Gold mineralization in the diaphthorites of the Verkhne-Timptonskiy ore district (Aldan-Stanovoy shield)

Abstract

In the Verkhne-Timptonskiy gold ore district, located where the Stanovoy and Aldan blocks intersect (Aldan-Stanovoy shield), substantial placer gold deposits have been found in the Gonam, Timpton, and Iengra rivers. The exploration of certain deposits in this area began at the end of the 19th century. Despite exploration efforts conducted in the second half of the 20th century, only minor gold ore findings were made, with uncertain links to greenstones and igneous formations from various periods. After conducting a thorough analysis of both existing and new data on the geology and metallogeny of the Verkhne-Timptonskiy gold ore district, we have concluded that gold occurrences in diaphthorites of the Kholodnikan belt display characteristic features of orogenic-type gold deposits. These features include disseminated pyrite and veinlet mineralization containing iron (Fe), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu) sulfides, and sulfosalts. The near-ore alterations are represented by silicification, sericitization, carbonatization, and beresitization, characteristic of mesothermal fluid systems. Moreover, we identified common features of the geological structure and metallogeny of the Verkhne-Timptonskiy gold ore district and the Jiaodong province of the North China Craton. Thus, gold mineralization in the Verkhne-Timptonskiy gold ore district and the Jiaodong province is spatially associated with suture zones. In the Verkhne-Timptonskiy gold ore district, the Amga zone of tectonic melange in the Paleoproterozoic era was one of the regions where cratonization of blocks of the Earth’s crust occurred. Later, it became a zone of permeability and concentration of tectonothermal and metallogenic events of various ages. The results obtained will help assess the metallogenic potential of the Verkhne-Timptonskiy district and the Aldan-Stanovoy shield as a whole. They make it possible to increase the efficiency of search operations and focus on localizing research objects.