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USGS Professional Paper 1697 - Alaska Resources Library

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276 Metallogenesis and Tectonics of the Russian Far East, <strong>Alaska</strong>, and the Canadian Cordillera<br />

conglomerate, and widespread large ignimbrite fields. Shallowmarine<br />

deposits predominate in the lower part and nonmarine<br />

deposits predominate in the upper part. The formation of the<br />

belt culminated with eruptions of Pliocene to Quaternary<br />

plateau basalts, which are associated with large composite cone<br />

volcanoes. The volcanic belt is interpreted as a major postaccretionary<br />

continental-margin arc, which is tectonically linked<br />

to the Kuril-Kamchatka accretionary-wedge and subductionzone<br />

complex (fig. 125) (Nokleberg and others, 1994c, 1997c).<br />

Central Kamchatka Metallogenic Belt of Au-Ag<br />

Epithermal and Porphyry Cu-Mo Deposits (Belt<br />

CK), Kamchatka Peninsula<br />

The Central Kamchatka metallogenic belt of Au-Ag<br />

epithermal vein and porphyry Cu-Mo deposits (fig. 125; tables<br />

3, 4) occurs along the length of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The<br />

deposits are hosted in the Central Kamchatka Volcanic and<br />

Sedimentary Basin of Oligocene to Holocene age (Nokleberg<br />

and others, 1994c, 1997c). The significant deposits in the belt<br />

are (table 4) (Nokleberg and others 1997a,b, 1998) (1) Au-Ag<br />

epithermal vein deposits at Aginskoe (Aga), Baran’evskoe,<br />

Oganchinskoe, Ozernovskoe, Sukharikovskie Grebni, Tutkhlivayam,<br />

and Zolotoi, (2) a porphyry Cu-Mo deposit at Krasnogorskoe,<br />

and (3) a volcanic-hosted Hg deposit at Chempura.<br />

The Au-Ag epithermal vein deposits are interpreted as<br />

forming mainly during two stages in the Miocene: (1) In the<br />

early Miocene (22 to 14 Ma), during eruption of mainly felsic<br />

volcanic rocks, low sulfide, Au-Ag deposits, as at Ozernovskoe<br />

and Tutkhlivayam, with high Te contents, formed during<br />

construction of composite cone volcanoes and associated<br />

hypabyssal intrusions. At the same time, sulfide Au deposits,<br />

as at Olgakanskoe, with high Cu, Pb, and Zn contents, formed<br />

in association with intermediate intrusions. However, some<br />

of these deposits may have formed during the Late Eocene to<br />

Oligocene. (2) In the late Miocene (12 to 5 Ma), in the final<br />

stages of Miocene volcanism, andesitic and basaltic alterations.<br />

Au (+ Ag) epithermal vein deposits formed in association<br />

with small hypabyssal bodies and dikes, as at Aginskoe,<br />

Sukharikovskie Grebni, and Baran’evskoe deposits and some<br />

ore bodies of Tutkhlivayam deposit. These deposits consist<br />

mainly of gold and minor sulfide minerals in quartz-adularia<br />

veins. In the middle and northern parts of the belt, Hg deposits,<br />

as at Chempura, and Au and Au-Ag epithermal vein deposits<br />

occur in late Miocene hypabyssal bodies and dikes.<br />

Porphyry Mo, Cu, and Cu-Mo deposits in the southern<br />

part of the belt occur in Miocene subalkaline granite porphyry<br />

and porphyritic diorite. These granitoid plutons intrude areas<br />

underlain by the eastern part of the Sredinny-Kamchatka<br />

metamorphic terrane. These deposits, as at Kirganik, Krasnogorskoe,<br />

and Malakhitovoe, are small to medium-size and<br />

occur mainly in stockworks and in long fracture zones in both<br />

intrusions and adjacent metamorphic rocks. The major ore<br />

minerals are pyrite, chalcopyrite, and molybdenite. Molybdenite<br />

contains amounts of rhenium as much as 600 g/t.<br />

Ozernovskoe Au-Ag Epithermal Vein Deposit<br />

The large Ozernovskoe Au-Ag epithermal vein deposit<br />

(Shchepot’ev, 1989) consists of Au-bearing quartz-adularia<br />

veins along with Cu-Mo, realgar-orpiment, and Au-Ag deposits.<br />

The Au-Ag deposits occurs in veinlets and disseminations<br />

and is superimposed on various facies of hydrothermally<br />

altered rocks. Ore formed in fracture-filling veins and veinlets,<br />

and as metasomatic replacement of earlier aggregates.<br />

At least four stages of mineralization are recognized—(1)<br />

gold-goldfieldite-quartz (fineness of 933-938), (2) tellurium-silvanite-goldfieldite-kaolinite-quartz<br />

gold 945 fine,<br />

(3) gold-hessite-hydromica-quartz (gold 894 fine), and (4)<br />

gold-adularia-hydromica-quartz (gold 643 to 679 fine). Host<br />

rocks exhibit several types of alteration, mainly propylitization<br />

and silicification. Argillite displaying quartz-sericite,<br />

quartz-kaolinite, and quartz-montmorillonite-hydromica facies<br />

alteration occurs in the central part of the ore field near the<br />

main volcanic vent. Altered rocks consist of quartz and pyritealunite-kaolinite-quartz<br />

assemblages that form linear bodies<br />

as much as 100 m thick along the fault zones. The largest<br />

ore bodies occur in these tabular, altered silicified rocks. The<br />

deposit occurs in a weakly eroded volcano composed of basaltic<br />

andesite, andesite, and dacitic pyroclastic rocks and lava.<br />

The deposit is large and contain 0.01 to 0.1 percent Te and Au<br />

in rare high-grade zones, with as much as 700 g/t Au. Most of<br />

the ore is low-grade, ranging from 2 to 20 g/t Au.<br />

Aginskoe Au-Ag Epithermal Vein Deposit<br />

The Aginskoe Au-Ag epithermal vein deposit<br />

(Shchepot’ev,1989) consists dominantly of fine-grained, chalcedony-like<br />

quartz, adularia, and hydromica with colloform<br />

banding. The ore minerals are 0.3 to 1.0 percent of veins. The<br />

major ore minerals are tellurides, including hessite, altaite,<br />

calaverite, silvanite, and petzite. A total of 55 ore minerals are<br />

identified. Gold fineness ranges from 740 to 990, and the Au/Ag<br />

ratio varies from 2:1 to 7:1. Six stages of ore deposition are recognized—(1)<br />

quartz-pyrite, (2) gold-adularia-corrensite-quartz<br />

with a gold fineness of 924 to 968, (3) gold-adularia-quartz with<br />

a gold fineness of 936 to 952 at upper levels, and a gold fineness<br />

of 740 to 854 at deeper levels, (4) gold-calaverite-quartz<br />

with a gold fineness 940 to 960, (5) gold-hessite-corrensitequartz<br />

with a gold fineness 816 to 880, and (6) quartz-zeolitecalcite.<br />

Endogenous zoning is marked by a vertical change of<br />

ore composition, texture, and structure. The concentration of<br />

tellurides and sulfides increases with depth. The deposit occurs<br />

in a volcanic caldera composed of Miocene basaltic andesite<br />

and basaltic andesite tuff. Ore occurs in fracture zones and<br />

zones of intense jointing. Ore-bearing structures consist of shear<br />

and breccia tectonic zones, which include numerous andesitic<br />

dikes and veins, lenses, and veinlets of adularia-quartz and<br />

quartz-carbonate composition. The main ore-bearing zones are<br />

the Aginskaya and Surpriz. In the main ore-bearing zones, short<br />

ore bodies merge at depth forming a gently dipping mineralized<br />

band, complicated in the upper part by steeply dipping ore<br />

shoots. Hydrothermal alteration, commonly propylitic, is com-

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