Structural and Lithological Model of the Turbiv Deposit of Eluvial Kaolins

Abstract

The geological data on the Turbiv deposit of eluvial kaolins, which is located in Vinnytsia district of Vinnytsia region near the village of Turbiv and is a part of Glukhivetsko-Turbivsky kaolin district, were generalized. Based on the coordinates and description of the wells, the topography of the base and surface of the eluvial kaolin deposits, as well as the lateral change in their thickness, was studied. It has been established that the surface relief and the thickness of the weathering crust are poorly correlated with each other and are conditioned by the history of the geological and geomorphological development of the territory, in particular, by the development of the Middle Eocene, Miocene and modern hydrographic networks, as a result of which the weathering crust was partially eroded. Data on the vertical zonality of the weathering crust and the material composition of its zones are presented. It has been established that the transitions between the zones are not clear, sometimes there are no separate zones, and the profile of the weathering crust, the lithological composition of its zones are determined by the petrotype of the basement crystalline rocks, their mineral composition and the degree of hypergene transformation. The material composition of eluvial kaolins is characterized. Based on the results of well testing and chemical analysis of kaolins, the lateral distribution of oxides of iron, aluminum, titanium and whiteness was studied. It has been established that the spatial distribution of the whiteness index within the deposit varies widely and correlates with the contents of Fe2O3 and TiO2, or one of the indicated oxides. It has been established that in most of the deposit area, the content of Al2O3 is clearly correlated with the whiteness index, namely, areas with a high content of Al2O3 correspond to areas with high whiteness values and vice versa. The vertical distribution of iron, aluminum, titanium oxides and whiteness kaolin within individual wells was studied. It was found that the whiteness index has a direct correlation with the content of Al2O3 and mainly inverse correlation with Fe2O3 and TiO2, оr with one of the oxides. Information is given on the content of iron oxides and the whiteness of kaolins within different subsoil use areas. Kaolins have been found to be enriched in zircon, ilmenite, monazite and rare earth elements, which can be extracted during field development and kaolin enrichment. The conclusion is made about the complexity of the Turbivsky deposit of eluvial kaolins. Based on the analysis of multi-temporal space images, the dynamics of changes in the area of the disturbed geological environment as a result of the extraction of eluvial kaolins during 1990-2020 was studied.