The North-West Russia Student Chapter organized a field trip to the Kola Peninsula in September 2022 in order to get acquainted with region’s deposits. The group consisted of 17 people.
Our trip started on September 12 with a visit to the mineralogical museum n. a. Belkov I.V. of Kola Science Centre (KSC) RAS. We learned about the geology of the Kola Peninsula and the region’s mining potential.
On September 13 we had a rout in the Khibiny Mountains, which consist of alkaline rocks include the unique khibinites, rischorrites etc. There are operating deposits of apatite-nepheline ores. We were guided by geologist from the KSC – E. Kunakkuzin. We visited the molybdenite vein, the alkaline pegmatites with «aegirine bombs» and the tinguaite dyke.
On September 14 our group went to Monchegorsk layered intrusion of the Imandra-Varzuga volcanic structure. It includes Cu-Ni, Fe, Th and Pt mineralization types. We visited Sopcha massif with chromite mineralized rocks, Nittis mount with chalcopyrite and pentlandite ore lodes, "Horizon 330" contained synergetic type of PGE-low sulfur ores.
Then we visited the Kovdorskoye deposit, accompanied by employees of the Kovdorskoye mining and processing complex. The deposit is located in the southeastern part of the Kovdor alkaline massif. It has distinct concentric, zonal structure and contains ultramafic, alkaline rocks and carbonatites.
Our last trip day we visited Afrikanda REE deposit, which is located southeast of Lake Imandra. The deposit is associated with an alkaline-ultrabasic intrusion that cut through biotite Archean gneisses. The Afrikanda mine has unique high concentrations of Th, Nb, REE and Ti.
The North-West Russia student chapter of the SGA thanks the staff of the Geological Institute of the KSC RAS, St. Petersburg State University, the Student Scientific Society of the Institute of Earth Sciences of St. Petersburg State University and the management of the Kovdor Mining Company for excursion organization.
