Age and Formation Conditions of U Mineralization in the Litsa Area and the Salla-Kuolajarvi Zone (Kola Region, Russia)

Abstract

The Kola region (NE of Fennoscandian Shield) has high uranium potential. The most promising structures within the Kola region in respect to uranium enrichment are the Litsa area and the Salla-Kuolajarvi zone. The principal objective of the present study was to define sequence and timing of uranium deposition within these areas. Isotopic (U-Pb and Rb-Sr) exploration of the rocks from Skal’noe and Dikoe U occurrences of the Litsa area and Ozernoe occurrences of the Salla-Kuolajarvi zone was carried out. As it follows from isotopic dating, the principal stages of uranium mineralization had taken place 2.3–2.2, 1.75–1.65, and 0.40–0.38 Ga ago, simultaneously with the stages of alkaline magmatism in the Kola region, which provided the uranium input. Uranium mineralization was related to hydrothermal and metasomatic events under medium to low temperature of ~550 °С at 2.3 Ga to ~280 °С at 0.4 Ga.