Department of Geology of Mineral Deposits, Sergo Ordzhonikidze Russian State University for Geological Prospecting, Moscow, Russia

P. A. Ignatov, Head of Department, Professor, Doctor of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, petrignatov@gmail.com
S. A. Malyutin, Associate Professor, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences
M. M. Lanchak, Post-Graduate Student

InnovAge Zimbabwe Research Company, Harare, Zimbabwe

Tawanda Marimo, Director

The authors generalized the data on geological structure of the Zimbabwe Craton and the granite–greenstone belts within its limits, with numerous mineral deposits and occurrences of Fe, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pt, Ti, V, Li, Be, W, Sn, Au, Sb, emerald, chrysotile asbestos, corunds and other minerals. It is found that during the long-term research of the Zimbabwe Craton, Zimbabwe and foreign geologists almost paid no attention to its metallogeny. No metallogenic zoning and metallogenic maps exist, no spatial metallogenic categories and taxon ranges are revealed, and age ratios of geological formations and ore strata are understudied. The authors investigated historical and regional metallogeny of the Zimbabwe Craton and drew its metallogenic zoning scheme required for the subsequent metallogenic analysis and for the justification of metallization prospects in the revealed metallogenic taxa. The main volume of information is obtained from the analyses of maps—geology, tectonics, deposits of ore-bearing minerals, gold, etc. at thе scale of 1:1 000 000, amended and digitalized in 2010, numerous larger scale geological maps charted at different times in the last century, various geophysical materials and ample foreign geological literature. The metallogeny of the main periods of the Craton development is characterized, and a table of geological formation and related ore strata is compiled. The metallogenic zoning of the area, with allocation of ore belts, metallogenic ranges and zones on the scale of 1:2500000 was carried out.

The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, Grant for the Creation of Digital Predictive Minerageny Framework for the Republic of Zimbabwe Using Remote Sensing Data with Allocation of Tectonic and Fluid-Induced Fracturing Signs in Structures Governing Distribution of Mineral Resources.

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