium–Zirconium Sand Deposit in the European Part of Russia

Based on the study of the Tsentral'noe deposit, specific features of the formation of mineral assemblages of complex titanium–zirconium placers are considered. The placers formed during the multiple redeposition of clastogenic minerals from source rocks and younger sedimentary rocks (intermediate collectors of titanium–zirconium minerals). The location of erosion and sedimentation zones significantly varied in the Phanerozoic in the adjacent region, resulting in the development of intricate relationships between different-aged terrigenous rocks (possible intermediate collectors) that provided the formation of new mineral assemblages of clastogenic ore minerals. In addition, erosional processes during the continental evolution of the study region could promote the exposure of more ancient rock complexes, the local washout of crystalline basement rocks, and the delivery of ore minerals from the latter rocks to the coastal zone of sedimentary basins. The aim of this communication is to attract the attention of researchers to the issue of the formation of mineral assemblages of complex placers of heavy minerals with similar hydraulic grain dimension and migration capacity for concentration in a rather narrow grain size range. Such mineral assemblages only slightly inherit the primary compositional features of provenances and primarily reflect changes in the sedimentation environment.