64
5. 2. C h a l c o p h i l e elements are represented
by copper,
molybdenum,
zinc, lead, mercury, antimony, gold, and also silver. The data on reserves of
the chalcophile elements are given in the Table 8 and Figure 4.
65
The deposits of copper are paragenetic connected with various metals in
different formation types. Sulphide copper-nickel ores are dated to early
Proterozoic differentiated mafic intrusion (Sadbery, Manitoba, Pechenga
e.t.c.). There are a lot of copper-sulphide deposits, copper sandstones with
the significant content of cobalt (Каtanga-Rodesia copper belt in Africa,
Udokan deposit in Siberian) and numerous Mesozoic-Cenozoic copper-
porphyritic and copper-molibdenum deposites in the Pacific Ocean copper
megabelt. The resources of copper were distributed irregularly. The greatest
reserves of copper concern to Mesozoic – Cenozoic Pasific megabelt and
Neogene iron - manganous concretions of the Pacific Ocean, accordingly 22
% and 38 %. Copper-sulpfide deposits of late Paleozoic contain about 13 %
reserves of copper, and in copper sandstones of late Proterozoic age – 9%.
Other reserves of copper are dated to copper-nickel sulphide ores in
magmatic deposits of Protorozoic and Archean Age, with about 9 % and 6
% respectively.
The deposits of molybdenum are connected with granites and are
represented by molibdenit-quartz veins, stockworks, and zones of breaking
and less often by skarnes. The prevailing reserves of molibdenum are dated
to molibdenum and copper-porphiry formations of Cenozoic age to the
West American copper belt (98 % on land). Besides, at the bottom of the
Pacific and other oceans the huge reserves of molibdenum (32.2 Mt) are
presented
in the iron-manganous formations as an impurity.
Zinc, lead and silver, frequently together with copper, forming complex
polymetallic deposits of hydrothermal, sulphide, skarn, stockwork,
sedimentary-metasomatic, stratiform and telethermal types. The maximal
reserves of these metals are dated to the latest stages of the two last cycles
of geodynamic development of the Earth. Thus, to the Alpine stage of
Cenozoic in Mediterranean and West American metallogenic megabelts
zinc 23 %, lead 10 %, and silver 42 % of world reserves are dated. The
second maximum of resources of these metals is connected with Hercynides
tectonic stage of late Paleozoic, where is counted up zinc 32 %, lead 48 %
and silver 23 % of world reserves. The considerably smaller
resources of the
specified metals are dated to Katanga and Kibary stages of Riphean
tectonogenes.
The gold refers to the noble metals of chalcophile group and is
frequently, paragenetic, connected with silver and copper, however
distribution of world reserves of gold in time differs essentially. The
maximum resources of gold are related to the unique Witwatersrand deposit
of sedimentary-hydrothermal-metamorphic genesis on late Archean age.
From this deposit is obtained 45,000 t. of gold, and 35,000 t make prognosis
resources, that corresponds about 46 % of all world resources of gold. Other
less significant reserves of gold coincide with Alpine (18 %) and Cimmerian
(27 %) stages of tectonogenes, where hydrothermal and sedimentary deposits
of gold represent them - quartz, gold - silver, gold – blackschist and gold
66
placers formations.
Table 8
Reserves and resources of chalcophile elements
Time (t)
0 25 100 225 400 625 900 1225 1600 2025 2500 3025 3600
(Ma)
Geochron.
QN
PK
2
KJT
PCD SOC VR
3
R
2
R
1
PR
2
PR
1
AR
2
AR
1
Geodyna-
Continental-
Platformic-
Protooceanic-
Permobilic
Total
Yearly
mic cycles
oceanic
geosynclinal
protocontinental
reserves product
stages
Late
Mid.
Early Late Mid. Early Late
Mid. Early Late Mid. Early
1999
Copper
(M.t)
406
235
28
127
4.7
97.7
33.1
16.3
45.8
27.3
24.7
10.4
1,056
12.64
%%
38.5
22.2
2.6
12.9
0.4
9.2
3.1
1.5
4.3
2.6
2.3
1.0
100
Molybden.
(M.t)
32.2
5.9
0.5
0.02 0.08
0.08
0.01
0.02
0.02
0.02
38.69
0.129
%%
83.2
15.0
1.2
0.05
0.2
0.2
0.01
0.04
0.04
0.04
100
Zinc
(M.t)
99.6
59.2
31.0 139.3 4.7
3.9
19.0
4.7
24.2
4.7
16.8
24.2
431.3
7.74
%%
23.1
13.7
7.2
32.3
1.1
0.9
4.4
1.1
5.6
1.1
3.9
5.6
100
Lead
(M.t)
14.9
8.9
9.4
69.5
7.6
8.3
5.2
2.1
11.1
1.4
5.2
143.0
3.04
%%
10.4
5.8
6.6
48.6
5.3
5.8
3.6
1.5
7.8
1.0
3.6
100
Silver
(Th.t)
176.4
42.0
38.6
97.9
8.4
10.5
8.4
4.2
25.2
4.2
4.2
420.0
15.9
%%
42.0
10.0
9.2
23.3
2.0
2.5
2.0
1.0
6.0
1.0
1.0
100
Gold
(Th.t)
4.48
3.90
1.70
2.00 0.44
0.15
0.74
0.25
0.15
0.19 35.00
49.0
2.338
%%
9.1
8.0
3.5
4.1
0.9
0.3
1.5
0.5
0.3
0.4
71.4
100
Hydrarg.
(Th.t)
800
630
353
1,200
10
2,993
4.32
%%
26.8
21.0
11.8
40.1
0.3
100
Antimony
(Th.t)
600
486
4,300
150
32
30
15
5,613
74.0
%%
10.7
8.6
76.6
2.7
0.6
0.5
0.3
100
Gold
R
e
s
o
u
r
c
e
s
o f
2004 year
(Th.t)
14.0 22.0 28.0
22.0 3.0 1.0
2.7
2.9
4.9
1.0
91.0 2.5
195.00
2.430
%%
7.2
11.2 14.7
11.2 1.5 0.5
1.4
1.5
2.5 0.5 46.5 1.3
100.00