21 January 2021
Журнал

“National Geology” journal, № 6/2020. Read online on FSBI TsNIGRI website

The editorial board recommends the journal readers to take a close look at the published announcements of the X International practical conference “Scientific and methodical basics of diamond, precious and base metal deposit forecasting, prospecting and assessment” and the II Youth science and education conference “Diamond, precious and base metal mineral base: from forecasting to production” held by FSBI TsNIGRI. The conferences will be held in a mixed format.

The first paper by TsNIGRI authors focuses on relevant issues of the national geology development.

The section “Organization, management, economy, subsurface mining” contains an overview, “Federally funded precious metal exploration in the 21st century: results and prospects”, by A.I. Ivanov, A.I. Chernykh, E.A. Naumov, A.G. Volchkov and D.A. Kulikov. This overview presents detailed data on location of federally funded precious metal exploration sites within the Russian Federation and its subjects for 2003-2024, funding rates are outlined, resources approved as a result of exploration are reported, federally funded exploration areas for the near term are shown and systematic actions to maintain the current gold production over the coming decades are specified.

The section “Legal regulation, scientific, technical and applied support” presents a new open database, “Interactive knowledge map” compiled by E.V. Popov, I.V. Zakharkin, E.A. Tkacheva and their coauthors. This is a result of industry-specific GIS projects uploading on the interactive map platform. This portal provides fast access to data on area coverage by surveys, prospecting and assessment, exploration, thematic and regional activities, geography and topography of particular areas as well as availability of regional geological maps. The authors provided specific examples of the map usage. The map is based on summarized federal and territorial knowledge data, which is updated daily. This website is already actively used in collecting various materials and comparing diverse geological studies. In the near term, it will be useful in making management decisions in geological subsurface studies and subsurface mining, scientific research and education.

E.G. Ivolga, Yu.F. Manilov and V.B. Kaplun sought to identify lithosphere features of mineragenic zones within the southern Primorye along a specific profile. Quite complete geophysical information was presented for it. To determine geological and structural features of metallogenic zones, the researchers constructed geophysical models and performed their comprehensive analysis based on seismic, density, magnetic and geoelectrical data. The resulting diverse data allowed the authors of “South Primorye mineragenic zone deep structure” paper to conclude that the results of a comprehensive geophysical study can be used to understand the mechanism of ore magmatic system formation and design criteria to forecast economic mineralization areas.

In her paper, “Structure and composition of picrite gabbro-dolerites within the Oktyabrskoye deposit central part”, M.P. Nesterenko discussed the issues concerning the genesis of Norilsk area deposits’ sulfide Cu-Ni ores, which are still debatable (specialists share various views of parent magma composition and their crystallization conditions). To get a deeper insight into these issues, the author carried out a detailed study of Kharaelakh intrusive hosting the area’s largest Oktyabrskoye deposit, picrite horizon structure and sulfide distribution within them. The obtained data support a viewpoint of gravity impact in impregnated ore formation in Norilsk intrusives.

The paper by R.F. Salikhov, A.V. Tolstov, V.K. Garanin, K.V. Garanin, O.E. Kovalchuk and their colleagues, “Geological structure and composition of Zarya kimberlite pipe (western Yakutia) highlights a well-known deposit whose economic development started in 2019. The author aimed to summarize materials on kimberlite body geology, its compositional features and update the relationship between quantitative and qualitative diamond potential indicators and mineralogical-geochemical kimberlite characteristics. They performed an extensive study and analyzed a major dataset on the deposit petrology and mineralogy features. Combined with a detailed description of Zarya pipe localization conditions and geological structure, this information allows to formulate material and indication criteria of the deposit diamond potential. The authors found that diamond grades in the deep horizons of a kimberlite pipe increase compared to its upper part.

The section “Lithology, petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry” includes a paper by A.I. Gusev and N.I. Gusev, “New data on absolute age, petrology and ore potential of Murzinsky intrusive massif (northwestern Altai)”. Its focus is on the copper-skarn deposit location in Altai. The authors published and discussed new data on absolute age of Murzinsky stock rocks, its petrology and ore potential. IAn particular, they dated Murzinsky massif formation age as Middle Devonian (not Late Devonian as suggested previously); in addition, early stages of its formation involved rocks other than diorites: monzodiorites associated with shoshonites also formed at that time. Therefore, the authors suggest potential discovery of porphyry mineralization (apart from skarn mineralization) within Murzinskoye ore field and present convincing evidence.

V.P. Afanasyev, E.I. Nikolenko, K.V. Lobov, I.D. Zolnikov, N.V. Gluhkova and A.A. Kartoziya published study results of Yamalakh horst. This study was part of a general assessment of diamond potential within Central Aldan district, Yakutia. In their paper, “Geological and geomorphological structural features and formation history of Yamalakh horst (South Yakutia)”, they considered quite unusual geomorphological setting of this area, performed a detailed geological and geomorphological study and suggested its development concept. They validated their conclusions about gold mineralization localization and showed that no diamond potential exists within it.

The section “Discussions” includes a paper by A.N. Baryshev and G.K. Khachatryan, “Geodynamics, tectonics of diamondiferous system and minerageny”. They presented their own unique geodynamic concept relating to development of all the processes and structures that ensure carbon source formation and migration for diamond crystal growth in the mantle and diamond introduction to the Earth’s surface. The researchers also considered debatable issues of kimberlite nature. This paper was published at the time when its first author, A.N. Baryshev, celebrated his anniversary. The editorial board congratulated him on behalf of all colleagues.

Mir kimberlite pipe, which is among the world’s largest primary diamond deposits, was discovered 65 years ago. Due to this event, the issue contains memoirs about pioneering Yakutian diamond study by E.V. Frantsesson, an eminent researcher of kimberlite petrology and geochemistry as well as an author of classical papers in this area. The publication is dedicated to the author’s 90th anniversary.

The final part of the journal commemorates I.A. Karpenko (died in November 2020), an expert in geological and economic assessment of radioactive, base, precious metal and diamond deposits, and O.S. Nabrovenkov, placer gold deposit researcher and a winner of the governmental prize in science and technology.

Finally, there is a list of papers published in the journal in 2020.