Structure of the lithosphere and its controls on gold mineralisation in Southeast Kamchatka

Abstract

Since the eighties of the last century and up to the present time, a complex of geophysical methods including earthquake converted-waves method, magnetotelluric sounding, gravimetry, magnetometry and seismological have been implemented in southeast Kamchatka. Based on the complex interpretation of the data obtained, a geological and geophysical model of the Earth's crust and upper mantle along the bay profile of Khodutka Bay – Nikolaevka village was constructed. Genetic relationship between active areas of the Earth's crust and gold deposits was established. The hypothesis of division of the formerly unified xenoblock into two separate fragments under the impact of shear along the Nachikinskaya zone of transverse dislocations has been suggested. The southern fragment is represented by the Coastal terrane. To the west of the terrane is a permeable zone with modern volcanism. Intrusion of magma and high-temperature fluids enriched with noble metals into the upper crustal layers occurs along the magmatic channel formed in the paleosubduction zone.

Keywords

• paleo-kamchatka
• earth's crust
• upper mantle
• subduction
• terrane
• ore occurrence