2015
Kola Peninsula is extremely rich in mineral recourses.
Participants will examine the main rock complexes of the world biggest agpaitic intrusions of Khibiny and Lovozero and the carbonatite massif of Kovdor or Afrikanda which are the key magmatic centers of the Paleozoic Kola Alkaline Province.
The aim of geological excursions is to allow participants to examine objects, but not in taking them home. If you are planning to collect a considerable amount of material (rock and mineral samples) during the excursions please, carefully read about about sample export.
In Khibina we will visit apatite-nepheline and titanite ore deposits. In the Lovozero field trip classical outcrops of lujavrite-foyaite-urtite rhythms with loparite (Nb, Ta) and eudialite (Zr, Hf) commercial mineralization will be examined. In the open pits of agpaitic massifs small pegmatite bodies with nice alkaline minerals, as well as dikes of alkaline lamprophyres and tinguaite are widespread. In the Kovdor participants will see the whole set of ultrabasic alkaline series and carbonatites. Of special interest are pegmatoids with giant diopside and phlogopite crystals which are outcropped in the open pit. Various types of carbonatites and phoscorites will be examined in the other open pit of the .
Khibina, Lovozero and
Kovdor are famous for their unique
mineralogy: over 550 mineral species are present here, more than 100 of
them were discovered for the first time in the world. Most of rare
minerals are sodium titano-, niobo- and zirconosilicates, which could be
found in pegmatites and hydrothermal veins. Alteration of earlier
minerals under hydrothermal and supergene conditions produces newly
formed mineral phases, and this process continues up to present day. The
trip will give you an opportunity to visit unique localities of these
minerals and also to see beautiful landscapes of Russian Lapland.
Cost of each excursion is 80 Euros.
For the owervew you can download some books and articles about visiting massifs
A.Arzamastsev, V.Yakovenchuk, Ya. Pakhomovsky, G. Ivanyuk The Khibina and Lovozero alkaline massifs: Geology and unique mineralization download from web-site of 33IGC
O. Rimskaya-Korsakova and N. Krasnova"Geology of the Deposits of the Kovdor Massif"
Krasnova N.I., Balaganskaya E. G., Garcia D. Kovdor – classic phoscorites and carbonatites
Zaitsev A.N., Williams C.T., Jeffries T.E., Strekopytov S., Moutte J, Ivashchenkova O.V., Spratt J, Petrovd S.V., Wall F., Seltmann R, Borozdin A.P. Rare earth elements in phoscorites and carbonatites of the Devonian Kola Alkaline Province, Russia: Examples from Kovdor, Khibina, Vuoriyarvi and Turiy Mys complexes
Weather forecast for Khibina excursion in August 2015
Weather forecast for Kovdor excursion in August 2015
Weather forecast for Lovozero excursion in August 2015
You can see a
list of participatns in excursions
