We consider the primary nature and sources of the protoliths of metamorphic rocks of the Kurai block located in the large Teletskoe–Kurai system of deep faults separating the Gorny Altai and West Sayan structures. It has been established that the protoliths of the Kurai block metapelites were deposits of transitional crust: They lack typical rocks of mature continental crust (arkoses, litharenites) and have reduced (relative to the upper continental crust) contents of lithophile elements and elevated contents of transition elements. The average Nd model age of the protoliths of the metapelites of the Kurai complex corresponds to the Middle Riphean (1.4–1.6 Ga). The metabasites of the Kurai complex are similar in petrologic composition to metamorphic products of oceanic basalts. It is shown that the formation of metamorphic associations of the Kurai block was caused by tectonometamorphic transformations of a compositionally heterogeneous rock unit (basalts, aluminous and volcanomict sediments), which were, most likely, a fragment of Middle Cambrian–Early Ordovician turbidite basin with an oceanic basement.
The Kalguty ore-magmatic system (OMS) contains economic greisen and vein rare metal-tung sten-molybdenum mineralization. The data on U-Pb zircon (SHRIMP II) age of nine samples of igneous rocks from the Kalguty OMS are accompanied by chemical, ICP MS, and ICP AES analyses of the main rock varieties. Porphyritic biotite granite of the main phase of the Kalguty pluton is characterized by the con cordant age of 207.5 ± 1.7 Ma (MSWD = 0.034). The concordant age of the leucogranitic dikes pertaining to the East Kalguty Complex is 204 ± 2 Ma (MSWD = 0.65) for elvan and 200.8 ± 1.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.72) for ultrapotassic rhyolite porphyry. The two mica and muscovite leucogranite of the Eastern stock is signifi cantly younger: 195 ± 2.7 Ma (MSWD = 0.076) and 193.1 ± 2.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.0009). Thus, the Chinga datui Complex (the main phase of the Kalguty pluton) and dikes of the East Kalguty Complex are Late Tri assic in age. The two mica leucogranites of the Eastern, Zhumaly, and other stocks are most likely correlated to the Early Jurassic Alacha Complex of rare metal granites. The superposition of greisen mineralization on elvan and ongonite dikes may be related to the emplacement of younger, Early Jurassic ore forming two mica and muscovite granites. Judging from zircon xenocrysts in granites, the Mesoproterozoic igneous rocks dated at 1.5 Ga and products of erosion of the rocks dated at 1.7 and 2.5 Ga occur in the basement of the Kalguty volcanic-tectonic structure. This is sound evidence for the occurrence of ancient continental crustal blocks in the southwestern part of the Altai-Sayan region.
The geologic position, age, petrologic composition, and petrogenesis of mesoabyssal plagiogranites in northern Rudny Altai, dated earlier at the Early–Middle Devonian, are considered. The Middle Carboniferous (322–318 Ma) age of granitoids has been substantiated by isotope-geochronological data (U–Pb zircon dating and Ar–Ar amphibole and biotite dating). Geologic-structural studies showed that the intrusion of granitoids took place at the time when compression was changed by sinistral faulting. This led to the conclusion that the granitoids formed at the peak of the collision between the Siberian and the Kazakhstan paleocontinents. Geochemical and isotope studies showed that most of the analyzed plagiogranites belong to high-alumina (continental) type and resulted from the deep melting (~ 15 kbar) of metabasic substrates compositionally similar to N-MORB (judging from results of geochemical modeling and the Nd isotope composition). The presence of plagiogranites of low-alumina (oceanic) type in the postgranite dike series testifies to the melting of the Rudny Altai heterogeneous crust at different depths during its collisional thickening.
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