Scientists from the United States of America and Ukraine visited the Geological Survey of Estonia in 27–31 August. The visit ended with a seminar on 29 August at the Rakvere office of the survey, attended by not only our own staff but guests from the Tartu University.
Leonid Shumlyanskyy from the Semenenko Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Ore Formation presented the geology of the Ukrainian shield region and provided an overview of iron and uranium ores mined in Ukraine. He talked also about V-Ti-P deposits, and Ti and P ores and Ni-Cu sulphites related to the Korosten pluton. The potential of lithium and prospects of Zr-Hf and rare earth elements were dealt with, as well. Dr Shumlyanskyy got himself acquainted with Precambrian Estonian rocks and consulted our employees on state-of-art isotope methods and geochronology.
Gordon Love, Andrey Bekker and PhD student Adam Hoffmann from the University of California, Riverside, study the development of early life at a global scale. Rock samples were taken from EGT drill cores for the search of biomarkers during ages from Ediacara to Silurian. At the basis of them, it is possible to reconstruct the development of small life forms (such as bacteria, algae or archaea). The Californian scientists visited also several outcrops along the northern coastal area of Estonia. Dr Love and Dr Bekker gave in Rakvere a lecture to Estonian geologists on the biomarker method, development of early life, and more in detail, on development of organisms during Ediacara.
