GEOLOGY AND GENESIS OF THE CHEREMSHANKA SILICA DEPOSIT, WESTERN TRANSBAIKAL REGION, RUSSIA

Abstract

The geology and genesis of a large high-grade silica deposit is considered. It occurs in the form of a quartzite layer, 20–50 m thick, extending for 8 km in conformity with the host Upper Proterozoic silicate-carbonate metasedimentary rocks. The average content of SiO2 is 99.2%. It has been established that quartzite was formed by metasomatic silicification of sandstone during metamorphism of the carbonate-silicate sequence. The rocks were silicified by infiltration acid leaching, whereas long-term refinement of quartzite was provided by diffusion in finely dispersed capillary-porous systems, where the energy of the solution-solid phase interface was important. In the course of metasomatic migration of components, Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Fe, and other elements were removed from quartzite and formed gold-sulfide mineralization in contact zones of the quartzite body. This opens up opportunities for discovering economic Au-Ag and Pb-Zn ores in the ore field.