Density contrast, deep structure, rheology and metallogeny of the crust and upper mantle of the Verkhoyano-Kolymsky region

Abstract

Research subject. The Verkhoyano-Kolymsky areal of ore mineralization in the Far East of Russia.Data and methods. We used the state metallogenic map of Russia, Sc. 1: 2 500 000 (2000) and the gravity map of Russia Sc. 1: 2 500 000 (2001). Modeling was conducted by studying the deep structure of the earth’s crust and upper mantle from the anomalies of the density contrast of geological media in the intervals between the centers of density inhomogeneities and the surfaces of equivalent spheres.Results. 3D-distributions of density contrast (µz-parameter) in the crust and upper mantle of the Verkhoyano-Kolymsky region related to the rheological properties of geological media were analyzed. In the gravity models designed without attraction of external information, the structures of thrust, splitting, stretching, as well as the structures of central type (CTS) of the plume nature, were identified. In the regional stretching zone, at the border of lithospheric segments, the revealed Indigiro-Kolymsky and Verkhoyansk CTSs were described in 3D space. These structures are characterized by a mushroom-like upwelling of the asthenosphere, associated with heat flow anomalies. The identified structures differ in terms of asthenosphere depth, age and ore mineralization. The location of ore clusters and regions in the zones of CTS obeys concentric ore-magmatic zoning, typical for this type of structures. The central (trunk-like) zone of Indigiro-Kolymsky CTS features mainly high-temperature gold-quarts mineralization. On the periphery, along with gold areas, there are tin-tungsten, tin and complex ore mineralization areas. The majority of gold fields with low-temperature gold-sulfide, tin and polymetallic mineralization are attributed to the flanks of Indigiro-Kolymsky CTS. In the Verkhoyanska CTS, the majority of ore regions are characterized by multi-formation ore mineralization. In the central part of this structure, areas with mainly low-temperature tin, mercury-antimony and gold-silver ore mineralization are located. On the flanks, gold mineralization is either absent or subsidiary.Conclusions. As a result of a simple procedure, implying generalization of multiple decisions of the elementary inverse problem of gravity potential, main features of the deep structure of the Verkhyano-Kolima region were defined. In the regional stretch zone, at the boundary of lithospheric segments, the Indigiro-Kolimskaya and Verkhoyanskaya CTSs of the plume nature that control the location of ore deposits were identified and described in 3D space.