Afghanistan is abundant in mineral resources, with polymetallic deposits containing a variety of valuable metals. These deposits are particularly notable for their rich reserves of copper, iron, gold, silver, aluminum, tin, zinc, lead, rare elements and other metals. Magnetic and gravity geophysical methods were utilized for exploring polymetallic deposits, leveraging their distinct properties of magnetometry and gravity. These techniques were applied in the Shotul District of Panjshir Province, Afghanistan. The results obtained from both techniques reveal detailed structural characteristics of the study area. The magnetic and Bouguer anomaly maps indicate significant discontinuities, indicating the influence of faults in the area. The big structural feature is the Panjshir Fault, which trends northeast. In addition, subordinate fault structures are oriented either north south or subparallel to the main Panjshir fault. Significant rock formations and polymetallic masses are aligned along these fault zones, extending predominantly in a northeast-southwest direction within the study area. Both regional and local mineralization appear to be strongly influenced by tectono-magmatic processes and deep-seated basement faults. An upward continuation filter applied to the magnetic data highlights the highest anomaly approximately 500 m northeast of the study area. A comparison of the magnetic and gravity data suggests that the subsurface rocks contain magnetite, hematite, and other dense minerals. Based on these results, more than five locations have been identified for exploratory drilling, targeting potential ore bodies at depths of up to 500 m.
Forecasting the oil and gas potential of the Siberian Platform’s productive horizons is challenging due to its long and complex geologic evolution. This task requires not only identifying the most favorable depositional settings and analyzing how primary factors influence rock porosity and permeability but also, crucially, finding preserved reservoir sections that have undergone minimal post-depositional alteration. This study of the Botuobinsky Horizon of the Srednebotuobinskoye field has demonstrated that initial high reservoir properties, formed under active hydrodynamics of coastal slope and sandy littoral environments, were significantly altered by secondary processes. Integrated petrographic, SEM, granulometric, and petrophysical analyses reveal that the most substantial degradation of reservoir properties resulted from salinization, quartz regeneration, and dolomitization, particularly affecting coarse-grained and well-sorted rock varieties. The results of research enable identification of zones with minimal post-sedimentary alteration and refine predictive criteria for high-quality reservoirs within complex sequences within the ancient platform.
An assessment of the average long-term groundwater recharge (GR) in the southwestern part of the Crimean Plain within the Alma artesian basin was carried out on the basis of geohydrological modeling of the processes of its formation under modern climatic conditions and different forecast scenarios for their changes at the end of the 21st century. For modeling, global climate models of the CMIP5 family were used under the extreme scenario SSP5-8.5, adapted to the climatic conditions within the study area. Based on the maps of average long-term groundwater recharge under current and most contrasting expected climatic conditions, it is shown that, despite the predicted decrease in the moisture index, a significant recharge reduction in the region under consideration is possible only under the most extreme “dry” climate scenario.
The key problems associated with experimental modeling of nature-like geochemical remediation technologies involving artificial geochemical barriers are discussed. The specific features and challenges of experimentally modeling solid-phase precipitation–dissolution, sorption–desorption, complexation, and isotope-exchange processes that can be used to construct artificial geochemical barriers are examined, and approaches to addressing these challenges are outlined.
This study presents a detailed petrographic characterization of the speleothem from Vorontsovskaya Cave (Krasnodar Region, Russia) and proposes a model for its formation. Incremental chronology indicates that flowstone growth began about 82 ka. Scanning electron microscopy has allowed us to identify accessory minerals, including magnetic phases, which supports its applicability for paleomagnetic investigations. However, because these minerals are found predominantly within the pore spaces between calcite crystals, they may have been reoriented by migrating fluids. This possibility of post-depositional reorientation should be considered when interpreting the paleomagnetic data.
