Volume 22, Issue No. 2, 1997

Victor E. Khain*, Gregory S. Gusev**, Eugene V. Khain***, Valery A. Vernikovsky**** and Michael I. Volobuyev*****

* Institute of Lithosphere, Russian Academy of Sciences, 109180 Moscow, Staromonetny per. 22, Russia, **Institute of Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Crystallochemistry of Rare Elements, 121357 Moscow, Varsayev str. 15, Russia,  *** Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, 109017 Moscow, Pyzhevsky per. 7, Russia, **** United Institute of Geology, Geophysics and Mineralogy, Russian Academy of Sciences, 630090 Novosibirsk, University Ave. 3, Russia.,**** Moscow Lomonosov State University, Moscow, Russia.

Keywords: ophiolites, Paleoasian Ocean. Siberia, Taimyr, Yenisei Ridge, eastern Sayan, Transbaikalia.

ABSTRACT

Neoproterozoic (+late Mesoproterozoic) ophiolite complexes have been described around the northern (N. Taimyr Peninsula), western (Yenisei Range, Eastern Sayan) and southern (Baikal Upland, Transbaikalia) periphery of the Siberian Craton. They probably form a single belt whose separate segments are concealed on the surface by overthrusts or areas of younger platform cover. The existence of this Circum-Siberian Neoproterozoic ophiolite belt proves that, at that time, the Siberian Continent was already isolated from other continents. The island-arc volcanics associated with the ophiolites show the respective margins of Siberia to have been active at the time.