The unique and very large PGE–Cu–Ni Noril’sk deposits are located within the Siberian trap province, posing a number of questions about the relationship between the ore-forming process and the magmatism that produced the traps. A successful answer to these questions could greatly increase the possibility of discovering new deposits in flood basalt provinces elsewhere. In this contribution, we present new data on volcanic stratigraphy and geochemistry of the magmatic rocks in the key regions of the Siberian trap province (Noril’sk, Taimyr, Maymecha-Kotuy, Kulyumber, Lower Tunguska and Angara) and analyze the structure of the north part of the province. The magmatic rocks of the Arctic zone are characterized by variable MgO (3.6–37.2 wt %) and TiO₂ (0.8–3.9 wt %) contents, Gd/Yb (1.4–6.3) and La/Sm (2.0–10.4) ratios, and a large range of isotopic compositions. The intrusions in the center of the Tunguska syneclise and Angara syncline have much less variable compositions and correspond to a “typical trap” with MgO of 5.6–7.2 wt %, TiO₂ of 1.0–1.6 wt %, Gd/Yb ratio of 1.4–1.6 and La/Sm ratio of 2.0–3.5. This compositional diversity of magmas in the Arctic zone is consistent with their emplacement within the paleo-rift zones. Ore-bearing intrusions (the Noril’sk 1, Talnakh, Kharaelakh) are deep-situated in the Igarka-Noril’sk rift zone, which has three branches, namely the Bolsheavamsky, Dyupkunsky, and Lower Tunguska, that are prospected for discovering new deposits. One possible explanation for the specific position of the PGE–Cu–Ni deposits is accumulation of sulfides in these long-lived zones from the Neoproterozoic to the Mesozoic era during magmatic and metamorphic processes. Thus, trap magmatism, itself, does not produce large deposits, but mobilizes earlier formed sulfide segregations in addition carrying metals in the original magmas. These deposits are the results of several successive magmatic events, in which emplacement of the traps was the final event.

We present detailed paleomagnetic data from the Permian-Triassic Cu-Ni-Pt–bearing intrusions of the Norilsk region (northwestern Siberian platform). Based on the analysis of geomagnetic secular variations recorded in the intrusions, we correlate the Norilsk ore-bearing intrusions with the Siberian Traps volcanic sequences in the region. The similarity of paleomagnetic directions of the ore-bearing intrusions to those of the Morongovsky and Mokulaevsky volcanic formations suggests that the emplacement of these lavas and intrusions occurred during the same stage of the magmatic activity. Furthermore, some weakly mineralized intrusions and barren nondifferentiated sills demonstrate paleomagnetic directions close to those of the ore-bearing intrusions. This implies that ore-bearing, weakly mineralized, and barren intrusions were emplaced during the same stage of magmatic activity. On the other hand, the paleomagnetic directions of different ore-bearing intrusions (Norilsk 1, Talnakh, and Kharaelakh), while close, are statistically different. Thus, the formation of these three intrusions and their satellites corresponds to discrete magmatic events within the same stage of magmatic activity. Based on the paleomagnetic data, the emplacement duration of individual intrusions can be estimated as <10 k.y. Our correlation scheme is consistent with some genetic models for the ore-bearing intrusions. The analysis of geomagnetic secular variations can be used as an independent tool for the investigation of other Cu-Ni and platinum group element-bearing magmatic complexes.

A complex study is carried out for the collection of trap rocks sampled from two sequences in the geographically distant regions of the Siberian trap province: the Ergalakh section (Norilsk region) and Tyvankitskii and Delkanskii formations (Maymecha-Kotuy region). The magnetic and thermomagnetic properties are studied, petrographic and microscopic investigations are carried out, the paleointensities are determined, and the domain structure of ferromagnetics is assessed using the Day diagram and the thermomagnetic criterion. It is shown that small single-domain and/or pseudo-single-domain grains are the carriers of remanent magnetization. The absolute paleointensities H _anc are determined by the Thellier-Coe method with test heating of the samples to lower temperatures (check-point procedure). The paleointensity estimates that meet the modern reliability criteria are obtained in more than 130 samples. The mean H _anc values in the lava flows from the Ergalakh section and the TyvankittskiiFormation, as well as in samples from the Delkanskii Formation, vary within 2.1–24.6 mkT, which is considerably lower than the present magnetic field at the sampling site (∼ 50 mkT). The corresponding mean VDM values in these sites vary within (0.54–3.2) × 10²² Am² (with a dispersion of ∼0.9 × 10²² Am²), which is far lower than the mean VDM value (∼8 × 10²² Am²) in the Late Cenozoic. The agreement of low H _anc and VDM determined in the Ergalakh section, Tyvankitskii, and Delkanskii formations with the previous similar data on the traps (Solodovnikov, 1994; Heunemann et al., 2004; Shcherbakova et al., 2005; 2013) supports the Mesozoic Dipole Low (MDL) hypothesis. In the Ergalakh section, low and extremely low H _anc (11.2 and 2.7 mkT) are determined in two pulses (five flows) of the Ivakinskii Formation, which precedes the geomagnetic reversal. This probably indicates that these flows recorded a sharp decrease in H _anc prior to the geomagnetic reversal (or at its beginning), which occurred at the earliest stage of the Norilsk tuff-lava sequence formation. The abnormal values of paleodirections and paleointensities in the group of the flows of the Tyvankitskii Formation suggest that they could have been formed during the anomalous nonstationary state of the geomagnetic field such as the excursion.

The results of determining the paleointensity of the Siberian traps sampled from the Kotui sequence, Truba ravine, Onkuchak Suite, and dated to Permian-Triassic are presented. Most of the H _anc values for separate lava flows are significantly lower than the values of the present geomagnetic field at the observation point (approximately 50 μT). This is consistent with the known conclusion that the intensity of the geomagnetic field at the Permian-Triassic boundary was lower by a factor of two to three lower than its present value. We carried out the comparative analysis of the behavior of H _an and VDM for two trap sequences (Kotui (the Onkuchak Suite) and Norilsk) from the standpoint of the eruptive pulse hypothesis. In both sections, the average VDM values and their dispersion are similar. For comparison, similar analysis of the VDM behavior is conducted for the Brunhes epoch and Miocene in the interval of 5–10 Ma. It is hypothesized that during the three considered periods, namely, the eruption of the Siberian traps, in the Brunhes epoch, and in Miocene (in the interval of 5–10 Ma), the time behavior of the geomagnetic field was close to a stationary stochastic process.

The Siberian Traps Large Igneous Provinces (LIP) emplacement is considered as one of possible triggers for the end-Permian global biotic crisis. However, relative timing of the onset of extinction and the main phase of the magmatic activity are not yet accurately constrained. We present the detailed paleomagnetic data for the thickest composite section of the Siberian Traps volcanics, located in the Maymecha-Kotuy region. The major part of the Maymecha-Kotuy section erupted in the beginning of Early Triassic period and postdate came the onset of the biotic crisis. However, the initial pulse of volcanic activity in this region took place at the end of the Permian period, and likely preceded the extinction event, being nearly coeval to the lowest part of tuff-lava sequence of Norilsk. The suggested correlation scheme of volcanic sections from different regions of the Siberian platform shows that explosive and extrusive events foregoing the onset of extinction can be identified in almost all regions of the Siberian Traps LIP. Finally, we estimate the total duration of magmatic activity in the Maymecha-Kotuy region as ~2 Myr and assume that this lasted after the termination of eruptions in other parts of the Siberian platform.

In the sections of two Permian–Triassic trap intrusions of the Ergalakhsky complex, Norilsk region, we revealed the alternation of the intervals of normal and reversed polarity. The...