Alexander Volkov

Head of Laboratory Geology of ore deposits

IGEM, Russian Academy of Sciences

Speaker profile

Alexander Volkov, doctor of geological-mineralogical sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Geology of Ore Deposits IGEM. More than 35 years studying the gold deposits of the North-East of Russia, including Chukotka. Author of 7 monographs and more than 400 scientific publications. Laureate of the V. A. Obrucheva prize (2002), "Excellent prospector of mineral resources" (2014), "Honorary prospector of mineral resources" (2017), winner of the M. V. Lomonosov prize. (2017).

Presentation summary

The prospects of discovering new deposits of nonferrous and precious metals in the north-east of Russia

The Pacific ore belt (POB) is one of the most important global metallogenic structures formed since the late Paleozoic through the Mesozoic and Cenozoic times. It is shown that, with time, S. Smirnov’s ideas (1946) about the zoning of POB have been significantly developed from the standpoint of the new global tectonics and as a result of modern metallogenic research. Global metallogenic uniformity and zonality of the POB permit to assume wide spread of deposits analogous to American ones in its Asian half, including its north-western segment (North-East of Russia). Quite realistic here are the prospects of discovering not only new Au-Ag epithermal and Cu-Mo-Au-porphyry deposits but also Carlin type Au deposits, such as Fort Knox and Pogo Au deposits, VMS+Au+Ag deposits (Kuroko type) and their satellites, as well as IOCG type deposits, Cu -Ag Manto type deposits, rich scarn deposits.