GEOLOGY AND FORMATION CONDITIONS OF THE UNIQUE GOLD-SILVER DEPOSIT IN CHUKOTKA

Abstract

The position of the Kupol gold–silver deposit in the general structure of the outer zone and base of the Okhotsk–Chukotka Volcanic Belt (OCVB) is discussed. Vartanyan et al. highlighted the following issues: (1) the geological setting of the Kaiemraveem ore node, which includes the large Kupol deposit and six coeval gold–silver occurrences; (2) the paleovolcanic interpretation of its structure as a large Late Cretaceous stratovolcano complicated by caldera; and (3) detailed characteristics of the mineral composition of ores. In addition, we obtained the first thermobarogeochemical data on conditions of ore formation. The new interesting data make it possible to refine the general geostructural position of the Kaiemraveem ore node, to propose an alternative interpretation of the paleovolcanic setting of its evolution, and to discuss some lithostructural and genetic aspects of ore mineralization.