Modern Geothermochronological and Paleomagnetic Potential for Solving Mineral Exploration Problems

Abstract

The paper considers in brief modern paleomagnetic and geochronological methods based on the study of the magnetic properties and isotope composition of rocks and successfully used in international practice in solving urgent applied and fundamental problems in geology, geophysics, and related sciences. The paleomagnetic method is widely used for spatially orienting borehole cores, allows intra- and interbasin correlations of paleontologically barren sedimentary cross sections, and is applied for the age correlation of ore-bearing intrusions and lava strata. Knowledge of the rock magnetic characteristics of rocks makes it possible to create 3D models of the poroperm characteristics of reservoirs of caustobioliths and reconstruct hydrocarbon migration paths. Thermochronological methods are generally used to reconstruct the thermal evolution of sedimentary basins: they make it possible to estimate the temperature and duration of heating of sedimentary and crystalline rock complexes; calculate the value of the geothermal gradient in the past, which is especially important for evaluating the conditions of hydrocarbon generation; reconstruct the tectonic history of sedimentary basins; calculate the thicknesses of eroded deposits; and identify the burial and uplift phases of crustal blocks. It is noted that the integrated use of modern methods and advanced equipment makes it possible to obtain comparable results at the world level. As an example, the results of multidisciplinary research on the Kola Peninsula are presented; they are used as a basis for creating a unique model of the tectonothermal evolution of northeastern Fennoscandia and the Barents Sea shelf. The article presents the resource base and the basic characteristics of the equipment used for the implementation of these methods at Russia’s leading scientific centers, such as Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth, Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazan Federal University, and St. Petersburg State University. The developed apparatus makes it possible to carry out the whole set of studies considered in this work for the needs of Russia’s mining and energy complexes.