Outline of Geology in Mongolia

Fig. 1 Simplified geologic map of Mongolia

This map gives only a brief image of geology in Mongolia.

Mongolia occupies the heart of the Central Asian Mobile Belt, and an interior portion of the Eurasian Plate. Mongolia has grown in mainly Paleozoic through the accretion of younger terranes and micro-plates to an ancient core in Siberia.

Precambrian (pCm):

The micro-continental composite blocks containing high-grade rocks constitute a significant proportion of the continental crust of the Central Asian Mobile Belt. The largest of them are named the Dzabkhan, Khangai, Tuvino-Mongolian and Altai.

Paleozoic (Pz):

Paleozoic are divided into Neoproterozoic-Cambrian-Early Ordvician (Caledonian), Ordovician-Early Carboniferous (Hercynian) and Carboniferous-Permian (Indosinian). Other some Paleozoic strata are considered Superimposed Paleozoic troughs.

Paleozoic granitoids (gPz):

Paleozoic granitoids and related volcanic rocks are products of continental margin magmatism. Some of them are related to porphyry copper deposits.

Mesozoic granitoids (gMz):

Mesozoic granitoids are mostly anorogenic and alkalic. Some of them are related to REE deposits.

Photo 1 Mesozoic granite (Gorkhi)

Mesozoic volcanic rocks (vMz):

Mesozoic volcanic rocks are distributed in eastern Mongolia, and are related to relaxation and rifting of the continent.

Jurassic-Cretaceous (K):

Jurassic and Cretaceous strata are non-marine sediments. Dinosaurs fossils have been found in them. Coal deposits in them are mined.

Photo 2 Coal mine (Baganuur)

Cenozoic volcanic rocks (vN):

Cenozoic basalts along deep crustal fractures occur locally. Seismic activity along such fractures continues today.

Quaternary (Q):

Quaternary is non-marine sediment.