Chapter 4 Temporal-Spatial Distribution of Metallic Ore Deposits in China and Their Geodynamic Settings
Authors: Deng Jun , Zhai Yusheng , Mo Xuanxue , Wang Qingfei 
Published: September 2023

The temporal-spatial distribution of metallic ore deposits in China, including magmatic Ni-Cu ± platinum group elements (PGE), porphyry, skarn, volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS), epithermal, sedimentary rock-hosted Pb-Zn, Carlin-like Au, and orogenic Au deposits, reflects a diversity of tectonic settings. The ore deposits belong to 14 metallogenic provinces, contained within six age groups, which are classified based on geodynamic setting. Three of the provinces developed in the Precambrian (group I), nine developed in the Paleozoic and Mesozoic (groups II, III, IV, and V), and two developed in the Cenozoic (group VI). Except for the group I provinces, each of the other provinces is characterized by a major metallogenic age peak corresponding to a series of interrelated tectonic events or mantle plume activity. The Precambrian group can be subdivided into a Neoarchean metallogenic province in the North China craton that hosts several VMS deposits; a Proterozoic metallogenic province in the North China craton that hosts the 1505 Ma Bayan Obo carbonatite-related rare earth element (REE)-Nb-Fe deposit and the 832 Ma Jinchuan magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposit, and a Proterozoic metallogenic province in the South China block that hosts several iron oxide copper-gold deposits. Many of the deposits in these metallogenic provinces are related to continental rifting. The second group of metallogenic provinces occurs in the Chinese part of the Central Asian orogenic belt. It includes a Cambrian-Ordovician metallogenic province that developed during subduction of the Paleo-Asian oceanic plate, a Carboniferous-Triassic metallogenic province (Tianshan-Altay) that developed during final closure of the ocean, and a Permian-Triassic metallogenic province (NE China) that developed after arc-continent collision. Important ore deposits in these metallogenic provinces are, respectively, the 485 Ma Duobaoshan porphyry Cu-Mo deposit the 445 Ma Bainaimiao porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposit; the 363 Ma Axi epithermal Au deposit, the 322 Ma Tuwu-Yangdong porphyry Cu deposit, the 284 Ma Huangshanxi magmatic Ni-Cu deposit; the 245 Ma Chehugou porphyry Mo-Cu deposit, the 223 Ma Jinchangyu orogenic Au deposit, and 220 Ma Hongqiling magmatic Ni-Cu deposit. The third group of metallogenic provinces occurs in the Tethyan metallogenic domain and can be further divided into a Cambrian-Ordovician Qilian-Kunlun-Sanjiang province that developed during subduction and closure of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean; a Carboniferous-Triassic province that developed during birth, subduction, and consumption of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean; and a Jurassic-Cretaceous Tethys province that developed during subduction of the Meso-Tethys oceanic plate. Important ore deposits in these provinces include the 411 Ma Baiganhu W-Sn skarn deposit and the 412 Ma Xiarihamu magmatic Ni-Cu deposit that formed in a continental-arc setting; the Laochang Pb-Zn VMS deposit associated with ocean island basalt-like volcanism, the 220 Ma Pulang porphyry Cu deposit that formed in a continental-arc setting, and the 230 to 210 Ma Carlin-like Au deposits formed in a postcollisional environment in the western Qinling and the Youjiang basin; and the 119 Ma Tieyaoshan Sn skarn-greisen deposit, the 88 Ma Tongchanggou porphyry Mo deposit, and the 83 Ma Gejiu Sn skarn deposits. The fourth group of metallogenic provinces developed during subduction of the Pacific oceanic plate beneath southeastern China and comprises a Jurassic and a Cretaceous province. The former is represented by a cluster of ~160 Ma W-Sn skarn deposits in the Nanling region; the latter is known for many ~135 Ma skarn and porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the Tongling region and numerous ~125 Ma unusual orogenic Au deposits in the Jiaodong and Xiaoqinling regions. The fifth group is the Emeishan metallogenic province that is related to Permian mantle plume activity in southwestern China. Several world-class magmatic Fe-Ti-V oxide deposits, a few small magmatic Ni-Cu deposits, and a couple of small magmatic Pt-Pd deposits associated with mafic-ultramafic intrusions are present in this province. The sixth group of metallogenic provinces developed in the Cenozoic during continental collision in the Tibet and Sanjiang region. This group can be further divided into the Sanjiang province that is related to oblique collision, and the Tibet province that is related to orthogonal collision. Important ore deposits in these provinces are the ~41 Ma Yulong porphyry Cu-(Mo) deposit, the 37 Ma Beiya Au-Cu skarn deposit, the ~26 Ma Jinding sedimentary rock-hosted Zn-Pb deposit, the ~30 Ma Zhenyuan orogenic Au deposit, and the ~15 Ma Qulong and Jiama porphyry Cu deposits. The youngest metallogenic province in China occurs on the Taiwan Island. This province developed during the subduction of the Philippine Sea oceanic plate beneath the island in the Pliocene and the accretion of the Luzon volcanic arc to the island in the Pleistocene. This province contains numerous Pliocene orogenic gold deposits as well as the Pleistocene Chinkuashih epithermal gold deposit in northern Taiwan.