Chromium geochemistry – a forgotten key to the issues of geology in the Northern Urals

Abstract

Research subject. Geochemistry and mineralogy of chromium in the Paleozoic carbonate rocks of the Northern Urals. A recent review of these data, published more than half a century ago during the flourishing of Russian geology (1980– 1997), showed that these data were undeservedly forgotten.Materials and methods. The generalisation of all the results of previous work on the Northern Urals region, as well as the compilation of the World’s data on the chromium content in the stratosphere.Results. The previous studies retain their acute relevance not only in their narrow specialised sense, but also more broadly for the solution of a number of major geological issues in this region, far beyond the scope of geochemistry or mineralogy alone. One of the important results is the statement about the wide development of ultramafic magmatism in the ancient sequences of the Northern Urals.Conclusion. The article formulates current unresolved issues and suggests the methods for solving them. That unconventional approach promises great progress in deciphering the Paleozoic facies and paleogeography of the Northern Urals region.