Gold Typomorphic Features of the Taiga Formation of the Kolyvan-Tomsk Structural-Facial Zone

The typomorphic features of gold from the Taiga Formation of the Pleistocene Kolyvan-Tomsk structural-facial zone were studied. Morphometric, microprobe analyses of the gold, and mineralogical analysis of the heavy frac-tion provided data on the size and shape of metal particles, as well as the spectrum of impurity elements, and the mineral association of the heavy fraction. The morphology of the gold particles, the good roundness of the metal particles and the accompanying minerals of the heavy fraction, which are characterized by good sorting by grain size, provide evidence that mechanical transport occurs in a water medium. The size and predominantly flattened form of gold particles do not facilitate the formation of high gold concentrations, subsequently preventing the formation of placer deposits in terrigenous sediments within the studied area. The chemical composition of the gold samples presumably indicates that the metal belongs to the gold-sulfide-quartz ore formation of medium-depth deposits. The presence of gold in the sediments of the Taiga Formation can serve as a prospecting guide for the identification of gold ore deposits.