Tectonic aspects of Precambrian metallogeny of gold and uranium

Abstract

A cause-and-effect relation is established between historical metallogeny of gold and uranium and extraterrestrial factors (impact events, evolution of the distance between Earth and Moon, rotation geodynamics), which significantly affected the Early Precambrian tectonic evolution of our planet. It is shown by the example of the complex Witwatersrand deposit that the Precambrian polygenetic Au and U deposits of the quartz–pebble type were formed within a near-equatorial epi-Archean supercontinent and were related to extraterrestrial factors under a rotation regime of the plume vertical tectonics. The beginning of breakup of the epi-Archean supercontinent in the Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic (2.0 ± 0.3 Ga) was related to the abrupt decrease in the velocity of the Earth’s axial rotation followed by the dominant regime of subhorizontal plate tectonics and formation of rich U deposits of the nonconformity type (which are structurally related to the horizontal inertial detachments at the contacts of the consolidated crust) and Meso- and Neoproterozoic sedimentary complexes.