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The Centre for Russian and Central EurAsian Mineral Studies (CERCAMS)

CERCAMS logo

Head of CERCAMS

Prof Reimar Seltmann

Project summary

  • Focus: the geodynamics and metallogenesis of the former Soviet Union and its neighbouring territories

The Centre for Russian and Central EurAsian Mineral Studies (CERCAMS) is a centre for research on the geodynamics and metallogenesis of the former Soviet Union and its neighbouring territories, including China and Mongolia.

Central Asia, Russia and adjacent areas contain vast mineral wealth. In Soviet times many organisations conducted research into and exploration of these resources.

Aims

With the active collaboration of academic institutes in the region, we aim to enhance and supplement the existing knowledge and skills base of researchers/scientists in the former Soviet Union and its neighbouring territories.

  • collate this data and share it with the academic community
  • develop state-of-the-art research in metallogenesis and geodynamics of the former Soviet Union and its adjacent territories
  • serve as a communication node between academic researchers and the mining industry

Rationale

CERCAMS is based at the Museum because:

  • the Museum is a neutral venue, readily accessible to the international community
  • our researchers are involved in a number of collaborative research projects across the region
  • we have a track record in providing grant-funded training and analytical expertise to visiting researchers from the former Soviet Union
  • delivering bespoke training and capacity building

Products

CERCAMS has developed a variety of commercial products. These by-products of our research include high-quality GIS layers and supporting data.

We produce a range of printed products including:

  • English language reference field guides
  • special publications and monographs
  • metallogenic and geodynamic maps
  • translations of local language texts

We have also developed a comprehensive atlas covering the central part of the Eurasian lithospheric plate. Further information about the atlas can be found in this Mining Journal article PDF (17KB).

To order CERCAMS products please download, complete and post/submit the following forms:

  • Skarn specimen from the Jilau gold deposit, Tajikistan © sample courtesy of Andy Cole

  • Stockwork specimen from the Jilau gold deposit, Tajikistan © sample courtesy of Andy Cole

  • Skarn specimen from the Jilau gold deposit, Tajikistan © sample courtesy of Andy Cole

  • Molybdenum stockwork ore from the Kounrad Cu-Mo porphyry, Kazakhstan

Fluid saturation textures

  • Line rock textured layered pegmatite-aplite zone within amazonite granite from the Etyka tantalum deposit. Transbaikalia, Russia.

  • Snowball-textured quartz crystals in amazonite granite from the Etyka tantalum deposit. Transbaikalia, Russia.

  • Unidirectional Solidification Texture (UST): line rock of albite, amazonite, quartz (+ topaz, zinnwaldite) with zoned amazonite megacrysts having albite cores (Etyka, Transbaikalia)

Famous ore deposits of central Eurasia

  • Gold-silver deposits of Central Asia. Commodity layer from CERCAMS Central Asia GIS.

  • Kumtor gold mine (Kyrgyz Tienshan) in summer © Kumtor Operating Company

  • Kumtor gold mine (Kyrgyz Tienshan) in winter © Dr. Dwayne Melrose

  • Muruntau (Uzbekistan), open pit © Prof. Bahtyar Isakhodaev

  • Muruntau (Uzbekistan) Panorama compilation © Dr. Torsten Graupner

  • Bolshevik (Kazakhstan), granitoid dikes in open pit © Dr. Andy Wurst

  • Bolshevik (Kazakhstan) orogenic gold deposit © Dr. Andy Wurst

  • Sawayaerdun (Kyrgyzstan), open pit © Courtesy Dr. Rich Goldfarb, USGS

  • Suzdal (Kazakhstan) gold deposit, open pit

  • Ridder-Sokolnoe (Kazakhstan) VMS deposit © KazZinc

  • Taldybulak (Kyrgyzstan) Au-Cu-Mo deposit. Ordovician porphyry hosted 5+ Moz gold © Dr. Sasha Yakubchuk

  • Nurkazgan (Kazakhstan) porphyry Cu-Au deposit in Devonian magmatic arc of Kazakh orocline

  • Kounrad (Kazakhstan) porphyry Cu-Au deposit In Carboniferous Balkhash-Ili arc, Greater Kounrad open pit

  • Almalyk (Uzbekistan) pit panorama

  • Almalyk (Uzbekistan) Cu-Au porphyry

  • Almalyk (Uzbekistan) open pit

  • Almalyk (Uzbekistan) pit impression

  • Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia) in 2012 © Rio Tinto

  • Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia) pit view

  • Oyu Tolgoi (Mongolia) pit stripping © Rio Tinto

  • Erdenet (Mongolia) Cu-Mo porphyry © Prof. Ochir Gerel

  • Sora (Khakasia, Russia) Mo mine, open pit © Andrei E. Izokh

The Geology of Eurasia

International Workshop sponsored by CERCAMS

GFZ Potsdam / Germany
27-28 June 2019

Museum staff

External collaborators

  • Dr Martin Smith
    University of Brighton
  • Dr Alexander Yakubchuk
    Orsu Metals Corporation, London
  • Dr Axel Müller
    Natural History Museum-University of Oslo, Norway
  • Dr A. Zaytsev
    St Petersburg State University
  • Prof Anthony Naldrett
    Royal Holloway, University of London and University of Toronto

Full list of CERCAMS staff, associates and scholarships PDF (44KB)

Related information

Sustainability

We are exploring new sources of food, predicting the spread of disease and finding scarce elements

Economic and environmental earth sciences research

Researching the formation, discovery and sustainability of Earth's resources

Ores collection

The collection contains over 15,000 specimens and is a valuable resource for the field of economic geology