Maria M. Bogina

6.2 The Pechenga Greenstone Belt

Geology and stratigraphy of the Pechenga Greenstone Belt is described in detail in Chap. 4.2. The brief geological outline presented here provides a scientific context and background information for the FAR-DEEP implemented in this area.

The Imandra/Varzuga greenstone belt

The Late Archaean-Early Palaeoproterozoic transition (2500–2000 Ma) represents a hallmark period when the Earth System experienced a series of fundamental upheavals. Among them, the most important was the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere (sometimes referred to as the Great Oxidation Event) and the emergence of an aerobic biosphere. Associated with this, either incidentally or causally, was a cascade of other prominent, global-scale events that considerably modified Earth’s surface environments, either temporarily or permanently; these are reviewed in Parts 1 and 8 in full, and detailed in Part 7. Briefly mentioned here, these include: the severe and global climatic event known as the Huronian glaciation; an unprecedented perturbation of the global carbon cycle, the large-magnitude Lomagundi-Jatuli positive excursion of δ13Ccarb, lasted over 160 Ma; radical changes in the phosphorus and sulphur cycles resulting in accumulation of the first-known massive sulphates and sedimentary phosphates; a radical modification in recycling of organic matter leading to the emergence of a new 13C-depleted carbon reservoir in the form of carbonate concretions; and an unprecedented accumulation of organic-rich sediments and formation of the earliest supergiant petroleum deposits.

Tectonic Blocks of the Precambrian Lower Crust and Upper Mantle, Southern Sayan Mountains, East Siberia

Two large blocks of Precambrian lower-crustal and upper-mantle rocks in East Siberia, the Arbansky and Saramtinsky massifs, were tectonically emplaced into the Late Archean Onotsky Greenstone Belt and the Early Proterozoic Sharyzhalgay Granulite Belt approximately 2 Ga. The Arbansky massif is an exposure of deep lithospheric rocks formed at the base of a Precambrian granulite belt. It consists of garnet granulite and eclogite formed at 20 to 34 kb and layers of enderbite (alkali charnockite) gneiss and garnet-kyanite schist. These rocks were intruded by spinel pyroxenite and spinel-hornblende peridotite while at pressures of 6 to 10 kb. The Saramtinsky massif is an exposure of Precambrian mantle material that consists of spinel harzburgite equilibrated at 10 to 12 kb but that hosts lensoidal bodies of spinel websterite and garnet websterite equilibrated at 8 to 11 kb and 24 to 31 kb, respectively. These observations are best reconciled with an evolutionary model in which deep lithospheric rocks that equil...

Early Palaeoproterozoic volcanism of the Karelian Craton: age, sources, and geodynamic setting

A combined study of major and trace elements, Nd isotopes, and U-Pb systematics has been conducted for the early Palaeoproterozoic (Sumian) volcanic rocks and granites localized in different portions of the Karelian Craton. SHRIMP dating of zircons from the Sumian basalts indicates an emplacement age of 2423 ± 31 Ma, which constrains the lower age boundary of the early Palaeoproterozoic sequence at the Karelian Craton. The early Palaeoproterozoic mafic volcanic rocks of the Karelian Craton show practically no lateral geochemical and isotope-geochemical variations. The rocks bear signs of crustal contamination, in particular Nb and Ti negative anomalies, light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment, and nonradiogenic Nd isotope composition. However, some correlations between incompatible element ratios suggest that the crustal signatures were mainly inherited from mantle sources metasomatized during a previous subduction event. En route to the surface, melts presumably experienced only insignificant contamination by crustal material. Felsic rocks do not define common trends with mafic rocks and were formed independently. They exhibit higher REE contents, large-ion lithophile element (LILE) enrichment, and extremely wide variations in Nd isotope composition, which clearly demonstrates a considerable contribution of heterogeneous basement to their formation. Geochemically, the felsic rocks of the Karelian Craton correspond to A2-type granites and were formed by melting of crustal rocks in an anorogenic setting. Their possible sources are Archaean sanukitoid-type granitoids and Archaean granite gneisses. The high Yb content and pronounced Eu anomaly imply that they were generated from a garnet-free pyroxene – plagioclase source at shallow depths. By the Palaeoproterozoic, the older Vodlozero block was colder than the Central Domain, which facilitated the development of the brittle deformations and faulting and, correspondingly, rapid magma ascent to the surface without melting of crustal rocks. This resulted in the absence of felsic rocks and the formation of more primitive basalts in this area.

Polisarka sedimentary formation: FAR-DEEP hole 3A

The Late Archaean-Early Palaeoproterozoic transition (2500–2000 Ma) represents a hallmark period when the Earth System experienced a series of fundamental upheavals. Among them, the most important was the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere (sometimes referred to as the Great Oxidation Event) and the emergence of an aerobic biosphere. Associated with this, either incidentally or causally, was a cascade of other prominent, global-scale events that considerably modified Earth’s surface environments, either temporarily or permanently; these are reviewed in Parts 1 and 8 in full, and detailed in Part 7. Briefly mentioned here, these include: the severe and global climatic event known as the Huronian glaciation; an unprecedented perturbation of the global carbon cycle, the large-magnitude Lomagundi-Jatuli positive excursion of δ13Ccarb, lasted over 160 Ma; radical changes in the phosphorus and sulphur cycles resulting in accumulation of the first-known massive sulphates and sedimentary phosphates; a radical modification in recycling of organic matter leading to the emergence of a new 13C-depleted carbon reservoir in the form of carbonate concretions; and an unprecedented accumulation of organic-rich sediments and formation of the earliest supergiant petroleum deposits.

Origin of Fe–Ti Oxide Mineralization in the Middle Paleoproterozoic Elet’ozero Syenite–Gabbro Intrusive Complex (Northern Karelia, Russia)

Magmatic oxide mineralization widely developed in syenite–gabbro intrusive complexes is an important Fe and Ti resource. However, its origin is hotly debatable. Some researchers believe that the oxide ores were formed through precipitation of dense Ti-magnetite in an initial ferrogabbroic magma (Bai et al., 2012), whereas others consider them as a product of immiscible splitting of Fe-rich liquid during crystallization of Fe–Ti basaltic magma (Zhou et al., 2013). We consider this problem with a study of the Middle Paleoproterozoic (2086 ± 30 Ma) Elet’ozero Ti-bearing layered intrusive complex in northern Karelia (Baltic Shield). The first ore-bearing phase of the complex is mainly made up of diverse ferrogabbros, with subordinate clinopyroxenites and peridotites. Fe–Ti oxides (magnetite, Ti-magnetite, and ilmenite) usually account for 10–15 vol %, reaching 30–70% in ore varieties. The second intrusive phase is formed by alkaline and nepheline syenites. Petrographical, mineralogical, and geochemical data indicate that the first phase of the intrusion was derived from a moderately alkaline Fe–Ti basaltic melt, while the parental melt of the second phase was close in composition to alkaline trachyte. The orebodies comprise disseminated and massive ores. The disseminated Fe–Ti oxide ores make up lenses and layers conformable to general layering. Massive ores occur in subordinate amounts as layers and lenses, as well as cross-cutting veins. Elevated Nb and Ta contents in Fe–Ti oxides makes it possible to consider them complex ores. It is shown that the Fe–Ti oxide mineralization is related to the formation of a residual (Fe,Ti)-rich liquid, which lasted for the entire solidification history of the first intrusive phase. The liquid originated through multiple enrichment of Fe and Ti in the crystallization zone of the intrusion owing to the following processes: (1) precipitation of silicate minerals in the crystallization zone with a corresponding increase in the Fe and Ti contents in an interstitial melt; and (2) periodic accumulation of the residual melt in front of this zone. Unlike liquid immiscibility leading to melt splitting into two phases, this liquid dissolved the residual components of the melt. Correspondingly, such an Fe-rich liquid has unusual properties and requires further study.

6.1 The Imandra/Varzuga Greenstone Belt

The Late Archaean-Early Palaeoproterozoic transition (2500–2000 Ma) represents a hallmark period when the Earth System experienced a series of fundamental upheavals. Among them, the most important was the establishment of an oxygen-rich atmosphere (sometimes referred to as the Great Oxidation Event) and the emergence of an aerobic biosphere. Associated with this, either incidentally or causally, was a cascade of other prominent, global-scale events that considerably modified Earth’s surface environments, either temporarily or permanently; these are reviewed in Parts 1 and 8 in full, and detailed in Part 7. Briefly mentioned here, these include: the severe and global climatic event known as the Huronian glaciation; an unprecedented perturbation of the global carbon cycle, the large-magnitude Lomagundi-Jatuli positive excursion of δ13Ccarb, lasted over 160 Ma; radical changes in the phosphorus and sulphur cycles resulting in accumulation of the first-known massive sulphates and sedimentary phosphates; a radical modification in recycling of organic matter leading to the emergence of a new 13C-depleted carbon reservoir in the form of carbonate concretions; and an unprecedented accumulation of organic-rich sediments and formation of the earliest supergiant petroleum deposits.