Geological structure and petrology of the Nizhne-Sinyachikhinsky granitoid massif (Alapayevsk-Sukhoi Log porphyry copper zone, the Middle Urals)

Abstract

Research subject. The geological structure and rock composition of the Nizhne-Sinyachikhinsky plagiogranite massif, which is part of the Alapaevsk-Sukholozhsky zone, is promising for the Cu(Au,Mo)-porphyric mineralization type, were studied. The aim was to determine the formation features of these rocks and compare them with the productive granitoids of Ural porphyry deposits of similar age. Materials and methods. The mineral composition of the rocks was determined using a JEOL JSM 6790LV scanning electron microscope with an INCA Energy 450 X-Max 80 EDS spectrometer and a CAMECA SX-100 electron microprobe analyser. The rock composition was obtained by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on a SRM-35 and XRF-1800 spectrometers with the titrimetric determination of FeO. The concentrations of rare and rare-earth elements were determined on an ELAN 9000 inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer at the Geoanalitik Center for Collective Use of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Results. For the first time, an early tonalite-plagiogranite series was identified in the structure of the massif. This series is represented by tonalites of the hypabyssal appearance, broken through by the dikes of plagiogranite-porphyry. It was shown that the separation of plagiogranite-porphyry melts from magmas of the mafic composition occurred at the base of the island-arc construction, and their crystallisation was carried out in an intermediate chamber at a pressure of 1.8–2.3 kbar. In contrast, the plagiogranites of the main phase of the massif were separated from the parent melt in an intermediate chamber located at the level of the upper crust, and their crystallisation occurred at a pressure of 1.5–2.0 kbar. Conclusions. A comparison of the main phase plagiogranites and the isolated early-series plagiogranite-porphyry indicates their similar composition, as well as their similarity in age with the granitoids of the Southern Urals, productive in terms of the porphyry mineralisation type. The concentrations of F, Cl and S in the apatites and amphiboles of the rocks under study is an argument in favour of their belonging to andesitoid formations that are productive in terms of the Cu (Au)-porphyry mineralisation type. The absence of the sulphide mineralisation of this type can be explained by a more significant depth of rock formation and their erosion section.