The First Evidence for Paleozoic Endogenous Activity on the Western Slope of the Southern Urals

Abstract

The results of U–Pb isotope dating of perovskites from silicate–calcite vein rocks spatially associated with the Kusa–Kopan gabbro intrusion are presented. At present, the genesis of these silicate–carbonate rocks remains controversial. The obtained U–Pb ages are 497.0 ± 4 Ma for perovskite from the Perovskite mines and 468 ± 6.4 Ma for that from the Zelentsovskaya mine. The obtained ages are significantly different from the age of the Kusa–Kopan gabbro intrusion (1379 ± 8 Ma). Furthermore, the REE distribution trend (LA–ICP–MS) in the perovskites studied is similar to that in perovskites from carbonatites and kimberlites. Together with the geochronological data, this suggests that the carbonate–silicate rocks studied originated from a carbonatite origin. Additional confirmation of the manifestation of Early Paleozoic diastrophism in the region studied is the U–Pb age of zircons from volcanics of the Bashkir anticlinorium obtained earlier by various methods.