Petrographic and mineralogical studies have been carried out for major varieties of rocks composing the Burpal & acy; massif: peralkaline (nepheline), alkali, and quartz syenites. The emphasis was put on the major and trace element composition of mafic minerals present in all types of rocks: clinopyroxenes, micas, and amphiboles. The studies have shown that the compositions of mafic minerals fractionate within each group of rocks but do not form a single trend of evolution in the groups of peralkaline, alkali, and quartz syenites. This suggests the formation of the massif under pulsed intrusion of variably differentiated magma, the contamination of the first portion of magma, and the subsequent formation of quartz syenites.

The alkaline-ultrabasic carbonatite complex Arbarastakh is located in the southwestern part of the Siberian craton. In addition to ultrabasic rocks such as pyroxenites and ijolites, various types of carbonatite dikes, phoscorites, and aillikites are present in the massif. Based on their modal and compositional characteristics, as well as the chemical composition of minerals, the rocks of the Arbarastakh complex have been divided into three groups: "aillikite," "phoscorite", and "alkaline-silicate and carbonatite" groups. The chemical compositions of olivines, phlogopites and spinellides indicate that aillikites are the least differentiated rocks in the complex. The compositional differences of micas from the "phoscorite" and "alkaline-silicate and carbonatite" groups support the liquation of the aillikite melt into two immiscible silicates and CPIO (carbonate-phosphate/iron-oxide-rich) melts. After liquation, for the "phoscorite" and "alkaline-silicate and carbonatite" groups, evolution follows fractional crystallization. Pyroxene-phlogopite-calcite and calcite carbonatites probably resulted from metasomatic alteration of silicate phases by apatite-dolomite carbonatites, which is confirmed by structural-textural features and the overlapping compositions of phlogopites, apatites and pyroxenes from calcite carbonatites and those from pyroxenites and ijolites.

The Srednyaya Zima alkaline-ultramafic carbonatite complex is located in the Eastern Sayan and is a part of the area of manifestation of Neoproterozoic rare-metal alkaline-carbonatite magmatism along the southern and southeastern margins of the Siberian craton. Mineralogical studies of calciocarbonatites of the Srednyaya Zima complex have shown the presence of primary magmatic mineral phases of calcite, biotite (annite-phlogopite), ilmenite, and fluorapatite. Pyrochlore, zircon, burbankite, magnetite, rutile, titanite, strontianite, and barite were identified of the accessory minerals. The chemical composition of the magmatic minerals of the Srednyaya Zima carbonatites is similar to the mineral composition of the closely aged carbonatite complexes Belaya Zima and Arbarastakh. The rare-element and structural analysis of zircon from carbonatites showed the presence of two zones – a magmatic core and areas of recrystallization. U-Pb dating of igneous zircon showed the age interval of its crystallization – 637±4 Ma, which coincides with the geochronology of the formation of alkali-ultramafic rare-metal complexes along the southern margin of the Siberian craton. The formation of Neoproterozoic alkaline-carbonatite complexes is associated with tectonic events of the breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent.

Late Neoproterozoic Arbarastakh alkaline ultramafic carbonatite-phoscorite complex in the southern margin of the Siberian craton (Aldan-Stanovoy shield), includes carbonatites and phoscorites closely associated with pyroxenites-ijolites and ultramafic lamprophyres. Major and trace elements data, Sr, Nd and Pb isotope com-positions for the Arbarastakh rocks have been obtained to characterize the sources involved in their formation, primary melt composition and to build the petrogenetic model.All rock varieties, excluding nepheline syenites, are characterized by incompatible elements enrichments, including light rare earth elements, and strong fractionation of REEs. The initial isotope ratios of the analyzed samples, calculated at 645 Ma, display limited variations: epsilon Nd from +5.9 to +6.9 and 87Sr/86Sr from 0.70225 to 0.70272, excluding nepheline syenite with epsilon Nd +5.4. The initial Pb isotope ratios for the most studied samples overlap with each other within uncertainties. They yield an age of 642 +/- 5 Ma. The Nd and Sr isotope data of the Arbarastakh rocks generally fit the patterns of the other Neoproterozoic alkaline ultramafic carbonatite com-plexes of the southwestern and southern margins of the Siberian craton. Observed Sr, Nd and Pb isotope vari-ations indicate mixing of the asthenosphere and the depleted mantle components.It is supposed that the primary melts for the Arbarastakh rocks were generated directly by low-degree melting of metasomatic phlogopite-carbonate veins with apatite and Ti-oxides in garnet peridotite, which formed shortly before the onset of melting. Ultramafic lamprophyre (aillikite) is closest to the primary melt composition in terms of high #MgO, Cr and Ni. The aillikite and latter pyroxenite crystallized from primitive melt by fractionating the olivine, phlogopite and clinopyroxene dominated mineral assemblage that was free of feldspar. This fractionation forced Na-enrichment in the magmas resulted in liquid silicate-carbonate immiscibility. Major and trace element and isotope data indicate that the nepheline syenites are unlikely to be related with other alkaline silicate rocks through fractional crystallization and could have been formed through pre-emplacement interaction with the ambient crustal materials. Emplacement of calcite carbonatites resulted in metasomatism of surrounding py-roxenites with formation of clinopyroxene-phlogopite-calcite carbonatites. Subsequent portions of Fe-P-enriched carbonatite magmas crystallized phoscorites and apatite-dolomitic carbonatites.

Geochronological studies have been made on the main types of rocks from the Burpala alkaline massif and two gabbro and gabbro-diorite dikes located nearby. U-Pb LA-SF-ICP-MS zircon geochronology for the Burpala massif yielded a date of 294±2 Ma for gabbro crystallization, 607±4 Ma for diorite crystallization, 298±2 and 296±2 Ma for melanocratic alkaline and nepheline syenite crustallization, 291±2 and 293±3 for quartz and quartz-containing syenite crystallization, and 293±3 Ma for alkaline granite crystallization. The stage of formation of the massif rocks (298–291 Ma) coincides with the formation period of alkaline rocks from the Synnyr pluton and some alkaline complexes of the Vitim segment of Transbaikalia and confirms a widespread occurrence of post-collisional alkaline magmatism in Western Transbaikalia.

The Arbarastakh ultramafic carbonatite complex is located in the southwestern part of the Siberian Craton and contains ore-bearing carbonatites and phoscorites with Zr-Nb-REE mineralization. Based on the modal composition, textural features, and chemical compositions of minerals, the phoscorites from Arbarastakh can be subdivided into two groups: FOS 1 and FOS 2. FOS 1 contains the primary minerals olivine, magnetite with isomorphic Ti impurities, phlogopite replaced by tetraferriphlogopite along the rims, and apatite poorly enriched in REE. Baddeleyite predominates among the accessory minerals in FOS 1. Zirconolite enriched with REE and Nb and pyrochlore are found in smaller quantities. FOS 2 has a similar mineral composition but contains much less olivine, magnetite is enriched in Mg, and the phlogopite is enriched in Ba and Al. Of the accessory minerals, pyrochlore predominates and is enriched in Ta, Th, and U; baddeleyite is subordinate and enriched in Nb. Chemical and textural differences suggest that the phoscorites were formed by the sequential introduction of different portions of the melt. The melt that formed the FOS 1 was enriched in Zr and REE relative to the FOS 2 melt; the melt that formed the FOS 2 was enriched in Al, Ba, Nb, Ta, Th, U, and, to a lesser extent, Sr.