Secondary Kaolins of the Central Devonian Field and Prospects of Searching for Kaolin Deposits within its Boundaries

• Published in: Geology of ore deposits 2022-10, Vol.64 (Suppl 1), p.60-72
• Main Authors: Savko, A. D., Manukovskiy, S. V., Boeva, N. M., Kraynov, A. V., Milash, A. V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Boreholes; Crystalline rocks; Deposits; Devonian; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Fluvial deposits; Geologic depressions; Isotopes; Kaolin; Mineral Resources; Overburden; Precambrian; Quartz; Raw materials; River valleys; Sand; Searching; Tectonics; Thickness
• ISSN: 1075-7015; 1555-6476
• DOI: 10.1134/S1075701522090082

Secondary kaolins in Upper Devonian deposits are developed within the tectonic depression in the south of the Voronezh Anteclise. They formed as a result of erosion of the weathering crust developed on Precambrian crystalline rocks. With this, the Mamon sand–kaolin stratum (SKS), in which kaolins are interbedded with quartz sands, as well as kaolin ones, was formed. Thus, it is a complex mineral raw material. The SKS occupies an area of about 30 000 km 2 ; the thickness varies from 10 m to the first 100 m. Three zones are distinguished: Western, Central, and Eastern. The Central zone, where the SKS lies near the surface along the river valleys, including the Don one, is most favorable to searching for kaolins. In the case of a shallow occurrence, the stratum can be mined by an open-pit method; in cases of high overburden thickness, by a hydraulic-borehole method. The large deposit of kaolin and quartz sands of Kozynka is described, and a forecast for searching of new deposits of this type in the SKS is given.