Vol 478, No 1 (2018)

The U–Pb (ID TIMS) geochronological studies of single zircon grains and their fragments have made it possible to establish that rare-metal alkaline granites of the Katugin massif (2055 ± 7‒2066 ± 6 Ma) underwent high-temperature transformations at age levels of ~1921 ± 5 and 1876 ± 7 Ma.

The Lambert Rift, which is a large intracontinental rift zone in East Antarctica, developed over a long period of geological time, beginning from the Late Paleozoic, and its evolution was accompanied by magmatic activity. The latest manifestation of magmatism is eruption of alkaline olivine–leucite basalts on the western side of the Lambert Rift; Rb–Sr dating referred its time to the Middle Eocene, although its genesis remained vague. In order to solve this problem, we found geochronometer minerals in basaltic samples and 68 apatite grains appeared to be suitable for analysis. Their ages and ages of host basalts, determined by the U–Pb local method on the SIMS SHRIMP-II, were significantly different (323 ± 31 Ma) from those assumed earlier. This age corresponds to the earliest stage of crustal extension in East Antarctica and to most of Gondwana. The new data crucially change the ideas about the evolution of Lambert Rift and demonstrate the ambiguity of К–Ar dates of the alkali effusive formed under long-term rifting.

Based on the materials of regional seismic surveys, general structural maps of the basement roof and the carbonate stratum, as well as a map of the carbonate formation isopachytes, are plotted. Using statistical methods, the trend-component for the basement roof is determined and the map of isolines characterizing the II-order structural-tectonic elements is obtained.

The first results of U–Pb SIMS geochronological and Nd–Sr isotope–geochemical studies of the Yurovka Complex metavolcanics and granitoids of the Luktur Complex belonging to the Yurovka Swell yielded a Paleoproterozoic age of their formation pointing to a considerable Paleoproterozoic continental crust formation event. These data allow us to reconsider existing ideas about the similarity of the composition and age of the basement of the Yurovka Swell and that of the Paleoarchaean Kukhtui Swell of the Okhotsk Massif.

The Ufimian tectonic concentric structure (UTC) is a regional structure with concentric and zonal structure of the internal gravity field. In the Neoproterozoic this structure was at higher hypsometric level relative to the Bashkir Meganticlinorium. The most significant uplift of this tectonic concentric structure happened at the beginning of the Karatau time (~825 Ma) and was accompanied by the formation of a ring fractured zone, favorable for hydrocarbon migration from the Lower Riphean black shales. Due to this, bitumens with higher Mo content in the Neoproterozoic and Paleozoic deposits are confined spatially to this zone. The bitumenosity of the Neoproterozoic deposits on the southern slope of the Ufimian tectonic concentric structure could have contributed to the formation of complex Cu–Ag–Mo–Re ores (copper sands) at the upper boundary of terrigenous red deposits of the Zilmerdak Formation. Positive structures identified in the Neoproterozoic deposits near the margin of the Ufimian tectonic concentric structure are considered to be promising for searching for hydrocarbon fields.

The REE composition of modern mineral–organic associations in the sulfide ore hypergenesis zone of the Berezitovoe deposit in the Russian Far East was studied for the first time. It is shown that the mineral–organic associations widely abundant in the valley of Konstantinovskii Creek and represented by bright brown crusts on the surface of deluvial deposits were formed at the expense of the influence of acid highly mineralized mine waters from the Berezitovoe deposit. The mineral–organic associations found in the Creek valley may be considered as a new indicator for evaluation of the geoecological state of modern technogenic landscapes.

A complete microelement analysis of the Chinga meteorite was performed, and the possibility of attributing it together with a number of other iron meteorites into the IVC subgroup, which is transition between IVA and IVB is proposed.

It is shown experimentally that fluid mostly consisting of CO₂ and CO is a good solvent for many petrogenic and ore components under high P–T parameters. Siderite decomposed to oxides and a mixture of CO₂ and CO was the source of the fluid in the experiment. It is demonstrated that an ultrapotassic alkaline melt was formed on the oxide matrix as a result of fluid transport of the components of the basaltic melt at 2–5 kbar and 900–1000°C. This melt is characterized by high concentrations of Rb, LREE, Sr, and Ba. The mechanism of solubility of metals in the carbon dioxide–reduced fluid includes the formation of volatile carbonyls. As is evident from thermodynamic modeling, the stability of Ni(CO)4 at high pressure reaches magmatic temperatures. The finding of native nickel in aerosols during eruption of the Tolbachik Volcano in 2012–2013 is explained by decomposition of carbonyl from fluid of a deep origin during magma ascent.

We have been the first to study in situ the U–Pb isotopic system of aeschynite identified in the gold-bearing magnetite–chlorite–dolomite rocks of the Karabash serpentine massif in the Southern Urals. In the concordia diagram, the U–Pb LA–ICP–MS data on aeschynite are characterized by a considerable discordance, which is consistent with the regression line, the lower crossing of which with the concordia corresponds to an age of 298 ± 18 Ma, whereas the figurative ellipses of coexisting monazite reveal an almost concordant cluster corresponding to the U–Pb age of 317.3 ± 3.3 Ma. It has been established that the closure temperature of the aeschynite system is lower than that of the coexisting monazite.

Pyrite crystals and ore-bearing shales of the Degdekan deposit were studied by means of XPS, SEM–EDX, EPMA, and AAS. Five peaks of carbon organic forms were identified, conforming to polymer compounds containing either double bonds of carbon or alkyne groups and compounds containing C–OH and C=O bonds, as well as, probably, small amounts of S-containing compounds and those with functional groups of carboxylic acids. Sulfate prevails over sulfite in pyrites; among the surface sulfide forms, disulfide prevails over monosulfide; the presence of polysulfide is registered. The occurrence of various chemical forms of sulfur on the surface might provide for concentrating of microelements including the noble metals (NMs) in their surface-bound forms. The regular behavior of NMs (Au, Pt, Pd, and Ru) depending on the grain sizes (specific surfaces) of pyrite crystals along with the narrow range of the ratios of structural and surface components of the concentrations of different NMs points to NM coprecipitation with pyrite during the same productive stage. No capture of NM-containing carbonaceous phases took place, which should violate the regularity of Au distribution in pyrites of the Sukhoi Log deposit.

The stable enrichment of pyrite from magnesite ores in δ³⁴S isotope (from 5.4 to 6.9‰) compared with pyrite from the host (sedimentary and igneous) rocks was established in the classical Satka sparry magnesite ore field. Concretionary segregations of fine-grained pyrite in dolomite are depleted in the heavy sulfur isotope (δ³⁴S, from–9.1 to–5.8‰). Pyrite from dolerite is characterized by δ³⁴S values (–1.1 and 1.7‰) close to the meteorite sulfur. The δ³⁴S values in barite from the underlying dolomite horizon vary in the range of 32.3–41.4‰. The high degree of homogeneity of the sulfur isotope composition in pyrite from magnesite is a result of thermochemical sulfate reduction during the syngenetic crystallization of pyrite and magnesite from epigenetic brines, formed during dissolution of evaporite sulfate minerals at the stage of early catagenesis of the Riphean deposits.

Framing of the Archaean greenstone belts of the Kursk Block (KB) of the East Sarmatia preserves rocks of the TTG association: those do not form massifs with distinct boundaries, but occur as fields gradually transiting into gneisses and migmatites. According to Sm–Nd isotope–geochemical data, the TTG are characterized by positive values of ε_Nd(2960) = +0.3…+1.6 and protolith model ages of Т_Nd(DM) = 3100–3200 Ma. Magmatic protoliths of the Kursk Block TTG were formed about 2960 Ma by melting from a juvenile basite source. These age estimates are significantly younger than heterochronous (3.19, 3.13 and 3.07 Ga) TTGs of the Middle Dnieper granite–greenstone terrane. On the other hand, the similarity of εNd(T) implies a single source of their protoliths. Consequently, the KB TTGs, apparently, are a result of transformation of an older sial crust preserved within the Middle Dnieper Block.

We analyze the results of investigations of acoustic properties (velocities of longitudinal and transversal waves) in sand samples containing different amounts of water, ice, and methane or tetrahydrofuran hydrates in the pores using a special laboratory setup.

It has been proposed to distinguish the coastal geographic structures consisting of a spatial combination of three interconnected and mutually conditioned parts (coastal-territorial, coastal, coastal-marine), which are interlinked with each other by the cumulative effect of real-energy flows. Distinguishing specific resource features of the coastal structures, by which they play a connecting role in the complex coastalmarine management, has been considered. The main integral resource feature of the coastal structures is their connecting functions, which form transitional parts mutually connecting the coastal-territorial and coastalmarine environmental management.

Using the example of the surface currents map сonstructed for the Northern Atlantic on the basis of data of modern observations by means of drifting buoys, it is shown that the previously published maps of ocean surface currents, based on ship drift data, have become outdated and require an update. The influence of the bottom relief on the directions of surface layer currents is shown.

Equations are obtained for a hydrodynamic load on an obstacle, which is modeled by a point dipole during its circulated flow of a two-layered liquid of finite depth. The correlations between the wave resistance and rising force and the rate of the flow and circulation are studied. Examples of numerical calculations for real marine conditions are given. It is shown that the account of circulation can significantly change the value of the hydrodynamic reaction, which impacts the dipole.

The list of authors and their affiliations should read as follows:

A. Gerdes^a, Academician L. N. Kogarko^b,*, and N. V. Vladykin^c

^aInstitute of Earth Sciences, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

^bVernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 119991 Russia

^cVinogradov Institute of Geochemistry, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Irkutsk, 664033 Russia

*e-mail: kogarko@geochi.ru