Ore belts of the Greater Altai and their ore resource potential

Abstract

The results of comprehensive geological and metallogenic studies of the Greater Altai are presented. This project has been carried out since 1997 under the guidance of Academician G.N. Shcherba. The importance of these investigations is determined by the need to enhance and further develop mineral resources of nonferrous, noble, rare, and other metals for operating mining and metallurgical enterprises of Kazakhstan. The great body of information on the geology, geophysics, and metallogeny of the region obtained over many years has been integrated on the basis of new global tectonics. The Greater Altai embraces the Hercynides of the Rudny Altai, Qalba-Narym, West Qalba, Zharma-Saur, and the adjacent territories of Russia and China. The present-day tectonic units are considered to be detached blocks of ancient continental massifs that drifted in the Paleoasian ocean and then amalgamated into the structure of the Greater Altai during the Hercynian collision. The tectonic and metallogenic demarcation of the studied territory made possible the recognition of the Rudny Altai, Qalba-Narym, West Qalba, and Zharma-Saur ore belts, different in geology, geodynamic evolution, and metallogeny. The formation conditions and localization of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide, gold, and rare-metal deposits pertaining to certain ore-bearing geochronological levels were specified, and the potential of the region for various mineral resources was estimated.

Rare Metal Deposits of East Kazakhstan: Geologic Position and Prognostic Criteria

“…The deposits have industrial values (Yubileiny, Belaya Gora, Upper Baymurza etc.) [2,6,7,14]. These objects are compared with the large pegmatite deposits in other regions-Bernic Lake (Canada), Koktokay (China) and other [15][16][17].…”

“…The most significant deposits of gold (Bakyrchik, Suzdal etc.) were located in Zaisan suturn zone generated on continental edges interfase [6,9,10]. In a late stage (P 1 -Т 1 ) under the conditions of innerslabs activation were generated granitoid belts (zone) with rare metals and rare earths ores, placed on lithospheric blocks borders.…”

“…(Zyryanovsk, Maleevsky, Ridder-Sokolny, Artemevsky etc.) [2,[6][7][8]. For an average conflict stage (С 1-3 ) sulphidic copper-nickel, copper-porphiry and gold ores deposits connected with magmatigm of gabbro-dioritgranodiorit-plagiogranit series are characteristic.…”

“…The geological formation development and mineralization occured in a mode of oceanic riftogene (PR 3 ), then in early (riftogenic, islandarcic), average (collision) and late (postcollision) stages of coledanic and hercynic cycles, and was finished by continental riftogenes and neotectonic orogeny in mesozoic and cainozoic [1,6]. In Precambrian during the process of proterozoic base riftogenes in mantled breaks magmatics deposits of a Cr, Ni, Co (Pt, Hg) were generated.…”

“…According to the region's metallogeny we allocate here four ore belts of a belt zone: Rudnoaltai (copperpolimetallic), Kalba-Narym (rare metals), West-Kalba (gold ore) and Zharma-Saur (multimetal) [2,6]. The geological formation development and mineralization occured in a mode of oceanic riftogene (PR 3 ), then in early (riftogenic, islandarcic), average (collision) and late (postcollision) stages of coledanic and hercynic cycles, and was finished by continental riftogenes and neotectonic orogeny in mesozoic and cainozoic [1,6].…”