BADDELEYITE-CONTAINING STRATIFORM BODIES IN OLD CARBONATE SEQUENCES. A POSSIBLE NEW GENETIC TYPE OF ZIRCONIUM DEPOSITS

Abstract

In an area of the Eastern Aldan region, on the periphery of a large body of rocks of the ultramafic-alkalic carbonatite (UAC) association, in the middle of a formation of carbonate (dolomitic) rocks of Vendian to Early Cambrian age having a total thickness of up to 250 m, horizons of unconsolidated, disintegrated sandy-loamy rocks with relatively high content of baddeleyite, and everywhere usually with an admixture of scheelite, have been found. The rocks of this formation, consisting of almost pure dolomite with a very small amount of silicate material, occur extensively over the vast territory of the Aldan, and have been thoroughly studied stratigraphically and lithologically. This paper describes the results of this study.