Metallogenesis and Tectonics of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and ...

Origin of and Tectonic Controls for
Clark Range Metallogenic Belt.
The Clark Range metallogenic belt is hosted by sedimentary rocks which are interpreted as part of Proterozoic through
middle Paleozoic passive margin along the North American Craton (Nokleberg and others, 1994c, 1997b. c, 1998, 2000; Monger
and others, 1996). The sediment-hosted Cu occurrences in the Clark Range metallogenic belt, which occur in quartz-arenite beds
in dominantly red argillite, were interpreted by Kirkham (1974) as forming during late diagenetic mineralization of eolian beds in
a sabkha sequence. In contrast, the occurrences are interpreted by Collins and Smith (1977) as the product of cyclically-controlled
redox conditions during short-lived, fluvial to lacustrine episodes. Alternatively, Morton and others (1974) interpret the metal-
bearing fluids forming from exhalations along faults.
Deposition of a prograding wedge of Purcell (Belt) sedimentary rocks is interpreted as the result of major
Mesoproterozoic rifting along the passive continental margin of the North American Craton (Monger and others, 1972). A rift-
related, exhalative origin for the sediment-hosted copper deposits in the Clark Range metallogenic belt is supported by analogous,
similar deposits elsewhere in the North American Craton Margin: (1) Cap Mountains deposit in the southern Franklin Mountains,
Northwest Territories (Aitken and others, 1973); (2) Churchill belt of Cu vein deposits; (3) Gillespie belt of SEDEX deposits; and
(4) the Purcell belt of SEDEX deposits. Many of the metallogenic belts with SEDEX deposits are directly associated with mafic
volcanic rocks and hydrothermal activity.
Cambrian through Silurian
Metallogenic Belts (570 to 408 Ma)
Overview
The major Cambrian through Silurian metallogenlc belts in the Russian Far East, Alaska, and the Canadian Cordillera are
summarized in table 3 and portrayed on figures 2 and 3. The major belts, although wlth disparate origins, are as follows. (1) In the
Russian Southeast, Voznesenka (VZ) and the Kabarga (KA) belts, which contain Korean Pb-Zn and Ironstone (Superior Fe)
deposits, are hosted in the Khanka continental-margin arc superterranes. These belts are interpreted as forming during marine
sedimentation in rifted fragments of the Gondwandaland supercontinent. (2) In the same region, the South Khingan (SK), and Gar
(GA) belts, which contain ironstone (Superior Fe), volcanogenic Fe, Cu massive sulfide, and stratiform Zn-Pb deposits, are hosted
in the Bureya or Khanka continental-margin arc superterranes. These belts are interpreted as forming These belts are interpreted as
forming during early Paleozoic sedimentation or marine volcanism in Manchurid and Altaid orogenic systems. (3) In the central
part of the Russian Far East, Galam (GL) belts, Omulevka River (OR), Rassokha (RA), which contain Volcanogenic Fe and Mn;
sedimentary, Austrian Alps W, Kipushi Cu-Pb-Zn, and Basaltic Cu, sediment-hosted Cu deposits, are interpreted as during early
Paleozoic sea-floor spreadmg, regional metamorphism, or during subduction-related volcanism. (4) In the Russian Northeast,
Dzhardzhan River (DZR) belt, which contains Southeast Missouri Pb-Zn, sediment-hosted Cu, and sandstone-hosted U deposits,
is interpreted as forming during incipient rifting of early Paleozoic (Cambrian) continental-margln. (5) In the Canadian Cordillera,
the Anvil (AN), Howards Pass (HP), and Kootenay (KO) belts, which contain SEDEX Zn-Pb-Ag deposits, are hosted in the North
American Craton Margin, or in the Yukon-Tanana and Kootenay continental-margin terranes which are interpreted as having been
rifled from the North American Craton Margin. These belts are interpreted as forming during rifting of early Paleozoic (Cambrian)
North American Continental-Margin. And (6) in southeastern Alaska, the Prince of Wales Island (PW) porphyry Cu and
polymetallic vein deposits, which are hosted in the Alexander sequence of the Wrangellia superterrane, are interpreted as forming
in a short-lived continental-margin arc. In the below descriptions of metallogenic belts, a few of the notable or significant lode
deposits are described for each belt. Table 4, which is adapted and revised from Nokleberg and others (1997a), provides a
complete listing of significant lode deposits in each metallogenic belt.
Metallogenic Belts Formed During
Early Paleozoic Marine Sedimentation in
Rifted Fragments of Gondwandaland
Supercontinent
Voznesenka Metallogenic Belt of Korean Pb-Zn
Deposits (Belt VZ)
Southern Russian Southeast
The Voznesenka metalIogenic belt of Korean Pb-Zn massive sulfide deposlts (fig. 2; tables 3,4) occurs in the southern
part of the Russian Southeast. The belt is hosted in the Voznesenka terrane of the Khanka superterrane, a fragment of a Paleozoic
active continental-margin arc (Androsov and Ratkin, 1990; Nokleberg and others, 1994c, 1997c; Khanchuk and others, 1996,
1998; Ryazantseva, 1988). The significant deposits are at Voznesenka-I and Chemyshevskoe (table 4) (Nokleberg and others