马拉维地质矿产概况

Overview of Geology and Mineral Resources of Malawi

马拉维北及北东与坦桑尼亚接壤,东、南和南西与莫桑比克交界,西和北西与赞比亚为邻。马拉维境内的大部分地方分布着被称之为马拉维基底杂岩的前寒武—早古生代的结晶岩石。在该国北部和南部的多个地方,二叠-三叠纪—第四纪的沉积岩及火山岩不整合覆盖于基底杂岩之上。晚侏罗—早白垩世的Chilwa碱性岩省侵入岩广泛出露于马南部地区,形成了明显的局部地质特征。马拉维湖沿岸的广大地区、希雷河谷地以及利隆圭平原、卡松古平原和姆津巴平原等地为各种不同类型的表层沉积物所覆盖。马拉维拥有多种矿产资源,已知的有铀、重矿砂、菱锶矿、稀土矿、磷酸盐、铝土矿、蛭石、宝石和半宝石、石灰石、建筑石料、硫化物和煤,同时具有发现贵金属和其他金属矿产的潜力。

Malawi is bounded on the north and northeast by Tanzania; on the east,south and southwest by Mozambique;and on the west and northwest by Zambia. The greater part of Malawi is underlain by crystalline rocks of Precambrian to Early Palaeozoic age which are referred to the Malawi Basement Complex. At various localities in the north and south of the country these rocks are overlain unconformably by sedimentary and subordinate volcanic rocks which range in age from Permo-Triassic to Quaternary. Intrusive rocks of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age,assigned to the Chilwa Alkaline Province,occur widely throughout southern Malawi and form a distinctive feature of the local geology. Large tracts of the Lake Malawi littoral,the Shire Valley and the Lilongwe,Kasungu and Mzimba Plains are covered by various superficial deposits. Malawi has a variety of known mineral resources that include uranium,heavy mineral sands,strontianite,rare earth minerals,phosphate,bauxite,vermiculite,precious and semiprecious stones,limestone,dimension stone,sulphides and coal. There is also potential for discovery of precious metals and other metallic minerals.