We have first determined the petrogeochemical, Sm-Nd isotope, and U-Th-Pb geochronological (detrital-zircon LA-ICPMS) characteristics of terrigenous rocks from a thick sequence in the south of the Sangilen block, which is part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The rocks are heterogeneous in facies composition: From west to east, there is a transition from graywacke sandstones with an admixture of pyroclastics to much more silicic lithoid arenites. Geochronological data on detrital zircons from the predominant graywacke sandstones mark the following intervals of concordant ages (Ma): 787-907, 1870-2236, 2613-2725, and 2900-2980. With regard to the oldest determined age (early Cambrian, 520 Ma) of the igneous rocks intruding these sandstones, the possible period of accumulation of terrigenous sequences in the south of the Sangilen block is estimated at 790-520 Ma. The obtained geochemical, Sm-Nd isotope, and U-Th-Pb geochronological data point to Neoproterozoic and early Precambrian island arc and continent-marginal complexes as probable provenances for the terrigenous deposits of the "southern band". The relative proportions of rocks of these complexes in the deposits changed with distance from the sedimentary basin (from west to east, in modern coordinates): The portion of early Neoproterozoic juvenile rocks decreased, and the portion of early Precambrian metamorphic complexes increased. The Paleoproterozoic and Mezoarchean detrital zircons found in the terrigenous rocks of the Sangilen block could not originate from any known Precambrian complexes of the Tuva-Mongolian microcontinent. This gives grounds to regard other craton blocks of the CAOB as their sources.

Впервые получены петрогеохимические, изотопные (Sm-Nd) и геохронологические U-Th-Pb (LA-ICP-MS по детритовым цирконам) характеристики терригенных пород из мощной толщи в южной части Сангиленского блока, входящего в состав Центрально-Азиатского складчатого пояса (ЦАСП). Установлено, что они фациально неоднородны: в субширотном направлении с запада на восток наблюдается переход от граувакковых песчаников с примесью пирокластики к существенно более кремнекислым литоидным аренитам. Геохронологические данные по детритовым цирконам из преобладающих граувакковых песчаников позволяют выделить следующие интервалы конкордантных оценок их возраста (млн лет): 787—907, 1873—2236, 2613—2725 и 2902—2977. С учетом максимального из установленного на сегодняшний день раннекембрийского (520 млн лет) возраста прорывающих их магматических пород возможный период накопления терригенных толщ южной части Сангиленского блока оценивается значительным интервалом 520—790 млн лет. На основании анализа полученных геохимических, изотопных (Sm-Nd) и геохронологических (U-Th-Pb) данных вероятными источниками сноса для терригенных отложений южной полосы (ЮП) являлись неопротерозойские и раннедокембрийские островодужные и окраинно-континентальные комплексы. Их относительные пропорции в составе осадков, по-видимому, изменялись с удалением от бассейна седиментации (в современных координатах с запада на восток): снижалась доля ранненеопротерозойских ювенильных пород и возрастала доля раннедокембрийских метаморфических комплексов. Обнаружение в терригенных породах Сангиленского блока детритовых цирконов палеопротерозойского и мезоархейского возраста, поставщиками которых не могли быть известные комплексы композитного докембрийского фундамента Тувино-Монгольского микроконтинента, позволяет рассматривать в качестве их источников другие кратонные блоки ЦАСП We have first determined the petrogeochemical, Sm–Nd isotope, and U–Th–Pb geochronological (detrital-zircon LA-ICP-MS) characteristics of terrigenous rocks from a thick sequence in the south of the Sangilen block, which is part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The rocks are heterogeneous in facies composition: From west to east, there is a transition from graywacke sandstones with an admixture of pyroclastics to much more silicic lithoid arenites. Geochronological data on detrital zircons from the predominant graywacke sandstones mark the following intervals of concordant ages (Ma): 787–907, 1870–2236, 2613–2725, and 2900–2980. With regard to the oldest determined age (early Cambrian, 520 Ma) of the igneous rocks intruding these sandstones, the possible period of accumulation of terrigenous sequences in the south of the Sangilen block is estimated at 790–520 Ma. The obtained geochemical, Sm–Nd isotope, and U–Th–Pb geochronological data point to Neoproterozoic and early Precambrian island arc and continent-marginal complexes as probable provenances for the terrigenous deposits of the “southern band”. The relative proportions of rocks of these complexes in the deposits changed with distance from the sedimentary basin (from west to east, in modern coordinates): The portion of early Neoproterozoic juvenile rocks decreased, and the portion of early Precambrian metamorphic complexes increased. The Paleoproterozoic and Mezoarchean detrital zircons found in the terrigenous rocks of the Sangilen block could not originate from any known Precambrian complexes of the Tuva–Mongolian microcontinent. This gives grounds to regard other craton blocks of the CAOB as their sources

—We present data on the mineral and geochemical compositions of metasedimentary Mn-bearing rocks of the Itantsa Formation of the Ikat terrane. According to the mineral composition, the studied quartz–spessartine rocks of the formation are referred to as gondites. The main Mn-concentrating minerals are garnet, pyrophanite, and Mn-ilmenite, and the secondary ones are rhodonite and Mn-amphibole. Two Mn-bearing objects of the Itantsa Formation (Usutai deposit and Almarnatol occurrence) show differences in chemical and mineral compositions, related to different sources of their material, different distances from the mouth of a hydrothermal vent, and different degrees of postsedimentary alteration. The Mn-bearing deposits of the formation accumulated in a sedimentary basin in the immediate vicinity of continental provenance areas in the Late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran), under synchronous volcanic activity.

Morphology and mineralogical and geochemical compositions of freshwater ferromanganese nodules of Ol’khon Island (Sasa Formation) and Kulunda Plain (Lake Porozhnee) were studied. The study has shown rhythmic structures of the nodules, formed by macro- and microlayers with mineralized microflora. The layers are composed of either crystalline Mn mineral phases and finely dispersed Fe phases (Lake Porozhnee) or, on the contrary, crystalline goethite and X-ray amorphous Mn phases (Ol’khon Island). Separation of Mn and Fe mineral phases in the nodules proceeded during their formation and diagenesis. The freshwater nodules show both high (Lake Porozhnee) and low (Ol’khon Island) Mn/Fe ratios. The predominance of Fe phase in the Ol’khon nodules accounts for their high contents of REE, including Ce. The Porozhnee nodules grew, most likely, more rapidly, which is reflected in their low REE contents and Ce anomaly. The examined chemical and mineral compositions, textures, and structures of the nodules testify to the low-temperature hydrothermal source of their ore substance.

Felsic rocks of the Khamsara terrane in Tyva (southern Siberia) have been studied in terms of major-and trace-element compositions and U-Pb isotope geochronology. The Khamsara Formation rocks have compositions of A(2)-subtype within-plate anorogenic volcanics derived from molten continental crust and SIMS U-Pb zircon ages of 463.9 +/- 2.8 and 461.7 +/- 3.1 Ma of two rhyolite porphyry samples. The Khamsara volcanics are compared with subvolcanic granitoids of the Ognit complex in the Biryusa terrane (Sharyzhalgai basement inlier of the Siberian craton) adjacent to the Khamsara terrane. The volcanics and the granites are coeval and share compositional similarity. The Khamsara Formation is interpreted as a cap complex that marks the upper age bound of the accretionary-collisional events when amalgamated terranes in this part of the Central Asian orogen accreted to the Siberian craton. (C) 2017, V.S. Sobolev IGM, Siberian Branch of the RAS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New data have been obtained on major- and trace-element compositions and Sm-Nd isotope systematics of clastic metasediments that belong to the Kornilova and Shubutui Formations in the Khamar-Daban terrane. The Kornilova Formation flysch derived from felsic mature crust, while the Shubutui Formation, with 4.5-7.5 wt.% MgO and higher Cr and Ni contents, had a mafic-ultramafic protolith of an island-arc setting. Isotope data indicate significant inputs of Precambrian crustal material (epsilon(Nd)(T) = -10 to -6.2) to the protolith of the Kornilova rocks and of high amounts of synsedimentary juvenile material to the protolith of the Shubutui Formation (epsilon(Nd)(T) = -2.9 to -1.5). Different model ages (1.7-2.0 and 1.3-1.4 Ga, respectively), compositions, and provenances of the Kornilova and Shubutui rocks, as well as a prolonged deposition gap (> 100 Myr), evidence that the two formations were deposited in different basins and tectonic settings. The rock compositions and Nd isotope signatures suggest an island arc setting for the Shubutui deposition in the Dzhida terrane and a continental-margin setting for the deposition of the Kornilova Formation, which is the uppermost straton of the Khamar-Daban terrane. (C) 2017, V.S. Sobolev IGM, Siberian Branch of the RAS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We consider geochemistry of Neoproterozoic metavolcanosedimentary rocks of the Bozdak Group in southern Ulutau (Central Kazakhstan) and present the first results of U-Pb LA-ICP-MS dating of clastic zircons and Sm-Nd isotope data. Isotope-geochemical and geochronological studies have shown that the Bozdak Group rocks resulted from the destruction of igneous and metamorphic complexes mostly of Neoproterozoic age with the participation of Archean and Paleoproterozoic rocks. The lower boundary of sedimentation is dated at 800 Ma. The obtained isotope-geochemical data on the Bozdak Group basaltoids suggest their formation on thick continental crust with the participation of subduction fluid. (C) 2016, V.S. Sobolev IGM, Siberian Branch of the RAS. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Isotope–geochemical studies of Mn, P, and Ba ores were performed in order to establish the influence of submarine hydrotherms on the formation of Early Cambrian sedimentary rocks of the southern environs of the Siberian Platform. Based on study of the geochemical and isotope (εNd) characteristics of the shallow-water Mn and Ba ores and phosphorites of southern environs of the Siberian Platform with similar ages, two types of sedimentary basins of the different geodynamic origins were distinguished: intraplate oceanic and those of the active continental margin, for which the sources of ore materials differ by the proportions of the mantle and contaminated crustal matter.

This paper provides new data on the age of detrital zircons from metaterrigenous rocks of the Khamardaban Group (Kornilovskaya and Shubutuiskaya formations) which crown the succession of the Khamar-Daban terrain. It was established that the accumulation of the protoliths of both formations occurred in the interval between the Late Riphean and Early Ordovician. In this case, there is a difference between sequences of Shubutuiskaya and Kornilovskaya formations due to a sharp change in a provenance area and depositional conditions, which is a consequence of the change in the paleogeodynamic environment. In addition, this indicates the tectonic juxtaposition of these sequences and probability of accumulation of deposits of the Shubutuiskaya Formation within Dzhida island arc system.