Zirconium-titanium deposits of Ukraine placer province: genesis, geological characteristics and mineralogy

In the ranking of global titanium group mineral mining, Ukraine occupies one of the leading places in the world. The Ukrainian placer province contains significant volumes of titanium and zircon ores, which are found in placers, weathering crusts, and bedrock. The main areas of distribution of ancient titanium-zirconium placers on the territory of Ukraine are the Ukrainian Shield, the Dnieper-Donetsk, and Konkso-Yalynska depressions. The titanium-zirconium placer deposits of Ukraine belong to Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic coastal-marine and alluvial placers. The main genetic types of titanium reserves in the Ukrainian placer province are coastal-marine and continental placers of the Beretska and Novi Petrivtsy formations (Chattian, Aquaitanian, Burdigalium), which in total account for about 50% of the total resources, while Lower Cretaceous continental placers (Aptian-Albian) account for about 10%, and residual placers in the weathering crust of gabbro-anorthosite rocks – about 30%. The Ukrainian placer province includes 13 placer titanium-zirconium regions: Volynskyi, Skvyrskyi, Bilotserkivskyi, Zelenoyarskyi, Novomyrhorodskyi, Pravoberezhnyi, Livoberezhnyi, Hulyaipilskyi, Mokri Yaly, Tokmakskyi, Kakhovskyi, Kharkivskyi, and Sumyskyi. The article presents their general characteristics**, name of deposit or placer (which are included region), including the names of deposits or placers (within each region), indigenous native sources, genetic features, age, and mineralogical associations. Volynskyi and Novomyrhorodskyi districts are representatives of monomineralic deposits (the main mineral is ilmenite), while the remaining are polymetallic (ilmenite, zircon, rutile, and others).** The authors describe the general regularities of the formation of 10 commercial titanium-bearing placers (Mezhyrichne, Zlobytske, Tarasivske, Byrzulivske, Malyshivske, Motrono-Annivske, Vovchanske, Voskresenivske, Krasnokutske, Manuyilske deposits), which are representatives of different genetic and temporal groups, and also belong to different placer regions. Their geological structure, genesis, and mineral composition are given. The article belongs to a series of publications, the purpose of which is to fill a gap in the knowledge of the English-language geological literature about titanium and zircon placers of the region.