Today, one of the most topical questions in the recent geodynamics of eastern Asia is that concerning the existence of the Amurian Plate and its boundaries. An unambiguous answer is difficult to obtain because seismicity is relatively rare and weak and the plate boundaries are often geomorphologically unclear. One of the methods that can help is satellite geodesy. In the present study, the velocity field of recent horizontal crustal movements was obtained from five repeated GPS observations on the Amur–Zeya geodynamic test ground (Amur Region) in 2001–2007. On this basis, the parameters of the relative rotation of the Eurasian and Amurian plates were calculated. The coordinates of their rotation pole were found to be 122.285° E and 58.950° N, and the angular rotation velocity 0.095 deg/Myr. The resulting kinematic model describes the motion of the Eurasian and Amurian Plates as independent tectonic units. According to statistical analysis, this hypothesis is true at a confidence level of more than 99%. Also, calculations have shown that the eastern boundary of the Amurian Plate passes through a branch of the Tan-Lu fault system. The kinematic model for the Eurasian and Amurian Plates agrees well with data on the kinematics of active faults and the modern tectonic stress field at the plate boundary.

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We performed system studies of age parageneses and lateral conjugation of peat and gold accumulation areas as well as the regularities of formation of noble-and rare-metal mineralization in Cenozoic coaliferous deposits in the south of the Russian Far East. The migration properties of noble metals (NMs) and their behavior in different media are considered. Based on literature data and results of experimental studies, we performed analysis and selection of the most optimal methods for the quantitative determination of NMs and trace and rare-earth elements. The experiments have confirmed the NB fugacity and have shown for the first time the scales of transportation of NMs as ultrafine particles during coal combustion. The obtained results significantly expand the notions of the migration properties of NMs and serve as the key to the solution of the problem of NM extraction in analytical and technological processes. Also, areas promising for noble-and rare-metal mineralization have been revealed in coal basins.

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40Ar/39Ar dating yielded the reliable ages of andesite from the Unerikan complex (102.1 ± 1.4 Ma) and basaltic andesite from the Burunda complex (107.3 ± 2.4 Ma). The established age of volcanism is close to one of the stages of formation of the Khingan–Okhotsk volcanoplutonic belt. The petrography and geochemistry of basic, normal-basic, and normal rocks point to their dual character: They combine features specific for tholeiitic and calc-alkalic rocks. Most likely, these rocks formed in the setting of transform continental margin.